Ohio State’s Pryor looks for payback this fall

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Terrelle Pryor didn't identify them by names, but he had a message Thursday for USC and Penn State. 
And if Ohio State somehow ends up in a bowl rematch against Texas, the Longhorns might want to listen up, too. 
"There's some teams out there that are waiting for us," Pryor said, "and there's teams…
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Who are the nation’s greenest units?

The ESPN bloggers are getting into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit by breaking down the least experienced units in college football. Some highlights below, with links to the full reviews….

Graham Watson:

BYU offensive line: The Cougars will have to fill four of the five starting spots on the offensive line, but do have some depth there since several players received playing time due to injuries and some shuffling last year.

Boise State wide receivers: Boise State lost its three starting receivers, including Jeremy Childs, who left early for the NFL. Childs led the team in receiving yards and receptions last year and now quarterback Kellen Moore is going to have to break in some new playmakers.

Brian Bennett:

Louisville: The biggest bunch of newbies are at quarterback, where there are four candidates for the job but not one who’s seen any significant playing time at this level.

South Florida: Look no farther than the offensive line, where four of five starters need to be replaced.

Tim Griffin:

Oklahoma offensive line: The departure of starting center Jon Cooper, tackle Phil Loadholt and guards Duke Robinson and Brandon Walker means that Sam Bradford will have an inexperienced group protecting him next season. Trent Williams moves to left tackle and Bob Stoops likes his incoming talent, if not its early work habits.

Texas defensive line: The major question dogging the Longhorns’ national title hopes will be rebuilding a defensive front that loses All-American defensive end Brian Orakpo, defensive tackle Roy Miller, defensive tackleAaron Lewis and defensive end Henry Melton from last season.

Texas Tech offensive line: New quarterback Taylor Potts will be relying on a retooled offensive line protecting his blind side after left tackle Rylan Reed, left guard Louis Vasquez and center Stephen Hamby all departed from last year.

Chris Low:

Alabama: The Crimson Tide are replacing three-year starter John Parker Wilson at quarterback, but losing the threesome of Andre Smith, Marlon Davis and Antoine Caldwell on the offensive line leaves the biggest void. They were at the crux of just about everything Alabama did on offense last season.

Georgia: Much of the focus this spring will be on Joe Cox and the quarterback position, but the Bulldogs’ most glaring weakness is the lack of a dominant pass-rusher from the defensive end position. They’ve got to find somebody who can consistently get to the quarterback.

LSU: Jordan Jefferson started the final two games at quarterback last season as a true freshman and enters 2009 as the favorite to win the job. His main competition will come from another true freshman, Russell Shepard, who graduated early and is going through spring practice.

Heather Dinich:

GEORGIA TECH — Having lost three of four starters on the defensive line, it’s easily one of the greenest groups in the whole conference.

MIAMI – The Canes are still young everywhere, but remember quarterback Jacory Harris has only started two games and his backups have no collegiate experience.

NORTH CAROLINA — The Tar Heels lost their top three receivers and will be counting heavily on inexperienced players to replace Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate and Brooks Foster.

Ted Miller

Arizona State — QB: Combined starts of the five candidates to replace Rudy Carpenter at quarterback? Zero.

Oregon – DT: Both starting defensive tackles are gone and this unofficial depth chart shows 14 combine tackles for seven potential replacements.

Oregon State — DE: Sackmasters Victor Butler and Slade Norris and their 41.5 combined sacks over the past two seasons are gone. Sophomore Kevin Frahm and senior Ben Terry, who split two sacks between themselves in 2008, are in.

Adam Rittenberg

Ohio State’s offensive line — Don’t be shocked if Ohio State enters 2009 with three sophomores (Mike Brewster, Mike Adams, J.B. Shugarts) and a transfer (Justin Boren) on its starting line.

Penn State’s defensive ends — Jerome Hayes should be back from another knee injury, but Penn State will be on the lookout for a proven pass rusher after losing Aaron Maybin, Maurice Evans and Josh Gaines.

Purdue’s wide receivers — New coach Danny Hope made wide receiver a peak priority in his first recruiting class after losing Greg Orton and Desmond Tardy, who combined for 136 receptions and 1,596 yards last year.

Wisconsin’s defensive line — The Badgers lose three multiyear starters (Matt Shaughnessy, Mike Newkirk and Jason Chapman) and don’t return many proven players aside from ends O’Brien Schofield and Dan Moore.

