Ohio State may have a tough time preparing for Marshall because the new Thundering Herd coaching staff has not revealed what type of offense or defensive scheme they will run Thursday night. But if you think that's tough, writes John Kampf of Journal Register News Service, how would you like to be Marshall coach Doc Holliday? In preparing for the...
Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor Ohio State may have a tough time preparing for Marshall because the new Thundering Herd coaching staff has not revealed what type of offense or defensive scheme they will run Thursday night.
But if you think that's tough, writes John Kampf of Journal Register News Service, how would you like to be Marshall coach Doc Holliday?
In preparing for the Buckeyes, Holliday has a worse problem.
He knows what he is going to see. He just doesn’t know how he is going to prepare for it or stop it.
“For us to mimic Ohio State is very hard,” Holliday said. “They’ve got All-Americans at every position.”
At the top of Holliday’s list of concerns is quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
“Hope and pray, I guess,” he said when asked what his defense can do. “I’m not sure you can totally contain him. He is going to make his plays.”
Pryor can especially make plays when a team takes a chance with a blitz. Holliday is also concerned that Pryor is now developing into a complete quarterback. Holliday said he noticed a different type of player in Pryor during the Rose Bowl.
“Teams like to try to keep him in the pocket and make him beat you with his arm,” Holliday said. “With that being said, he has beaten teams with his arm toward the end of the season a year ago. He has the ability to do that, and he has the ability to get out of the pocket and beat you on the ground.
“He is going to be a great challenge for us.”
Iron Heyward
The Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises writes about Lineman Craig Heyward's plans to have a big year.
Reporter Tim May of The Columbus Dispatch also writes about Heyward's goal to become the best lineman he can be.
In fact, when asked whether he wants to be the Ndamukong Suh of 2010, he answered quickly:
"I want to be better than Suh," the senior captain said.
Whether he even comes close to the season Suh had for Nebraska last year, when he wound up fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, remains to be seen. But Heyward said a meeting with coach Jim Tressel earlier this year convinced him not to be bashful about striving for such lofty goals.
One of Heyward's biggest admirers is Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, writes May. He sees the 6-foot-5, 288-pound Heyward as a prototype disruptor.
"His size at the defensive end position is something that really stands out to me," said Kerrigan, who is 6-4 and 263 pounds. "I always felt like I was a big guy at that position, but then I looked at him and said, 'Well, I guess I'm just average.'
"He's a guy who really stands out because of his athleticism at that position and how physically dominant he can be at times. I was watching a replay of the Ohio State-Penn State game the other day on the Big Ten Network, and he just completely overmatched some of the players."
Top dog in conference
Toledo Blade reporter Jon Spencer breaks down the Big Ten in his preview. Spencer gives the Buckeyes the nod when it comes to winning the conference.
Ohio State: No offense to Wisconsin and Iowa, both of whom face the Buckeyes at home, but it will never be easier for OSU to win a conference crown. And not just because Tressel's gang has the kind of veteran talent to make a national championship push. With expansion and divisions looming, winning the Big Ten in the future could mean having to play in the league championship game seven days after an always emotionally-charged showdown with Michigan. Is it asking too much of a team to be at an emotional peak two weeks in a row? Not sure I want to find out.