Pryor dodges the Eagles and avoids any injuries, freshman kicker Drew Basil pleased with better length on kickoffs.
Were Terrelle Pryor and OSU coach Jim Tressel interested in "style points" to impress the nation's voters on Saturday. No, not at all, they said. Really.INSIDE THE VEST
Jim Tressel isn’t typically one for style points, but the Buckeyes accrued them Saturday regardless.
For a while, it looked like Ohio State might end the day as the new No. 1 team in the country, up until top-ranked Alabama ended Arkansas’ upset attempt.
Entering Big Ten play, Tressel only has to keep the Buckeyes doing what they’re doing. It’s not about style. No matter what happens in the rest of college football, an undefeated Ohio State team, playing this schedule, will reach the national title game. So it’s a two-month exercise in dealing with success.
“I suppose if someone isn’t sold on your league, maybe that’s something that you consider,” Tressel said on style, “but we’ve always said that if we could be successful in our league and obviously in our nonconference schedule that we’ll have enough style and you’ll see where you land.
“But it’s a whole different world when you go into conference play. There’s not a whole bunch of style points — more heavyweight bout than it is a style show.”
— Doug Lesmerises
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Checking out one observer's grades for Saturday's game.
A -- Terrelle Pryor's luck
On Pryor's first touchdown pass, a 31-yarder over the middle to Dane Sanzenbacher, Eastern Michigan defensive lineman Brad Ohrman got late penetration and dove and hit Pryor in the left knee just after he released the ball. In the first half Pryor took three hard shots after releasing the ball. But this one was the kind of hit a quarterback fears most.
Pryor wears a brace on his left knee after having arthroscopic surgery in the off-season. He got up from the Ohrman hit, none the worst for wear.
But center Mike Brewster said he didn't run to join the celebration in the end zone because he was checking on Pryor after the play.
"I was nervous for a second," Brewster said. "But he was all right. We know we need to keep hits off Terrelle, but he's a pretty big and strong guy, so he forgives us sometimes."
B -- Kicker Drew Basil
The true freshman knew he wasn't getting the job done on kickoffs, his shorter kicks contributing to the Buckeyes' coverage woes. He got a major workout as the Buckeyes kicked off 12 times against Eastern Michigan. With a minor adjustment in his steps during the week, he did his job much better.
Basil said his goal is to at least kick the ball inside the 5. He did that eight of 12 times, including three touchbacks. The four kickoffs outside the 5 landed at the 6, 7, 9 and 13.
Best of all, the Buckeyes didn't allow a kickoff return TD.
"It's a great feeling. That's what I've been working most of my life for, to hit the ball well," Basil said. "I just listened to the coaches and they said we needed to get better at this as a team and I felt like we did a lot better today. ... I think we've got it sorted out."
C -- Ohio State's injuries
The Buckeyes entered the game with the depth in their secondary depleted -- former starting safety C.J. Barnett is out for the year, No. 3 cornerback Travis Howard out with a shoulder injury, and veteran backups Nate Oliver and Donnie Evege sidelined.
So it didn't help things when starting cornerback Chimdi Chekwa was forced out for much of the game with back spasms, though he eventually did return.
Tight end Jake Stoneburner did not return after hurting his ankle in the first half. But Jim Tressel said Stoneburner just rolled it and isn't expected to miss next week.
So there were some bumps and bruises, but it doesn't sound like anything major. In a blowout, that's always at the top of the list of priorities. Remember, Terrelle Pryor first hurt his knee in the blowout against New Mexico State last season, when kicker Aaron Pettrey also went down.
D -- Kenny Guiton's end zone celebration
The Buckeyes used the blowout to get several players into a game for the first time, including senior tight end Ricky Crawford, who said before the season his goal for the year was to finally get on the field.
The Buckeyes also got their backup quarterbacks into the game, and second-stringer Joe Bauserman threw his first career touchdown pass to Jordan Hall. Third-string quarterback Kenny Guiton scored his first career points on a 15-yard TD run but drew a post-game admonishment from Tressel for dropping the ball in the end zone instead of handing it to the official.
Tressel said Guiton "lost his mind."
"I've already been told by plenty of coaches," Guiton said after the game. "I told them it was my first time, so please excuse me."
So the redshirt freshman maybe deserves a break on this one.
"Right now, getting in the end zone is a real big deal," Guiton said. "Me and the center Scott Sika always talk about what we want to do. I try to leave my best out there and let them know I do want to get to the end zone."