And — of course — everyone’s favorite green unit:

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Will Terrelle Pryor Be the Greatest Dual-Threat QB There’s Ever Been?

As the spread offense has undoubtedly dominated the world of college football, coaches have an added attention span for quarterbacks who can both throw and run the football. From Vince Young of the mighty Texas Longhorns to JaMarcus Russell of the tenacious Tigers of LSU, big, fast quarterbacks have changed the face of college football forever.

In this day and age, when thinking of a stud…
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Who will be the 2009-2010 BCS National Champion?

While memories of Tebow hoisting the trophy may still be dancing through your head, the pundits can’t help but look ahead to the 2009-2010 BCS National Championship.

With more returning starters than USC or Oklahoma, the early favorites of the talking heads are the Florida Gators and Texas Longhorns.

Here’s a breakdown of the pundit pre-pre-preseason projections, with click-through links to their full lists.

Rivals.com
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Oklahoma
5. LSU
Highest Projected non-BCS: #9 – Boise State

Mark Schlabach (ESPN)
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Oklahoma
5. Alabama
Highest Projected non-BCS: #8 – Boise State

Dennis Dodd (CBS Sportsline)
1. Florida
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Virginia Tech
Highest Projected non-BCS: #15 – Utah

Mr. College Football Tony Barnhart (Atlanta Constitution-Journal)
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma
Highest Projected non-BCS: #17 – TCU

Bruce Feldman (ESPN)
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Oregon
5. Virginia Tech
Highest Projected non-BCS: None in Top 10

Matt Hayes (Sporting News)
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
Highest Projected non-BCS: #18 – BYU

So… if you believe the pundits… go ahead and book your reservations now, Gator & Longhorn fans. But… then again, that didn’t work out too well for Georgia fans last year, so… maybe just watch the games, first.

PS – On a side note, let me just say that I am glad to be back in the saddle. It’s nice to see the community has grown to the point where our contributors have taken over with amazing, self-generated content. Keep these great posts coming because… there is no off-season, boys.

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2009 Fiesta Bowl

 

Texas vs. Ohio State: Fiesta Bowl

Texas 24                Ohio State 21

 

I’m sure there is a lot of grumbling in Buckeye Country today and there is probably a lot to complain about but the thing I took from the game is that the guys played their hearts out and left it all on the field.  Sure they made some mistakes and they didn’t get some calls their way, but all we can ask is that they laid it out there and have nothing to hold their heads down about.

 

Getting to the game, I really liked how aggressive the Bucks were on both sides of the ball.  They knew they would have to get after Texas with some very aggressive play and play calling.  Really the only thing I would take back was the man coverage on the last TD by Texas.  With a lead in the closing seconds of the game and a red hot QB coming at you, I think I still would have gone to some man coverage but would have tried to leave a safety in the middle of the field.  Even with his gaudy stats, the defense put pressure on McCoy most of the day and he spent most of his time getting the ball out pretty quickly.

 

Give McCoy, Cosby and the offensive coordinator credit.  They had a good game plan and played it masterfully.  The Bucks tried everything to get pressure in the backfield and cover the wide outs but just when they thought they had a bead on things, the Longhorns would switch it up and keep chugging along.  They knew they couldn’t run the ball and relied on the short passing game to pick up solid first down yardage and leave McCoy with some manageable short 2^nd and 3^rd downs.  I feel for the seniors on D who played their hearts out only to fall short in the end.  Even with the loss of some stellar players, I think we have some goods things to look forward to next year.

 

Offensively, although inconsistent, I thought the offensive line played pretty well.  Beanie was doing what I had hoped he would do and that was run right at them.  Losing him for the second half was a huge issue and although Herron came in to do a nice job, Beanie might have busted out for one or two to help seal a win.  Terrell wanted it bad but he also had some happy feet and missed some throws he should have had.  I was disappointed to see him jog out of bounds with room to spare or just short of first down yardage.  The receivers didn’t do the QB’s any favors by dropping a few potential big plays and it is a little disconcerting that we have to put Pryor outside to make the big catch when we really needed it.  I was very happy to see Boeckman make significant contributions in his final game.

 

A kick here, a penalty there, a bad call and maybe some missed opportunities in a very hard fought game will ultimately cost you the game.  I was very proud of how hard the players played against a very, very good Longhorn team and see a bright future for the Buckeyes in 09.

