First official poll paints bull`s eye on BucksIf you play Ohio State football you`re already well aware of the imaginary bull`s eye painted on your jersey.When the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll was released on Friday, that bull`s eye got a whole lot bigger.The Buckeyes received 31 out of 62 first place votes in the poll, marking them as the preseason number one team in the nation.It was the first time since 1980 that Ohio State has been chosen number one at preseason.”It`s a tribute to our players,” said head coach John Cooper during a press conference Friday at the Big Ten Kickoff in Chicago. “We had a good team last year and didn`t lose that many guys. Whether we`re the best team or not, well, that`s why we play the schedule.”The USA Today/ESPN Poll was released along with the Jeff Sagarin computer rankings which place the Buckeyes fifth. Although nearly a dozen college football and pro sports publications had recently projected the Buckeyes as the number one team in the nation, the USA Today/ESPN and Sagarin polls are the first official ones that have a definitive bearing on deciding the two contenders of the national championship game in the first-year Bowl Championship Series.Despite finishing 10-3 last season, and losing 31-14 to Florida State in the Sugar Bowl last year, OSU largely gained the number one nod by fielding 18 returning starters and 51 returning lettermen. And the quality of the returning starters and underclassmen talent ranks among the top position players in the nation:Andy Katzenmoyer – The junior linebacker is going for his third All-American bid and led the team in tackles with 93 last season, 11 of those for a loss.David Boston – Widely recognized as one of the greatest college wide receivers in the nation, Boston broke Cris Carter`s 1986 OSU record of 69 receptions with 70 last season. He`s caught a touchdown pass in 10 of his last 13 games.Antoine Winfield – The senior cornerback was second behind Katzenmoyer last season with 92 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions.Brent Bartholomew – Arguably the best Big Ten punter, the senior is second in the nation in consistency only to Texas A&M`s junior Shane Lechler and Kansas State`s senior James Garcia.Rob Murphy – A sure candidate for All-American the junior guard is one of five starting returners for the offensive line.Michael Wiley – The junior tailback gained 588 yards playing second fiddle to graduate Pepe Pearson. His success will be key to a run at the national title.Dee Miller and Ken-Yon Rambo – When Boston isn`t available this tandem will prove to be vital targets for quarterback Joe Germaine. Miller (senior) had 58 catches last season, most for key plays, while Rambo (sophomore) averaged 20.8 yards per catch last season.Joe Germaine – Now that he`s not sharing quarterback time with graduate Stanley Jackson, Germaine has the opportunity to justify his name being mentioned in the same sentence with UCLA`s Cade McNown as quarterback Heisman candidates. Last season, playing back-up, Germaine threw for 16 touchdowns on 1847 yards. He threw for nearly four-hundred yards in the last three quarters of last season`s loss to Penn State.This years front defensive four include two experienced starters in sophomore nose guard Joe Brown and junior defensive end Matt LaVrar. Junior defensive end James Cotton and sophomore defensive tackle Clinton Wayne fill the holes left by graduation. They`ll get their first test at 12th ranked West Virginia on Sept. 5 when they have to contain one of the nation`s best running backs in Amos Zereoue.The secondary is stocked as well. Along with Winfield are senior safety Damon Moore, free safety Gary Berry and junior corner Ahmed Plummer, a large yet deceptively speedy backfield.This will be the first year that the winners of the PAC-10 and Big Ten won`t be guaranteed a Rose Bowl birth. If the winner of the conference goes undefeated, and finishes under the new rating system number one or number two, they`ll have a national championship game date at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 4.The Bucks will trade roses for a national championship in a heartbeat.