LOS ANGELES -- There was no disputing the main attraction of Monday's Rose Bowl news conference at the Marriott Los Angeles Downtown: Terrelle Pryor.
Ohio State's gifted sophomore quarterback had not spoken to reporters in more than a month, since the Buckeyes' regular season ended with a 21-10 win at Michigan. That made him the most wanted man here Monday, when representatives of Ohio State's offense met the media at the Marriott ballroom.
Pryor, surrounded by a throng of TV, radio, Web and print reporters, wore Ohio State warm-ups, Air Jordan sneakers and Buddy Holly-style glasses as he talked about variety of topics. He started with one that intrigues media who cover the Buckeyes' opponent Friday: Oregon.
Two years ago, when the 6-foot-6, 235-pound Pryor was the most sought-after recruit in the country, the Ducks were in contention to sign him. Oregon coach Chip Kelly, then the offensive coordinator, was the Ducks' point man in the effort.
"Chip Kelly, he can recruit like crazy," Pryor said.
Pryor said Oregon's relationship with Nike and what he perceived to be "about 20 million uniforms" for the Ducks were attractive, but the distance between Eugene and his hometown of Jeannette, Pa., was a big minus. Ultimately, though, he didn't so much rule out Oregon, Penn State or any other school that recruited as he embraced Ohio State and coach Jim Tressel.
"Once you got see the Buckeyes and you talk to coach Tressel and coach Tressel wants you, he's going to get you there," Pryor said.
There are plenty of fans who thought Pryor, who has run the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds, would have been an ideal fit for Kelly's spread offense. Some believe Ohio State's much more conservative, run-first offense hinders Pryor's ability to excel, but he says the play-calling is fine with him.
"I'm not Jim Tressel, I can't pick the plays," he said. "Whatever they give me, I try to do to perfection."
Pryor on Monday surprised many by revealing an injury that had not been spoken of previously: a slight tear in the posterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees. He would not reveal which knee was injured or how he was hurt. Pryor also had been hobbled by an ankle injury early in November, but says he'll be ready to play Friday.
"I'm hurting everywhere," he said. "It doesn't really matter. I don't have time to worry about injuries. Neither does anybody else on our team."
It remains to be seen if Pryor has close to his full mobility -- the one factor Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti most worries about.
"He's dangerous in and of himself, but when something breaks down, he has the ability to scramble and find somebody down the field or make a long run," Aliotti said. "Just a killer for defenses when it's third and long and the quarterback can run for a first down."
Pryor says he has used the extended bowl practice period to sharpen his footwork and accuracy. He admits he's a perfectionist who demands more of himself than fans, media or coaches do.
"I think every quarterback's a perfectionist," he said. "You have to be. As a leader, you have to be hard on yourself. I'm my worst critic. I want to make myself better."
Pryor says he wants to make himself into a traditional pocket passer. He said that was a big reason he chose Ohio State, because he felt playing in Tressel's system would best prepare him for a career as an NFL quarterback.
Pryor played running back growing up and switched to quarterback in the eighth grade. He said other college quarterbacks, such as Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen and USC's Matt Barkley, got a leg up on him by playing quarterback from the start.
"That's the guys that just throw the lights out," Pryor said. "I'll be in that situation some day. I'm working at it, trying to be in that situation where I can throw the ball and be as accurate as those guys."
Pryor's improvement as a passer can be seen how he has cut down interceptions. He threw eight in Ohio State first seven games, including a nightmare effort against Purdue in which he threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles.
"I was forcing throws I shouldn't have forced," he said. "You have to be very smart, you have to take care of the ball."
The loss to Purdue was the first time Pryor heard grumbling from Ohio State fans about his performance. But in the five games since, Pryor has thrown just two interceptions, and the Buckeyes won all five to earn the Rose Bowl berth.
And now he has a chance to cap the season by leading the Buckeyes to victory in the Rose Bowl. He said he especially wants to win for Ohio State's seniors, who with a victory would become the winningest class in school history, but with a loss will be winless in bowl games.
"That's why we say it's a must win," Pryor said. "This is huge, man."