 

In the past I have always been critical of coaching and play calling, but in the end, after a game like that, you need to stop and just feel for the kids on the field who have to live with this for some time to come.  They have nothing to be ashamed of and should be very proud of the effort they put forth not only in this game but all year.

 

Great job guys!  I look forward to 2009.

Story By Buckeye Legends

Whaddya know? The sun came up today after all

Hats off to the Texas Longhorns, 2009 Fiesta Bowl winners.
A few brief bullets about the game:

Why was Ryan Hamby wearing Anderson Russell’s uniform? (Okay. Just kidding. Had to get it out of the way.)
For the first time in three years, we saw a “classic” Tressel performance. This is the type of scheme, effort, theme, and [...]
Story By Men of the Scarlet and Gray

Texas makes case for title despite close win

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Roy Miller sounded like an Ohio State Infomercial. 

Minutes after No. 3 Texas posted a dramatic Fiesta Bowl win, Miller began talking up the team his Longhorns had just beaten. 

“Great team, great players, Terrelle Pryor, [Chris "Beanie" Wells] is healthy,” said Miller, the Longhorns senior nose tackle who was named Defensive Player of the Game. “You’ve got award winners on that side. You’ve got future Heisman candidates, you’ve got a running back that’ll probably be the top pick in the draft, an offensive line as big as any, a defense that’s played as well as any defense. 

“When you look at those things and you look that this team had an opportunity to scout us for a month and a half, I really feel like we deserve that top spot.”

It will be a tough sell, but the Longhorns began campaigning for the No. 1 ranking immediately after their 24-21 win. Head coach Mack Brown said on the victory podium that he planned to vote Texas at No. 1 regardless of what happens in the BCS title game Thursday night.

But there’s a force working against Texas, the same force that worked in favor of Oklahoma and Florida.

The Longhorns won by only three points Monday. They showed tremendous fortitude, made key plays and rallied past an Ohio State team that finally began to play to its potential. Yet a 3-point win against the runner-up from the beleaguered Big Ten Conference won’t convince many that Texas should be at the top. Neither will an offense that produced well below its season averages. 

“Style points, I don’t care about scoring 80 points and them scoring seven,” Longhorns defensive end Brian Orakpo said. “If it’s a battle between two great teams, it makes football even more fun to play. It’s very unfortunate because nowadays it’s all style points and who can keep their starters in the longest and keep running up the score.

“Style points shouldn’t matter.”

Orakpo makes an excellent point, but one that likely will fall on deaf ears when the final polls come out. Texas entered the game as a 9-point favorite, and after impressive BCS wins by both USC and Utah, the Longhorns likely needed to trounce Ohio State to open the door for a split national title.

Though Texas certainly has the best case of any team not spending the week in Miami, the Longhorns were seconds away from a loss. USC thumped a Penn State team that beat Ohio State on Oct. 25, and Utah also posted a two-touchdown victory.

“Things weren’t easy tonight,” Brown said. 

“You can throw [margin of victory] out the window,” Orakpo said. 

Unfortunately for Orakpo, the voters don’t.

Texas’ best argument for the No. 1 spot in the polls had nothing to do with what happened at University of Phoenix Stadium.

“It’s called the Red River Shootout, and 45-35 was that final score,” Miller said, referring to Texas’ win against Oklahoma on Oct. 11. “We have an opportunity to win the votes over, hopefully, and possibly get a national championship with the votes.”

Miller spoke last week about losing confidence in the voters toward the end of the regular season, as Oklahoma moved past Texas, thanks in large part to style points. History is not on the Longhorns’ side.

But after Monday’s win, Miller is beginning to feel more hopeful.

“I’m optimistic,” he said. “I’m hoping that since our team played so strong and showed so much heart, I’m hoping those things can come through transparent, everybody can see ‘em. Especially if Oklahoma wins [Thursday night]. We beat Oklahoma. We felt like we should have been in Florida. We felt like we should have had that opportunity.

“If they beat Florida, we feel we should be No. 1.” 

Miller doesn’t plan to sit around and fret over the final polls. But he hopes the voters will do the right thing. 

“Anything can happen,” he said. “We know it, and we just hope we can win a couple votes. I’m proud of my team. Being a part of this team and knowing the things that we’ve been through, the teams that we’ve beat and the situations we’ve been in, I personally feel this team can play with anybody in the country.” 

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Final: Texas 24, Ohio State 21

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Texas needed one final push against a staunch Ohio State defense that had kept Longhorns receivers in front of it all game.

