Terrelle Pryor: The Enigma

Unstoppable.

(Ed. Note: This post was written before the suspension, etc.)

Coming out of high school Terrelle Pryor was the most sought after and heavily recruited quarterback that the country had seen in some time. His freakish 6’6” 240lb frame could withstand a heavy pass rush while still getting the ball away with a defensive linemen barreling down on him. He could take on linebackers and defensive backs for a ride at the end of long runs. His speed seemed almost impossible considering the size of his body. It never quite looked like he could outrun a defender but those gazelle-like strides and sub 4.4 speed told a different story. Expectations and excitement in Columbus couldn't have been higher when the super frosh decided to don the scarlet and gray.

Unfortunately national titles have eluded him thus far in his career at OSU. Assuming he returns for his senior season (and all signs point to him doing just that), many Buckeye and Big Ten records are likely to fall but this column isn’t about record books. It is about showing up when all the cards are on the table and TP has had his share of problems in big games to this point. Last year’s Rose Bowl was a great performance but I would argue that the defense and running game had just as much, if not more, to do with the Buckeye victory than Pryor. Sure, TP ended up with his greatest statistical game and had some big runs to propel that OSU victory. However he still had the tendency to deliver his throw high or at the feet of open receivers.

After so much time in Jim Tressels’ system, myself and many fans had hoped his Junior year would be the coming out party for Pryor. The numbers were good this past season but do you feel he has reached his full potential? Has TP reached his potential plateau? Can we count on a solid performance on Jan. 4th and beyond? These are some of the questions that popped in my head during the college football lull over the past few weeks.

I don’t want to come off as a Terrelle Pryor hater. I am far from it in fact. The guy has amazing athletic abilities and I shudder to think what this teams’ record would’ve been with a Joe Bauserman at the helm over the past couple seasons. He is obviously an ultra competitive guy that hates to lose, can out run almost anybody on the field and presents big problems for an opposing defense to scheme for. Those are qualities that any coach would die for in their quarterback. Unfortunately, most of his statistical damage comes against the patsies that pepper the OSU schedule. Rarely does it occur in the marquee matchups. For whatever reason his throws begin to sail high and wide while those dangerous scrambling skills start to disappear against the tough teams. I realize that some of those difficulties come due to that level of talent but these are the situations when you need your star quarterback to shine. TP tends to over analyze the situation against the big boys which ultimately affects his natural athletic ability.

It's time to prove yourself for good.

After all the hype and preseason awards that Pryor has won in the past, he finally got the shaft in the 2010 postseason. Not only did Tolzien beat him out (which was probably deserved), Dan Persa also topped the OSU star even though he missed the last 2(!) games of the season on a clearly inferior team. The love and adulation of the media had finally dried up and Pryor is left with something to prove this holiday season. He has always had detractors over the years but had never been disrespected quite like this. Not only did Pryor put up impressive numbers this season but he led the Buckeyes to a 6th straight Big Ten title along with a record 9th BCS bowl appearance. Only 30 minutes of bad football in Madison kept the team out of a 3rd MNC appearance in 5 years.

What will this do to Pryors’ fragile mind and how will it affect his play in the Sugar Bowl? Which TP will show up in New Orleans against the Hogs? Will it be the savy vet who helped take down the “unstoppable” Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl or will it be the mistake prone/interception riddled quarterback who showed up in West Lafayette last season? I’m not sure we saw enough of the good or bad from TP this season to know for sure. I think (hope) he takes this latest round of criticism and turns it into a performance for the ages against Arkansas. The story lines leading up to the game have focused mostly on Ryan Mallet and the tired “OSU is 0-9 against the SEC”. Pryor has managed to stay under the radar for the most part and I hope he is a motivated young quarterback that is ready to take back the limelight he has enjoyed for most of his life. I know Buckeye fans all over the world would agree with that.