Some new surrounding castmates might be the best thing for the brilliant Pryor
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"Originally ranked below USC at No. 7, Ohio State moves up one spot after securing the services of No. 1 QB Terrelle Pryor. Pryor will get the benefit of not having to play right away."
-- ESPN's 2008 Recruiting Rankings
Well, maybe that didn't go quite according to plan.
For quarterback Terrelle Pryor, a year of marinating as a freshman, with some spot duty here and there, turned into a one-way ticket to the barbecue of college football. Here's the ball, kid, remember to keep an eye out for those USC linebackers.
But was it worth it? Was it better to play Pryor and get him used to a group of skill position talents, all of whom have since left for the NFL?
Yes, says Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel.
"I don't care if you're a young quarterback or an old quarterback, you can talk about the receivers all you want," says Tressel, "if you don't have time to throw, it doesn't matter. But when you do, and you can stay on rhythm and have a chance to make your reads, it's going to mean the world to you."
In 2009, Pryor will get that chance.
And are you really worried about finding skill position talent? Ohio State has produced 243 NFL draft picks since 1967, including 50 since 2002. The Buckeyes' 10 first-round picks in the last four years are the most of any school. So while they have big holes to fill, they have an unmatched track record in finding that talent.
For Pryor, a new cast might even be good for him.
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As a rival Big Ten coach we talked to this week explained, in some ways new receivers could actually help Pryor, regardless of talent level. Last year, Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie were precision route-runners and receivers for a quarterback learning on the fly. "He didn't need perfect receivers, he needed guys who could adapt," says the coach. In essence, you took refined offensive weapons and put them out there with Pryor, who sometimes looked like the greatest flag football quarterback who ever lived. Pryor needed adaptability, and some guys who could grow with him, not wait for him to grow to their level.
So it's 2009: New group, new spring, new fall, new chemistry.
"He's an extraordinary worker," says Tressel of his quarterback, who is working with returning pass-catchers like Ray Small, Jake Ballard and Dane Sanzenbacher in the summer, minus the oversight of coaches. "You have 29 practices (when the team arrives in August), twice as long as spring. And Terrell showed great improvement just in spring, so if he does in fall what he did in spring, he'll be right on track to get a lot better."
Last season, Chris "Beanie" Wells and Pryor ran the ball on 346 of Ohio State's 540 rushing attempts (64.1 percent). Pryor will undoubtedly run the football again when needed, but the 6-6, 235-pound sophomore can't run the ball all the time. The Buckeyes do have a crew of running backs returning in sophomore Dan "Boom" Herron and junior Brandon Saine. However they didn't do much in the three games that Wells didn't play in 2008.
If stud freshman Jaamal Berry's legal issues do not interfere, he also could help in the Buckeye backfield. Bucks fans know freshmen can play in Columbus.
"Now, if your receivers really step up now you've got the whole package," says Tressel. "But it all starts up front, without question. Not only just pass protection but if you can run the ball, that sure makes passing the ball a lot easier."
The Buckeyes lost three good players on their offensive line, but a spring in which Tressel says the team stayed healthy will help. And, led by ex-Wolverine Justin Boren and steady center Michael Brewster, "it'll be interesting," Tressel says, but based on spring play "we have a chance to plug in and get better.
If the line is better, he expects the passing game to improve. In the last three years, it's dropped some, a trend ready to be reversed.
But all their offensive maneuvering aside, we should also remember this: In Columbus, the program makes its money on defense. Remarkably, the Buckeyes have been in the top three in the Big Ten in scoring defense, rushing defense and passing defense for the last four years.
In that vein, defense at OSU can draft the slogan for superstars: Even when it's bad, it's not that bad. And while the Buckeyes lost several stars in linebackers Marcus Freeman, and James Laurinaitis, plus cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, at OSU it's always a matter of simply wondering who the next NFL-worthy talent is, and whether he's ready to emerge.
"We stayed healthy in the spring, and a lot of guys got to play a lot of ball against a lot of things we bring at them," says Tressel. "It would be nice if the older guys just passed things down naturally, but that's not the way the world works. You have to go learn it on your own."
But, especially on defense, Ohio State isn't just finding replacements; it's refining NFL talent -- something the program doesn't conceal.
"Hey, we don't hide the fact that we want our kids to have goals like becoming the best at their position in college football and being attractive to the NFL," says Tressel. "But on the other hand, that has to go hand-in-hand with what the team needs.
"I think we're very capable talent-wise. Now the question will be, will the leadership rise?"
So the Buckeyes will replace a lot on defense, and have something to prove on offense. But isn't that just the way of a program like this? When great talent leaves, you don't have to replace it. You just have to reveal the latest version.
Statistical information and research provided by Andrew Davis of ESPN Stats & Information.
