Reporter John Kampf of The Morning Journal writes that if the Buckeyes get the type of performance every week that quarterback Terrelle Pryor had in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State will go undefeated and win another national championship. For example, writes Kampf, if you look at Pryor’s Rose Bowl numbers over a season, it would translate to 3,192 yards passing, 24 touchdowns through the...
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has a shot at the Heisman Trophy. Reporter John Kampf of The Morning Journal writes that if the Buckeyes get the type of performance every week that quarterback Terrelle Pryor had in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State will go undefeated and win another national championship.
For example, writes Kampf, if you look at Pryor’s Rose Bowl numbers over a season, it would translate to 3,192 yards passing, 24 touchdowns through the air and 864 yards rushing.
And although Pryor did not score a rushing touchdown in the Rose Bowl, it’s safe to assume he is going to sprinkle a few scores in that manner, too.
I can’t see him doing that. But I can see him being reasonably close to those numbers and being the leader both on and off the field they imagined him to be when they recruited him.
Kampf also asks what would it take for Pryor to win the Heisman this year? If Troy Smith's Heisman-winning season of 2006 is used as a benchmark, Smith threw for 2,542 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also ran for 233 yards and a score.
Pryor wasn’t that far off of those numbers last year as a sophomore when he threw for 2,094 yards and 18 touchdowns, and ran for 779 yards and seven touchdowns.
Tally up the totals and Pryor outgained Smith, 2,873-2,775, while Smith had more touchdowns, 31-25.
The big difference is that Smith did not lose until the national championship game against Florida. Pryor and the Buckeyes lost twice last year (to USC and Purdue) and Pryor was pretty bad in both of those games.
Statistics are nice, but the biggest thing Pryor could do to boost his Heisman hopes is to win.
Killer D's
Based on their Rose Bowl performance and 2009 stats as a barometer, writes reporter Jon Spencer of MansfieldNewsJournal.com, wide receivers DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher have a chance to be remembered as one of the great pass-catching duos in Ohio State history.
They combined for 17 catches for 165 yards in the Rose Bowl.
Forecast a bust-out season in 2010 for Posey and the junior from Cincinnati almost gets embarrassed.
"For me to feel like I want to have a breakout season would almost be selfish to my teammates," said Posey, whose eight catches against Oregon were good for 101 yards, including a clinching 17-yard TD. "I just want to do what I need to do for the team to win."
Last season, Posey and Sanzenbacher combined for 1,398 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 96 catches.
Stone man
Dayton Daily News reporter Doug Harris writes his attention will be on tight end Jake Stoneburner tonight when Ohio State hosts Marshall.
Harris wants to know if Stoneburner is legitimate downfield threat, something the Buckeyes haven’t had at the position since, well, Jim Tressel became head coach in 2001.
ReunitedIn Tressel’s system, the tight end basically has been just another blocker. That may have paid off in the running game over the years, but having a big brute with good hands and sizzling 40-yard dash time in the passing attack could have made OSU much more potent.
You can’t argue with Tressel’s success. But I’ve never understood why the Buckeyes utilize the tight end about as often as they call a flea-flicker pass with a lateral thrown in.
Grant Taylor of The Herald-Dispatch writes about Ohio State's Scott Sika and Marshall's Chad Schofield.
The two players grew up in Strongsville. They are best friends. They will play against each other tonight.
"We've been best friends for a long time -- went to school together and played together," said Schofield, who is expected to be the Thundering Herd's starting center. "Now, we get to open our final years of college together on the same field. Even though it's against each other, it's pretty cool."
Schofield said Sika, a reserve offensive lineman for Ohio State, contacted him one week ago just to check up on how he was doing.
"When we talked, he had told me they just broke camp and how happy he was -- you know, he's a senior so it's a good feeling," Schofield said. "I told him that we were already back in class. He was floored. He couldn't believe we were back in (already)."