The Longhorns got it from wideout Quan Cosby, who wriggled free of Ohio State safety Anderson Russell and sprinted to the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left. Quarterback Colt McCoy led a masterful drive, as Texas marched 78 yards in 11 plays without using a timeout. Cosby had a huge performance in his final game in a Longhorns uniform.

Though Texas failed to make the statement it needed for split national title, the favored Longhorns survived to notch their fifth straight bowl victory and third in a BCS game.

Ohio State mounted an impressive fourth quarter comeback behind quarterbacks Todd Boeckman and Terrelle Pryor, who hooked up for a touchdown with 7:26 left. The Buckeyes’ ground attack secured the lead despite a hamstring injury to Chris Wells, but a defense that has stepped up all game couldn’t get the final stop.

The Buckeyes weren’t embarrassed like the last two seasons and had control for most of the game, but they ended up dropping their third consecutive postseason contest. The Big Ten did absolutely nothing to improve its national reputation after a 1-6 bowl record, arguably the worst postseason performance in league history. The league has lost six consecutive BCS bowls.

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3Q update: Texas 17, Ohio State 6

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Texas finally established the run, and the Longhorns have taken total control of this game.

After finishing the first half with minus-9 net rushing yards, Texas ignited its ground game on two touchdown drives. Fozzy Whittaker, who had no carries in the first half, had four touches in the quarter, and star quarterback Colt McCoy started using his legs to make plays. Chris Ogbonnaya also is finding some gaps in the Buckeyes’ defense.

Ohio State’s defense looks exhausted despite an admirable performance. Texas used a fast pace to march 85 yards to the end zone, as McCoy and his wideouts continue to build a nice rhythm. The Longhorns had 14 first downs in the quarter, while the Buckeyes couldn’t move the chains once.

The missed opportunities in the first half are coming back to haunt Ohio State, which can’t get anything going. Some odd play-calling and an inability to get Terrelle Pryor running room are dooming the Buckeyes, who ran only 10 plays in the quarter. Chris “Beanie” Wells has been silent since halftime.

After a sluggish first half, Texas opened the second half the way it needed to, with an 80-yard scoring drive. It took a fake punt, another fourth down conversion and two third-and-long conversions, but the Longhorns broke through.

Ohio State continued to help out with three more penalties. Cornerback Chimdi Chekwa was flagged for an obvious pass interference foul, and defensive end Thad Gibson got hit with his second personal foul for a blow to McCoy’s head.

Good news on Ohio State special teams stud Shaun Lane, who had to be carted off in the second quarter after sustaining an injury on kickoff coverage. Lane was taken to a local hospital but has movement in all of his limbs.

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Halftime update: Ohio State 6, Texas 3

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Ohio State survived the dreaded second quarter without major damage, but the Buckeyes should be ahead by more than three points.

Jim Tressel’s team has executed its game plan against a favored Texas squad boasting the nation’s fourth-highest scoring offense (43.9 points per game). Ohio State has dominated possession time (17:19 vs. 12:14), established a run game with Chris “Beanie” Wells (96 rushing yards) and Terrelle Pryor (42 rushing yards) and put consistent pressure on Colt McCoy.

But will it be enough?

Despite a heroic performance by the defense, Ohio State managed only two field goals. Five penalties and lack of execution — dropped passes, Pryor running out of bounds too soon — have prevented the Buckeyes from reaching the end zone. An offense that at times relied solely on big plays can’t seem to hit the home run against Texas. Ohio State has run 22 plays in Longhorns territory and scored only six points. Not good enough.

But Pryor has been able to find room around the edges, and Ohio State should emphasize outside runs in the second half.

Texas simply needs to run the ball. The Longhorns finished the first half with minus-9 rushing yards and only 10 net yards by running backs Chris Ogbonnaya and Cody Johnson. McCoy has been efficient (20 of 27 passing) but threw an interception near the goal line with three seconds left, preventing a game-tying field-goal attempt.

Both defensive lines are getting pressure, but Ohio State’s front has been more impressive. Thad Gibson and Doug Worthington both have sacks, and McCoy is constantly under duress. But Quad Cosby and the Texas wideouts are making plays, and it’s only a matter of time before the Longhorns find the end zone.

On the health front, Ohio State lost special teams standout Shaun Lane to an apparent shoulder injury on kickoff coverage with 5:34 left. There’s no update on Lane yet, but it’s safe to say he won’t be back tonight after being carted off.
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