So the post 2002 Ohio St. football program and Terrelle Pryor could have taken large steps for their respective legacies last Saturday. The Buckeyes could have gotten into the "Who gets to play Florida" talk, while Terrelle Pryor could have began to be mentioned as one of the top offensive threats in the nation. The OSU led late in the game midway through the 4th quarter then BAM! they got Carroll-ed.
This Ohio St. loss wasn't your standard ass-kicking that they generally get from any team south of the Mason-Dixon. The 18-15 heartbreaker was a new style for a team desperately seeking innovative ways to lose big games. I will hand it to the defense which showed up in a big way for 3 and 1/2 quarters. They held USC's passing game in check most of the evening and forced Petey Carroll's new main squeeze, Barkley-san, into 1 pick and 0 TD's. They also did a good job much of the night stifling the USC rushing attack which has more talent than some NFL backfields. Even though the D relinquished the lead in the 4th, you came away feeling the Bucks offense should have done more.
That's where TP comes in. I was waiting for Pryor to come up big within these circumstances: at home in arguably one of the best environments in the country, year 2 under Tressel's offense, and a rebuilt USC defense that lost more talent than most teams had last season. It was all falling into place nicely for the former #1 recruit out of Jeanette, PA. But just because he looks up to the dog assassin doesn't mean he shows up like him.
Pryor started the game off with an INT that almost seemed staged and was just as appropriate for Ohio St. in big games. A near pick-6 to the 1 yard line is not the game of field position that you want to play with an opposing young QB like Barkley. Not because he's dangerous, but because you don't want to spot a true freshman QB 7 points when your fans and D are trying to rattle him.
Pryor came back from the early pick to settle a bit but not completely. He never looked completely comfortable and just never totally settled in. It also didn't help that once they took the lead Sweater-vest ball began and that means 3 Boom Herrons and punt. Which set the Trojans up perfectly at the end of the game to rip out numerous still beating Buckeye hearts throughout the midwest. TP did get one more chance but the OSU offense looked like a home-made abortion trying to put something together without the lead/through the air.
Now props to Pryor for taking some of the blame on this one as he did in the post-game: "It just came down to me, and I take the whole blame for it." But TP did hit us with some knowledge after that though: "I mean, we should have beat them, point blank. We should have beat them by two or three touchdowns, easy. The ball was falling the wrong way." Well, that's one way of putting it, had you actually scored the 2 or 3 TD's needed to win a game by 2 or 3 TD's. And Terrelle, I know that "everyone kills people" and "everyone murders people" but you and the Tressel-vest hacked this one up. Because a rookie QB and new D for USC in your own backyard might have been the best opportunity to gain back some respect lost since the '02 Championship.
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