HorticullyBuck;1393866; said:
I don't even know why some people would be dissapointed with TP. Most number 1 or 2,3 recruits in the nation end up as complete FLOPS or just average players. The fact that TP started and led some games to victories is pretty impressive and the fact that he DID NOT dissapoint (even though he may not have lived up completely to all the hype) is a good thing.
I think he will improve greatly as a passer, considering i still have faith in the general coaching staff. TP's improvment greatly depends on the coaching staff as with it does with all players; but especially young players.
I think the main problem is that the season overall was a disappointment to many fans because of the way the team played against USC after returning 20 starters and expectations being NC and nothing else.
After Pryor started he played very well and showed great promise, but many were upset with the staff because they wouldn't let him sling it around. PEople then started to question the staff and Pryor after the PSU game and some started to call for Todd to come back.
This didn't help, but also, for some reason, people became upset that a 18 or 19 year old wasn't able to progress in the passing game as quickly they wanted him to.
IMO, Pryor outstripped the hype. Not one person expected him to come in to OSU, win a starting job, and then produce some good stats and an 8-1 record. Yes he had a lot of help from the defense and WRs and Wells (as does any QB), but he was not recruited as a pass first QB, but as a guy to come in and be a spark for the team and make some big plays, not to run the offense and be a team leader at 18.
I'll say this time and time again, not Tebow, Young, Bradford, McCoy, Leinart, or Smith had to come in to their program with little practice and do what PRyor has done, and in some cases done very well.
I'm not saying that he will be better than all, or some of those guys, but those questioning his passing ability and QB play
really need to put what he did in perspective as rather not something that was expected of him, but rather something that was thrust upon him and in many aspects he passed with flying colors.
He has a long way to go to be a great player and QB, but all players do at some point in their careers and he is still extremely young.