As you can see, it’s taken me a couple of days to bounce back from the loss against USC. Sure, I offered my post game thoughts, but like the rest of Buckeye Nation, I’m just now getting to a point where I can move on.
Not that there hasn’t been plenty to write about this week. The problem is, I don’t even know where to begin. Even the newspapers in Florida find the criticism of Tressel extreme. (Don’t worry Gator fans. We don’t want Urban Meyer…even if he is from Ohio.)
Much of the attention has centered on Terrelle Pryor with concerns being raised about both Pryor’s ability and the Ohio State coaching staff’s ability to coach him. Of all the analysis this week however, the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland.com) makes a couple of great points to consider. In all the Vince Young comparisons we’ve seen so far, The Plain Dealer points out that it was at this exact point that Young broke out to go on a 20-0 streak to finish out his college career.
Like Pryor, Young had just finished his 12th game as a starter and like Pryor, had suffered a tough loss being held scoreless to Oklahoma. It was at this point that things started to click for Young. The films started to make all that much more sense and everything started to fall in place. According to the Plain Dealer article though, coaching played a big role in Young’s development at this point in his career.
And that is where Texas history may start to deviate from Ohio State history. Can the Ohio State offensive coaching staff provide the guidance that Pryor needs to become one of the greats? Will they turn him lose and let Pryor unleash the fury that lies within him?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Unlike Young, Pryor is only a sophomore. On top of that, he has said that he wants to leave Ohio State a top all around quarterback ready for the NFL. Pryor may be unstoppable in the run but eventually, he’ll need greater depth to succeed at both the top of the NCAA and later in the NFL. This means depth with play calling, passing, reading the defense and leading his team. He may not have it yet but he has almost three full seasons of football ahead of him if he wants it. The potential of this kid as a senior…well…I’m looking forward to it.
That brings us to Toledo. Toledo provides a great opportunity for Pryor to build confidence and really get on top of his game. The Toledo defense has given up more then their fair share of yards so far this season. If the Buckeye offensive line plays anything like they did against USC, Pryor will have plenty of time in the backfield. Add a fairly soft Toledo secondary and you’ve got the opportunity to bust some big plays. And that’s exactly what Pryor needs to do.
Tressel needs to let Pryor unleash against Toledo. Let him air it long to his receivers. Let him bust the big running play. Let him test his technique and build the confidence he needs to grow and develop as a quarterback. This season is far from over and big games lie ahead. Give Pryor the room he needs this weekend to make the 12th game jump from rookie starter to elite quarterback.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I can certainly appreciate what you are saying but I see one problem. Everyone wants to see Terrelle unleash his great ability but Mr. Tressel just won’t do it. Terrelle needs proper tutelage and I just don’t know if he’ll get it at Ohio State. I look at Miami (and we play them next year) and what Randy Shannon has done for his young sophomore quarterback, Jacory Harris. He brought in a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator from the professional ranks to guide his quarterback. Jacory Harris has made major strides thus far. I believe he only made 3 starts last season and his progress has been phenomenal. Coach Shannon trusts him and his decision making; and his ability to make reads. When will Jim Tressel show the same kind of confidence in our Buckeye stallion? Time will tell. But maybe he’d show greater confidence in Terrelle if he knew he was under proper tutelage. Is it true that the OSU quarterback coach is the video coordinator? If true, I don’t know how well Terrelle will develop. What a sad waste of talent!
But think about it. With the offensive firepower we possess we should see more players featured. Jakc Stoneburner, Jaamal Berry, Jordan Hall, Duron Carter, Brandon Saine, Lamar Thomas, Ray Small, etc. should all touch the ball at some point in the game. Believe me, if they were at Florida they would. If they were at Boise State they would. They are not being utilized and I don’t understand that. Sure, we send players to the professional ranks but it is only because pro scouts know what we have. Obscure players such as Roy Hall make teams and perform but they’re never featured while in scarlet and gray. Why is that? We should always be in the discussion when we talk about national championships but unfortunately we’re not. Wonder why? Our offense is antiquated. The days of having a 1500 yard rusher and winning national championships are pretty much over. I think Florida, and USC had 4-5 running backs and a quarterback that rushed for 600 yards a piece. Now, that’s offense. Also, they throw the ball for another 2500 to 3500 yards. We have the talent to do the same. There is no reason a team should be able to prepare for what we have but they can. But with our constipated offense everyone knows. Matter of fact, every true fan in the “SHOE” knows what we’ll run on 1st and 10, 2nd and 3, 3rd and 1, 4th and PUNT, PUNT, PUNT! Boring! Come on Jim. Show us something. Surprise us sometime.
I agree with you 100 percent Boss. It’s more then just turning Pryor loose. It’s about providing the support he needs to become a top-notch quarterback that can turn it loose.
In writing this post, I was trying to find a post by one of my fellow bloggers about Tressel’s choice in quarterback coach. I don’t remember who wrote it but the point was, instead of bringing in a great quarterback coach who could teach technique and develop top-notched quarterbacks, Tressel moved a coach up from within. As I understand it, he was filling in last year and took over the position full time this year.
This offense needs coaching and it shows. The offense is showing technical problems in a number of positions — problems that should be taught and corrected by coaches on the practice field.
The Buckeyes have amazing talent and to see it go to waste is painful. Tressel is a great leader but he needs to turn the offensive play calling over to an offensive master. Not only is the play calling predictable, many of the calls during the USC game came in way late. What, did he need to think about running on 2nd and 3…again? This left Pryor in a position where he did not have time to read the defense and make adjustments and resulted in delay of game penalties. Pryor is taking the blame for much of this and that’s wrong. He needs guidance provided by top quality coaching.
It’s very easy to scream “emergency” after a very disappointing loss and also very easy to second-guess decisions that were made (we all know hindsight is 20-20). Given a week to think about things rationally and to see the progress made against Toledo (believe me, I know full well Toledo is not USC, Texas, or Florida), I see the Buckeyes being in good shape the remainder of the season. There will be be no “give-me’s”, and life is tough. There would have to be a total implosion for me to give up on the coaching staff or Pryor, or both. I’m looking forward to all the games, especially Penn State, the newly resurgent Michigan, and post-season bowl game. Go Bucks!! OH-IO!