I may be among the most guilty when it comes to looking at our players through rose scarlet colored glasses (with gray rims, of course).  Therefore, I sat through the first round of the NFL draft initially thinking of how one of our guys might have been a better choice with nearly every pick.  Please, tell me I wasn't the only one.

But then I conceded that some of these draft gurus may actually have some idea of what they're doing.  (It could happen, Browns fans)  So assuming there may be some validity to the system, I started to consider how much we're really losing in the scheme of things. 

After all, in college football most programs are going to lose at least some key players nearly every year.  Last season's senior class will always be appreciated for their fine play - but perhaps even more by the leadership they provided en route to a national championship.  They're some of my all-time favorite players (Evan Spencer) - I mean no disrespect to them. 

But after reading their draft evaluations, there may be legitimate reasons why most of this year's draft-eligible Buckeyes might not be selected until the later rounds, if at all.  Without going in to detail, they all seem to have some shortcomings in their respective games, at least, by NFL standards.

The positive spin on this is that our departing seniors may not be as difficult to replace as I originally thought.  If you think about it - we lost two first rounders along with several other excellent players the year before - and then proceeded to win a national championship.  It would appear, at least on the surface, that our losses may not be nearly as prodigious this time around.

So I find myself in the strange position of hating the fact that our departing seniors are being so 'under-appreciated' by the NFL, but at the same time loving the idea that we ought to have an excellent opportunity to hit this season in full stride.  Or, at least closer to it than I had previously expected.

I'm wondering if any of my 11W brethren have had similar thoughts -