COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Another relatively lengthy line of early departures formed at Ohio State’s exit door, but it could have been longer.

So for all the individual talent the Buckeyes are once again set to lose, they actually look like they’re going to head into the offseason as winners in their now annual battle with attrition to the NFL.

There aren’t many programs in the country that could watch six players forgo remaining eligibility and declare for the draft and come out feeling good about it. And even fewer would be equipped to handle it just a season after losing a staggering nine players in the same situation.

But Urban Meyer’s recruiting and development plan is actually designed to produce this effect every January, and delivering another batch of pros who didn’t need to play four seasons to move on is proof that it’s working. Beyond that, though, this year the Buckeyes wound up with nearly as many decisions to stick around as there were to leave. And that’s one of three big reasons why the temptation to label Ohio State as a draft-defection loser is wrong this year.

1. The returning list is loaded: Ohio State won't admit there were silver linings to the disastrous ending to the season in the College Football Playoff, but when it comes to the future of the program, a few are already clear to see. In the postgame news conference at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, quarterback J.T. Barrett was already planting the seeds for his return by referencing the score and suggesting he wouldn’t want to leave with that bad taste in his mouth. Offensive lineman Billy Price seemed to be leaning toward returning and moving to center all along, but he admitted the fact he “didn’t play very well” against Clemson helped cement his plan. How much that also influenced guys such as left tackle Jamarco Jones, tight end Marcus Baugh or a three-headed monster of pass-rushers Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard and Jalyn Holmes is unclear at this point, but all of them could have skipped off to the next level after the loss. Instead, they’re all coming back to improve their stock -- and motivated to finish next season on a better note.

2. The losses are positionally bunched: There is obviously a challenge that comes from having one unit almost entirely wiped out at once, and Ohio State will have to deal with that yet again after losing three starters in the secondary. But the Buckeyes also just went through that exact same process a year ago and somehow seemed to actually elevate their play with Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley building on the work of Vonn Bell, Tyvis Powell and Eli Apple before them. And considering the incredible work Meyer’s staff has done recruiting in the secondary, having half of their personnel losses concentrated in the defensive backfield is probably preferable to spreading around the departures all over the roster. The pair of defections at wide receiver/H-back, as Noah Brown and Curtis Samuel move on, could prove to be a bit more challenging to replace. But even there new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson has plenty of candidates to step into those roles and something of a clean slate as he gets to work rebuilding the passing attack.

3. The recruiting pitch is boosted: When it comes to selling elite recruits on the chance to be developed into draft picks, few staffs have as much evidence to work with as Ohio State’s right now. And the message didn’t just stop on draft day last year, since the almost overnight success of former Buckeyes such as Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Thomas and Joey Bosa offered some evidence that the program helps put players in position to thrive soon after hearing their names called by the commissioner. Backing up that banner draft class with six more early departing draft picks will only add to Meyer’s ammunition on the recruiting trail, though he doesn’t really seem to need all that much help currently considering the loaded class he’s set to sign in February. But Ohio State expects to lose some individual talent after just three years in the program, and that certainly gets the attention of the top recruiting targets who envision that sort of plan for themselves. Of course, if they happen to stick around for another season like Barrett and a few of his buddies, there won’t be any complaints from the Buckeyes about that either.