The debate over Pryor’s playing time

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

I’m back home after my second trip to Columbus in a five-day span. All you Buckeyes out there will be glad to know I can drive I-670 in my sleep and finally learned the correct pronunciation for Olentangy (OH lehn TANGE ee).

One topic surfaced often among the reporters covering Ohio State, and no, it wasn’t whether Pete Carroll owns a sweater vest.

Buckeyes freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor remains somewhat of a mystery man entering Saturday’s matchup at top-ranked USC (ABC, 8 p.m. ET). I’ve gone back and forth on how much Pryor will play, and maybe that’s coach Jim Tressel’s intent with all of this.

After the Ohio game, I was fairly convinced that Pryor wouldn’t play as big a role as many envisioned against USC. He only took eight snaps in the game. Tressel and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman had a fairly revealing exchange during the Ohio game, where, according to Tressel, Bollman expressed reservations about putting Pryor in a pressure situation. 

My thought was, if he isn’t ready for the heat against Ohio U. in The Shoe, how could he possibly stand it against USC at the L.A. Coliseum? There’s no doubt Pryor would take the field against the Trojans, but the fact he barely played against Ohio suggested that in crunch time, he would be holding a clipboard.

But two factors now lead me to believe Pryor could play a slightly more significant role Saturday night.

1. Tressel loves the kid

Like many coaches of his generation and background, Tressel favors experience and lauds his seniors. He’s in no rush to play freshmen if there’s an older player just as capable of getting the job done. But from talking to folks in C-Bus, Pryor is different. Tressel sees a readiness that goes beyond the obvious physical gifts. The coach even seems a bit surprised by that readiness. Here’s what he said Tuesday:

“The only thing that holds back a freshman from playing in my mind is if they don’t understand what we’re doing and, therefore, their physical abilities can’t take over, and the thing I’ve been impressed with with Terrelle is he understands what we’re doing.” 

Plus, it was Tressel who pushed to get Pryor in Saturday’s game, asking Bollman, “When would you like his first pressure to be?” I doubt Tressel will be asking questions on Saturday. He’ll be demanding Pryor play at certain points. 

2. Offense looking shaky

Starting quarterback Todd Boeckman and several of his teammates admitted the offense has yet to hit its stride, which is surprising given all the experience Ohio State returns. Saturday could be the turning point for the unit, but Boeckman’s timing with wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline continues to be a problem, you could see a change. 

Nothing against Boeckman, who is a solid quarterback who can beat defenses down the field. But I just don’t get the best vibe about him heading into this game. I asked Robiskie if Boeckman had said anything to the offense after the Ohio game to make sure the results are different against USC. 

“He didn’t really come out and say anything. A lot of us know what we have to do. We all watched the film and we weren’t happy with it. Everybody that had a chance to play Saturday and break down the film, they know what they have to do.”

That’s true with veteran players, but it always helps to have the leader of the offense speak up. It’s hard to see the Buckeyes going away from Boeckman with the game on the line, but they have to try everything and everyone they can to throw off USC’s defense, especially if Chris Wells is limited by a toe injury.  

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