COLUMBUS, Ohio — As members of the Ohio State roster filed out of the University of Phoenix Stadium locker room following the Buckeyes' 44-28 Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame, reality began to set in: Many of these players were doing so for the final time in their college careers.
It started with Cardale Jones, who had already previously declared his intentions of entering the 2016 NFL draft and seemed to be doing his best to duck postgame interviews.
Star defensive end Joey Bosa soon followed, his attention also turned toward his pro career.
There went Ezekiel Elliott and Michael Thomas, Darron Lee and Vonn Bell.