P.M. Ohio State links: Terrelle Pryor's numbers best those of Wisconsin's Scott Tolzien

Badger quarterback Scott Tolzien's numbers are good ... but not as good as those of Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor.

If the Buckeye secondary is as good at playing defense as the featured writer on thebuckeyebattlecry.com, Wisconsin doesn't stand a chance on Saturday. "Jim," the only name listed, took issue with some Badger bloggers questioning Terrelle Pryor's consistency at quarterback. So good ol' Jim did what you'd expect for a guy who writes for a site called The Buckeye Battle Cry: He showed 'em the stats.

I appreciate the concern and all, but the last time I checked (a few minutes after answering those questions, actually) Terrelle Pryor is putting up better numbers this year than Scott Tolzien (Wisconsin’s quarterback).

Pryor has thrown for 1,349 yards, a 224.8-yard average, and 15 touchdowns. Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien has thrown for 1,201 yards, a 200.2-yard average and only seven touchdowns.

But the kicker came in the post-statistical commentary:

Tolzien, to his credit, has thrown just as many touchdown passes (2) in one game against Ohio State as Pryor has thrown in two games against Wisconsin… to Ohio State players.

Sorry, Badger fans. But that's what happens when you lead with your chin.

Torrid Torrence
Devon Torrence apparently is a lot better at hitting receivers than he was at hitting baseballs. The latter is evidenced by the .149 and .151 average he put together in two seasons in the Houston Astros rookie league. The former is in the pudding, as they say. And the pudding would be that he's in his second year as a starting cornerback for the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes.

And it was even tougher because Torrence began his Ohio State career as a receiver, according to a story by Jim Naveau of the Lima News.

Much of that is because of acquiring experience as a cornerback. Not only was he splitting his time between football and baseball, he began his Ohio State career as a receiver.

"I kind of had to change a lot of things about myself, my thought process, coming in as an offensive guy and a baseball player. On defense you have to have a different mentality," he said.

"Last year I was just out there trying to help the defense and not really understanding the whole package of what I was doing. Now I'm starting to pay attention to down and distance, the play clock, personnel, receivers' tendencies. I'm just starting to become an overall corner and I'm only going to get better the more games I play."

Ohio State expects its cornerbacks to tackle as well as drop back in coverage, so that was also an adjustment.

"When I was playing baseball and focusing on offense, my mentality was more of a finesse-type guy. Then I had to really shift it to being more physical, pushing and shoving and tackling. I had played defense in high school. It was just doing it on the college level," he said.

Torrence has an interception, four pass break-ups and his 15 tackles are more than any Ohio State defensive back other than Chimdi Chekwa.

Interesting, isn't it, that as a football player his best offense has been a strong defense.

And the winner is...
Bill Trocchi, who writes for si.com, previewed the Ohio State-Wisconsin game, which is likely to be the best game in college football this weekend.

For the third time in the history of the rivalry, Wisconsin will host Ohio State with the Buckeyes sitting atop the AP poll. In 1942, the sixth-ranked Badgers knocked off No. 1 Ohio State, 17-7; in 1973, the top-ranked Buckeyes blanked the Badgers, 24-0. Ohio State ascended to the top spot on Sunday following Alabama's loss at South Carolina, and the Bucks will be tested immediately against the one-loss Badgers. The last three matchups between these two teams have been battles, and this one figures to be no different.

But will the Buckeyes suffer the fate of their 1942 counterparts, or is a repeat of the 1973 outcome more likely? Come on, Trocchi. Inquring minds want to know.

From The Plain Dealer
Beat writer Doug Lesmerises takes a look at how Big 10 schools honor their greatest names, most with statues. Ohio State and Michigan, Lesmerises notes, have no plans to join the five schools that have statues honoring local luminaries.

Lesmerises' Ohio State Football Insider talks about freshman right tackle Andrew Norwell and the crucial  role he could end up playing because of a chronic foot problem plaguing starting tackle J.B. Shugarts.