Pryor Committed

Let's be honest, not one Ohio State fan is pleased with the way Terrelle Pryor is playing.

It is hard to determine exactly was is going on in the head of a quarterback, especially a 19-year-old college quarterback.  But it is easier to see what the coaching staff is thinking.

Pryor started nine games for the Buckeyes in 2008.  In those games he only threw the ball more than 20 times once.  He was 16 of 25 in a 13-6 home loss to Penn State.

In 2009, through seven games, he has thrown the ball more than 20 times in all but two games.  His latest effort a "17 for 31" in a 26-18 road loss to then hapless (1-5) Purdue Boilermakers.

It is a natural progression for a quarterback to receive more responsibility each year he is on campus.  But Pryor has shown that he is not yet ready to shoulder the load.

His completion percentage is down from 60% in 2008 to 56% in 2009 and his eight interceptions already double his output from last season.

Although his stats are down and he is leading an offense that had has looked inept, zero passing yards in the first half against Illinois and just 184 total offensive yards against a Wisconsin Badger team that gives up an average of 363 yards per game, don't expect #14 Joe Bauserman to be under center this season.

At this point the Buckeyes are pot committed.  Ohio State went all-in blind expecting Pryor to be a full house unfortunately they are looking at a seven-two off-suit.

"Since the beginning of the season we have built our offense around Terrelle being our guy, we have all signed on," Junior wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said.  "As a team you have to all buy into a certain concept, you all have to buy into the program to make it work."

They can't bench him now... So quiet down!

Sorry Buckeye fans but there is no magic remedy to this situation.  No secret weapon on the bench.  This season the offensive success and failures will fall directly on the shoulders of an over confident, under preforming 19-year old kid.

Maybe the coaching staff has asked to much of him.  Maybe the fans were too consumed by his recruiting rank.  Maybe he will never live up to the expectations that we all have for him.

I hope he does because there is still time left in the season for the Buckeyes to buy back in.  They control their own destiny in the Big Ten.

Let's all hope this time Pryor comes up aces.

It's Time For Joe

AP

Well, that was not how I expected last Saturdays game to go, Ohio State losing to Purdue!? Who saw that one coming? I will admit that I thought the game would be closer than some people predicted (for the record I said 23-9 OSU). But Ohio State was ripe for an upset and Purdue was hungry for a win. The Boilermakers had lost five close games in a row and knew that beating the seventh ranked team in the nation could be the high of their season. The Buckeyes defense seemed to be getting tired as they played Wisconsin and you had to wonder how long they could keep excelling at such a high level. And then there is Ohio State’s offence, which seems to be getting worse every week.

It’s time that Jim Tressel and his coaching staff make a change and realize that they may have put all their eggs in the wrong basket. It’s time that Terrelle Pryor lines up anywhere else on the field just not as quarterback. It is time to see what Joe Bauserman can do as quarterback of The Ohio State Buckeyes.

Now, I have no clue if Joe Bauserman can be any improvement at the quarterback position but the only way to truly find out is to give him the ranges and let him try. What I also know as a fact is that Terrelle Pryor has gotten worse in every game this year after the USC game. I first saw things about Pryor that worried me in the Toledo game when he would though into double and triple coverage instead of scanning the field for an open man. Like any young quarterback you would expect these mistakes in the beginning of a season, but instead of getting better Pryor has gotten worse. Against Purdue he was 17-31 passing (not horrible, but not great especially since we had to pass the entire fourth quarter) and ran for only 35 yards. Plus there were is 4 turnovers! (2 int. 2 fumbles) Terrelle may have the athletic abilities to be a top tear BCS quarterback, but he is not mentally prepared for the job. He does not seem like he is able to read the field and know what is going on. Then there is his leadership. The quarterback is the natural leader of the offence (especially when you have no offensive captain) and Pryor has shown that he is not mentally ready and/or capable of doing the job.

