Article published September 23, 2008
Pryor puts end to controversy
Takes charge at QB for Ohio St.
By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
COLUMBUS - Terrelle Pryor was the guy doing the talking in the Ohio State offensive huddle on Saturday. It was the first time in 30 years the Buckeyes had given that kind of responsibility to someone less than six months removed from their high school's senior prom.
Pryor, an OSU freshman who was the top prep player in the nation last year, appears to be the wunderkind who will lead this team in its pursuit of a fourth straight Big Ten Conference championship.
Not since the 1978 season when Art Schlichter started all 12 games for the Buckeyes has a freshman quarterback been in the driver's seat.
With his record-setting four touchdown pass performance in Ohio State's 28-10 win over Troy last weekend, Pryor banged the gavel on the Buckeyes' simmering quarterback controversy.
Senior Todd Boeckman, who was first-team all-Big Ten last year and had made 16 straight starts for Ohio State, struggled in an embarrassing loss to Southern California the week before, and then was in for just two plays against Troy.
Pryor, who led his Jeannette High School team in Pennsylvania to state titles in football and basketball as a senior, is a devastating dual-threat. He had more than 4,000 career yards both rushing and passing for Jeannette.Pryor seems as deft at finessing the fine line between confident and cocky as he is at avoiding a rush or putting the laces into friendly hands some 40 yards away.
"I've been making plays my whole life," Pryor said matter-of-factly after the Troy game. He then tempered that remark with a layer of humility. "Just because I threw four touchdowns doesn't mean I'm the greatest thing," Pryor said. "I'm not, by far. I've got so much more to learn."
The Buckeyes players express a confidence in Pryor's ability to take reins and run the team.
"He gets better every day in practice," senior wide receiver Brian Robiskie said. "I have had faith in him since Day One."
"You could see it really from early on, even before he got here, how Terrelle handled himself and how he handled being in the spotlight," senior linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "He's dealt with a lot of pressure and expectations, and I think he knew that would probably intensify once he came to Ohio State."
Pryor said he did not expect to be starting for the Buckeyes as a freshman, but Troy coach Larry Blakeney said that Pryor gives Ohio State another dimension that, when combined with a healthy Chris "Beanie" Wells in the backfield, will be formidable. Wells has missed the past three games with an injured right foot.
"Pryor makes them completely different," Blakeney said.
Tressel, who in the past has shown a preference for experience at the quarterback position, said he looks beyond Pryor's considerable skills and appreciates his work ethic.
"What has impressed me with Terrelle is his interest in learning, in soaking up everything he can," Tressel said. "He's asking questions, looking for ways to do things better, and being a pretty tough critic of his own work. He's young, but he has that drive to become a really good player."
Youth has been served by the Buckeyes before during Tressel's tenure, but not at quarterback. In Tressel's first season as head coach, Ohio State beat Indiana in the first Big Ten game of 2001 behind 124 rushing yards and two touchdowns from 17-year-old freshman running back Lydell Ross.
Some of the former Ohio State quarterbacks who stepped into the spotlight early in their careers are:
•Rex Kern (1968-70) - In an era when freshmen were not eligible, Kern established himself as a poised and confident leader as a sophomore starter in 1968. He led the team to 10 straight wins his first season, a shutout win over then top-ranked Purdue in a face-to-face battle with All-American quarterback Mike Phipps, and a 27-16 win over USC in the Rose Bowl that clinched the national title.
•Art Schlichter (1978-81) - Woody Hayes made him the starter for all 12 games in Schlichter's freshman season (1978), which was also Woody's last. The team went 7-4-1, and in the Gator Bowl loss to Clemson, Schlichter threw the interception that ultimately led to Woody's firing. Schlichter made 48 consecutive starts and went 36-11-1 as the Buckeyes' quarterback. He remains Ohio State's career passing yardage leader with 7,547 yards.
•Craig Krenzel (2000-03) - Krenzel made his first start as a sophomore against Michigan in 2001, throwing for a modest 118 yards as tailback Jonathan Wells scored three touchdowns in a 26-20 OSU win. Krenzel started all 25 games the next two seasons, leading the Buckeyes to the national championship in the 2002 season.
•Bobby Hoying (1992-95) - played in six games as a freshman, with one touchdown pass and was a three-year starter who had 7,232 career passing yards, and 57 touchdown passes in his 44 career games.
•Mike Tomczak (1981-84) - Tomczak won the starting job as a sophomore in 1982. He broke his leg in the spring game of 1984 season, his senior year, and Jim Karsatos replaced him and started the first two games. Tomczak came back and led the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title that year.
•Greg Frey (1987-90) - Frey earned the starting job as a sophomore in 1988 season under head coach John Cooper. The Buckeyes finished no better than a third place tie in the Big Ten during Frey's three years as a starter.
Contact Matt Markey
at mmarkey@theblade.com
or at 419-724-6510.
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