I’ll admit that during the Ohio State Buckeyes loss to Purdue on Oct. 17 I began to lose confidence in quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Up until that point, I thought Pryor had the talent to become a great quarterback.
After a 26-18 defeat, I seriously doubted that potential.
Watching Pryor makes a football fan want to pull his hair out. He can make the most difficult throws look easy, and then turn around and make the easiest throws look demanding. He also seems to be having a problem at going through his options. It seems every time he steps back to throw, Pryor stares down one receiver. If he isn’t open, running is the next option.
Pryor bounced back nicely in Ohio State’s 35-7 victory over Minnesota on Oct. 24. The sophomore ran and threw for more than 150 yards and accumulated three TDs. Pryor’s performance made me realize I was right all along. The hype that Pryor brought with him to Columbus has turned his situation into an unbalanced teeter-totter. The only way Pryor can make Buckeye Nation happy is by bringing back a National Championship to Ohio State.
A lot of fans have seemed to forget Pryor is in his second year and is extremely raw. His ceiling is unbelievably high and Ohio State fans have to find some patience and support Pryor.
Both Pryor and Head Coach Jim Tressel have come under fire after the Purdue loss. Fans showed their frustration with the young and talented quarterback lack of development, and Tressel heard complaints of keeping Pryor’s athletic ability tied down in a outdated offense.
Excuse me, but Tressel deserves no flack from heavily-spoiled fans. Trust what this man is doing and take a deep breath. Tressel has built up an amazing program, one where fans expect a National title every year. Sometimes, though, fans have to take a step back and realize the team isn’t going to be championship-caliber.