Over the past few seasons in college football, there have been few players talked about and hyped up as much as Ohio State junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
Coming out of high school, he was the most sought-after recruit in the country as scouts drooled over his size and athletic ability. After a long recruiting process he chose Ohio State over schools like Michigan, Oregon and hometown Penn State.
From the second he stepped onto campus in Columbus, he was dubbed the player who would reverse the Buckeyes' misfortunes in the national title game. But for all the hype, Pryor has underachieved.
It was probably a case of not being able to live up to Buckeyes ‘fans enormous expectations, but for the first two years of his career he was seen as a player who just couldn't put his immense talent to use. Everyone said he couldn't throw the ball, and therefore he was solely a running quarterback.
That all changed at the Rose Bowl against Oregon last year. Pryor busted out in that game, going 23-for-37 for 266 yards and two touchdowns in the air to go along with 72 yards on 20 carries on the ground. That performance earned him Rose Bowl Offensive MVP honors.
That game put the nation on notice. Terrelle Pryor was finally ready to prove he was worthy of the hype, and was a leading candidate for the Heisman trophy leading into the 2010 season.
But questions dogged him into this season, despite picking up his second consecutive Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year award in August. Pundits couldn't help but wonder if we would see the Pryor from the Rose Bowl or the inconsistent Pryor from the previous two seasons who couldn't find his groove throwing the ball in action this season.
Well, Pryor has certainly silenced the critics coming into Saturday's showdown with the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
Coming into this weekend, Pryor has put up numbers worthy of serious Heisman consideration. He has thrown for 1,349 yards, 15 touchdowns and has a 68 percent completion percentage through the season's first six games.
His improved ability in the passing game has made him one of the nation's best dual-threat quarterbacks. Even as his passing has improved, Pryor remains dangerous on the ground. He has rushed for 354 yards and three touchdowns on 57 carries.
When No. 1 Ohio State marches into Madison this Saturday, the Badgers will have to be wary of Pryor if they want to have any hope of knocking off the Buckeyes.
Dual threat quarterbacks like Pryor present unique problems for a defense. Defenses have to plan especially hard for teams that boast dual-threat quarterbacks. Defenses cannot focus on one aspect of their game— they have to be ready for him to pass or throw.
Two years ago, the last time these two teams met in Madison, Pryor engineered a late-game drive that he capped off with an 11-yard touchdown run that sealed that game for the Buckeyes.
If the Badgers' defense focuses solely on the pass game, Pryor will keep it for himself and run or option it out to speedy junior running back Daniel ""Boom"" Herron. But, if they hone in on the ground game, he will air it out to one of his many receiving targets, such as junior wide receiver DeVier Posey or senior wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher.
When it comes to Pryor, defenses almost have to pick their poison because he can do too much to try and fully contain him. If the Badgers can take away the ground and key in on the pass, they may be able to shut down the Buckeye defense.
However, the Badgers' secondary has had trouble containing teams in the passing game so maybe it wouldn't be the best idea to make Pryor go to the air. It would be a better idea to force Pryor to run and stop the pass only when necessary.
This is because the threat of breaking off a big run is what makes Pryor so dangerous. He is still developing as a passer and if the Badgers put pressure on him and force him to throw in a hostile environment like Camp Randall, they can force him into mistakes, which would be vital if they hope to pull off the upset.
However, if Wisconsin lets Pryor do whatever he wants in the pocket, the game won't remain competitive for long. You can ask Ohio State's opponents this season what happens if Pryor is allowed to impose his will on a defense.
The Badgers' defense cannot allow Pryor to dictate the flow of the game if they hope to shock the country and knock off the top ranked team in the nation.
