Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
So this happened last Saturday:
Four turnovers, one touchdown before things got out of hand, loss to 1-5 Purdue, extensive feature in This Week In Schadenfreude, official end of Terrelle Pryor as "Lebron In Cleats" and start of Pryor as "Darko In Cleats." ESPN's Joe Schad thought this might be a good time to call up Pryor's high school coach and get a couple of dry-white-toast quotes like:
"They've put the reins on him and they need to let him go free. When I watch Terrelle play right now, I see a robot."
... and ...
"There is no question that Rich Rodriguez's offense, for example, would be more apt to suit Terrelle's skills," [Ray] Reitz said.
...which don't really say --
Wha? He said that? Wow. Reitz confirms the Ohio State recruiting pitch to Pryor: come to Ohio State and we will mold you into an NFL quarterback like ... um ... Bobby Hoying. Go to Michigan or Penn State and they'll just have you run around willy-nilly, never learning anything and dooming yourself to the life of a second-round draft pick in a cool, innovative offense.*
It's that pitch that gave Ohio State its man, and that pitch that's doomed their man. Pryor has one focus, the NFL, and wins can be damned if they don't come in a way that pleases Jerry Jones. As a result, Ohio State didn't even bother to roll out their 6-6 wonder-tank of a QB against USC and has been struggling along with a true sophomore with the mechanics of an eighth-grader when they should be treating him like Denard Robinson after a power mushroom. You know, if they were trying to win football games instead of have a guy hold up a jersey with a one on it.
The thing is: even if Ohio State wants to change gears and start running a spread 'n' shred, or something closer to it, they might not be able to. Ohio State's linemen are huge, ponderous lurches ill-suited to the zone stretch stuff that's the bread and butter play of the zone read. The tailbacks are not the one-cut zippers that do well there. And Pryor's wasted a year and a half learning other stuff. Any transition would be long and painful, as Michigan fans found out when Ryan Mallett bolted for Arkansas a year ago. This uneasy marriage of player and scheme can either continue or be replaced by a rickety, improvised secondary scheme that the coaches at Ohio State are unfamiliar with.
As far as "you suck, go to the bench" guy above: Pryor's hype aura destroyed all other options. Pryor arrived and drove his two backups to I-AA. No other QB would consent to come in with him that year. And Ohio State missed out on a half-dozen guys the year after, failing to acquire Tajh Boyd and then getting rejected by Miami (Not That Miami) and Temple (!!!) commitments before scooping up a who-dat two-star guy from Texas who was pondering whether to go to Baylor or Kansas State. The only other option is a minor-league baseball refugee who's a walk-on. It's Pryor or nothing.
* (Fun fact: Pat White was drafted 44th overall by Miami. The last time an Ohio State QB went higher than that was 1982, when Art Schlichter was the No. 4 overall pick.)
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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Well duh! Sometimes I always just shake my head at these kids decisions.
its like Monte Teo and Vontez Burfect last year…."I’m better then USC." blah blah blah…watch when reality starts to hit next year. The losses will go up and the development of both players will go down the tubes.
by SailorGabe on Oct 21, 2009 6:21 PM EDT reply actions
T.P is starting to morph into Vince Young without a BCS Title.
Pryor may be lacking the brain skills to understand how to run an offense. Being uniquely gifted will only carry you so far.
The Bucks will definitely go QB recruiting this off season. As far as I’m concerned Mich or PSU can have Pryor. PSU would use him the same way OSU does so UM would be his only shot and I can’t see him transferring.
by gymrome on Oct 21, 2009 6:33 PM EDT reply actions
Seems to me that Troy Smith played just fine at OSU. Maybe Terrelle Pryor just isn’t that great or to be more kind maybe he’s just a late-bloomer. He is still a sophomore.
by biscuits-n-gravy on Oct 21, 2009 6:51 PM EDT reply actions
gym……
Can you imagine the hailstorm in Ohio and Michigan if he did transfer to UM?!
