In the annual Big Ten Coaches Preseason Poll, Ohio State was picked to finish last in the seven-team conference. Four months later, the Buckeyes are one of the biggest surprise teams in college hockey. Maybe the biggest. Instead of striving to stay out of the basement of the Big Ten, Ohio State is among four teams in contention for the regular-season championship. The Buckeyes, who finished in sixth place last season, are in second place with 27 points, two behind first-place Michigan, two ahead of third-place Minnesota and they lead fourth-place Notre Dame by three points.