The Buckeyes are going prime time again!

Despite losses in the last two national-championship games, ABC/ESPN has not backed away at all from putting Ohio State on in three of its 8 p.m. Saturday-night national college-football telecasts already — and we’re only in mid-May. That’s because the network brass knows OSU should again be a contender this fall with all but four starters back.

Of course, as most thought, the big —and important — early-season top-10, maybe even top-5, matchup between the Buckeyes and Southern Cal in the Los Angeles Coliseum Sept. 13 should be the No. 1 game of the day. Thus, it will be shown on ABC.

Last year, Ohio State played in three prime-time national-TV regular-season games, all on the road, at Minnesota (ESPN2), Purdue (ABC) and Penn State (ABC). This season, the Buckeyes’ Oct. 4 game at Wisconsin and Oct. 25 home contest versus the Nittany Lions have been slated for 8 p.m.