Right you are about VY-TP comparisons. At least VY didn’t look unsure when running the Texas offense. TP looks like a deer in headlights who survives by his athletic skills.
Problem now is that Michigan has their man in Fortier. When Pryor made this move I said myself, "how is Tressel going to develop him into an NFL QB?"
If that was the case, he should have gone to Notre Dame or Cal. At least he would have had a shot at morphing there. Dunno if he would cracked the starting job at USC b/c the guys they recruit are pro-set ready.
The larger issue is that skill players more and more want to be able to showcase their creativity and imagination on the field. Tressel/Ohio St. does not lend itself to that very easily on O. I’m going to be very interested to see if RR can change the image of the conference in that manner.
by Ark_Razor on Oct 22, 2009 5:07 AM EDT reply actions
What if he really is a robot? Maybee some University of Michigan students created a robot to look human. The students control the robot with a computer and are trying to bring down OSU football.
by crabeater on Oct 22, 2009 7:27 AM EDT reply actions
with the qb’s at Michigan and Devin gardner coming in next year, I don’t think Pryor would play qb there either.
Concerning Troy Smith, he was recruited as an athlete and Justin Swick was the next great coming. Smith turned into a decent qb after three years to develope, does osu still have that same qb coach? If not, they better get him back, if they do, the better change philosophiea?
by grinunbearit on Oct 22, 2009 7:54 AM EDT reply actions
Pryor is not a pro set type of QB and i don’t know why Tressel would get him in the first place when he runs a pro set offense with big lineman.Trying to change that man to be something he just can’t be…a guy who can read defenses from the pocket and make throws. I say, go get a new QB next season and make him a WR or TE. This experiment is a waste of time that has failed. I know one thing, he better not transfer to Michigan. Leave that fool in Columbus. Best thing that happened to Michigan was not getting Pryor. Go Wolverines!!!
by DRS1974 on Oct 22, 2009 8:30 AM EDT reply actions
Charlie Batch, the former Lions and Steelers QB who played at Eastern Michigan and is a Pennsylvania guy was TP’s "mentor" during his recruiting process. It was later revealed that Charlie told TP he should go to Michigan. However, TP decided to ditch the years of experience Charlie has and went to the University of Ohio State (his words, not mine). Thank God for that! Pryor is twice as athletic as Tate Forcier but half as poised. The QB position is played with the head first and then the arm. As a Michigan fan I’m glad the way it’s all worked out. See you Buckeyes in November!
by stadium&main on Oct 22, 2009 9:14 AM EDT reply actions
Lets see…..Jim Tressel……or some clown of a high school coach who thinks he knows it all? Not a tuff descision for me!
by vshouse on Oct 22, 2009 12:46 PM EDT reply actions
I am not sure butI thought I read somewhere that Burfect had some education issues and thats why he changed to ASU over USC. ASU is a state school, while USC is private institution, there standards I belive are a little higher…..but anyway, Pryor made the bad call and went to OSU when he KNEW Michigan was chkanging to spread and West VA already was…… his mistake and his close advisors, FAILED to advise him correctly or were fooled them selves, he was teenager, not his friends and advisors…..You can see Mallet made correct decision…..He just hasn’t displayed any improvement with his footwork to me, but he’s still young and has time………
by kraal2004 on Oct 23, 2009 12:08 AM EDT reply actions
Pryor might be like the NFL Vince Young (although he did go to the playoffs as a rookie), but he is like the NCAA Vince Young. Young was an animal at Texas. He threw a match on ESPN’s annual "Is this USC team the greatest team..EVER??" idiotfest by winning a Rose Bowl all by himself. Anyway, he can sit and rotate on the bench in Columbus as he prepares himself for his career selling cars or riding the pine in the UFL. We don’t need or want him on the Wolverines. Go Blue.
by ChiAdam on Oct 23, 2009 12:27 PM EDT reply actions
..meant to say he is NOTHING like the NCAA Vince Young
by ChiAdam on Oct 23, 2009 12:27 PM EDT reply actions
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