Now I am not saying that the loss to Purdue was all Terrelle’s fault. Blame should be spread equally to all members of the team. But, it was Pryor who was making major mistakes and has been making more and more of them as the season has moved on. He should not be benched, but he should not be the starting quarterback. Play him as a receiver or at another position that the coaching staff thinks would work. This team is not going to win a fifth straight Big Ten title with Terrelle Pryor as its quarterback. It’s time for Joe Bauserman to provide a spark and hopefully still deliver a trip to Pasadena.

Why I Love Sports

I know this has nothing to do with Ohio State, but I think any sports fan can relate.

If you are reading this blog then you are probably a sports fan, and most likely a big sports fan. Believe it or not there are people out there who don’t care much about sports and think that they are just a big waste of time and money. And you know what, part of that might be true. The amount of time and money that a lot of fans spend on sports is ridiculous, but there is a reason that we do it.

We were reminded of that reason yesterday as a rainy Tuesday afternoon in Minneapolis, Minnesota turned into a Tuesday night that no one will soon forget. The Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers played an American League Central tiebreaker game for 4 hours and 47 minutes. 12 innings of nothing but baseball. No talk of steroids, labor strikes, or blood alcohol levels, just baseball.

As the game went on you could get the feeling that this was going to be something special, this was a game that you be talking about for years to come. It did not matter if you had work or homework to do, bills to pay or chores to get done. Those things could wait because you were watching baseball and you couldn’t turn away. The game seemed like it hung on every pitch and could end at any moment yet it also seemed like it could go on forever. And you didn’t care if it went on forever because you were happy, just to sit there and watch baseball.
 For those 12 innings none of the problems or stresses of the world seemed to matter. The game may have been played in Minnesota, but for 4 hours and 47 minutes it sure seemed like it was taking you back and making you think that it was being played on a corn field in Iowa. Your problems would still be there in the morning, and sports can’t fix that, but what they can do is turn one ordinary Tuesday evening in October into something that you will remember for the rest of your life.

Ohio State 38 Toledo 0

From the Opening Kickoff
- Ohio State's defense held Toledo's Aaron Opelt, leading the nation in total offense with 437 yards a game, to 181 yards.
- Opelt had to throw the ball away on four of the Rockets' first six plays.

Offense As Usual?
- Ohio State's First Drive: (1st Down) Pryor Incomplete. (2nd Down) Herron three yard rush. (3rd Down) Pryor to Sanzenbacher for a 76 yd. Touchdown. It looked like the normal OSU offense until T.P. actually found a wide open Dane Sanzenbacher. Crazy, I know.

"Air" Pryor
- Pryor threw for a career-high 262 yards
- Pryor set career bests in completions and attempts (17 for 28)

Defense on a Rolle
- Brian Rolle continued his dominant play defensively. He pressured Opelt all day. Showed his skill against the run and in pass coverage. His closing speed is a game changer.
- The Buckeyes held Toledo's high powered offense that entered into Saturday averaging 558 yards to 210 Total yards.
- This D-Line could win the Big Ten for the Buckeyes.

Don't Be Fooled
- Although Pryor accounted for 372 yards including 262 through the air his decision making is still yet to be desired. He forced too many passes into double coverage and was saved only by the simple fact that the Buckeyes were playing Toledo.

Pocket Presence
- This season Pryor has put an emphasis on becoming a better pocket passer. His only problem is that he can't find the pocket. When Pryor is faced with pressure from the edge he has not yet learned to trust his offensive line and step up in the pocket. Then again what Buckeye would...

Final Verdict
The Buckeyes responded well after a heartbreaking loss to USC. But was does a 38 to 0 victory mean for OSU? Nothing. Looking at the positive, at least it did not add them to the list of Big Ten teams that can not beat MAC schools.

The Buckeyes take on the Illinois Fighting Illini this Saturday... Should be fun.

Twelve Hours and Ten Minutes til Kickoff...

That being said- I'd like to give you all a little bit of inspiration to take with you tomorrow as you make your way into the 'Shoe or turn on your televisions to watch Senator Glenn dot the i.

Time for Redemption O-H-I-O style!



*Special Thanks to Joey DiNapoli for linking me to this video