QB/WR Terrelle Pryor ('10 Rose, '11 Sugar MVP)

[jimotis4heisman]

I think he's saying Terrelle does not sell the keepers & rollouts to make the defense account for both. The defense can key on Saine the instant the handoff is made.

edit: a bit late

exactly. no action of the play action.

it goes back to part of your execution discussion in a few other threads. ive also noticed pryors footwork. watch him line up. his feet arent even, rather he has a tendency to "open up" to the side at which he is going to operate. so if hes handing off to his left, hes been opening his hips and feet up (not a lot but noticeable from my seats in the shoe), hell do the same thing the other way. toss this in with his tendency to look at his primary read (ill call i that since it doesnt seem to be much progression iin the read) as the team breaks the huddle, (typically looks off that direction and checks (i assume) depth of cb and safety, etc. all this coupled with the predictability of the formations and tendencies and i can pretty much sit in my seat combined with down and distance and let everyone around me know whats happening before it happens.

 

[Buckin' A]

I have some concerns about how Pryor is being coached. I am not yet ready to say the staff is not up to the job of teaching him. I am saying this unique talent, who continues to make the same mistakes, who continues to have poor execution and poor mechanics, who cannot find consistency to save his life, is not getting the discipline that would make him find those important pieces of the puzzle.

Wisconsin Game Thoughts

From Duane Long's article posted a few days back. I will try to stay politically correct here while making my point. Coaching is my concern too. I see a lot of teams bring in mediocre athletes and coach them up to another level. I see our staff bring in consistent top ten recruiting classes, yet it seems like a large majority of our recruits never seem to get a whole lot better than when they arrived.

It is also rare to see any interest in our coaches from the outside or other schools looking for coaches. I think we have a few very good coaches on this staff, but I can't help but wonder if it is truly in the best interest of the program to hire old friends and family members.

Terrelle is that fish who will only get as big as the bowl you put him in. I hope our bowl is big enough.

 

[ThirdGenBuckeye]

Terrelle is that fish who will only get as big as the bowl you put him in. I hope our bowl is big enough.

We have a pretty big bowl...it seats 105,000 people...

Kidding aside though, I have to agree that I'm not so sure sometimes about the inside coaching circle that we have. Especially when we definitely can afford to have a couple of solid outside guys brought in and put on the staff if we chose to.

 

[Woody1968]

I would like to see TP run a boot like he has the ball even if he doesn't. One thing that would help this offense that TP and JT could easily do is misdirection. If you freeze the LB's and Safeties with a fake boot and/or reverse it will open up the running game and make OL and RB's lives easier.

Didn't we see this work quite well against Wisconsin the one time they ran it?

 

[jimotis4heisman]

I think Kyle brings up some good points. Years ago, there were a handful of us arguing to give a future Heisman trophy winner a chance and most people on this board really scoffed at the idea. Go back and look and you'll see what I mean.

Pryor will mature. I think that the rather sober assessments in recent pages about his deviations from the scheme tell a story.

Tress developed Troy. Remember the expressions of Troy in that last TSUN game as they took the field. Tress will develop Terrelle.

It may kill some of us older folks watching it, but in time this kid is really gonna be something if he listens to Tressel.

however a significant input of the two has changed (the student). it is hard for me to real grasp how i feel, one side of me says hes a young sophomore who will improve, the other looks at how many starts hes had etc. youve got a guy who through a season and a half or so has broken 200 yards twice. a kid who is dynamic with his feet, who seemingly sometimes gets shy and soft. one who has completed double digit passes only 8 times, mroe than 15 passes only 3 times.

i consider myself in limbo. i felt last year a rotation would have been the best short (and long term) solution. ill continue to hope for the kids health and progression through the season.

 

[fanaticbuckeye]

It is also rare to see any interest in our coaches from the outside or other schools looking for coaches. I think we have a few very good coaches on this staff, but I can't help but wonder if it is truly in the best interest of the program to hire old friends and family members.

I don't know if this is entirely true? I know of two coaches that took HC positions, plus another that went to a B12 school and then became a HC. Throw in another that was being wooed by the domers. I am not saying you are absolutely wrong, but there is definitely talent on the staff, plus throw in the number of coaches, that as I recall aren't interested in moving on (Bollman, Sr Tressel, Daniels).

The rest of your point I am not prepared to argue, I simply don't know enough to comment positively or negatively.

 

[kippy1040]

We have a pretty big bowl...it seats 105,000 people...

Kidding aside though, I have to agree that I'm not so sure sometimes about the inside coaching circle that we have. Especially when we definitely can afford to have a couple of solid outside guys brought in and put on the staff if we chose to.

Yeah i agree here on this, but apparently Coach T is content with what he has. This argument has been discussed for years. What can we do?

 

[ThirdGenBuckeye]

Yeah i agree here on this, but apparently Coach T is content with what he has. This argument has been discussed for years. What can we do?

Demand answers!!!

 

[BuckNut65]

The issue with Pryor is not necessarily coaching but toughness. The bottom line is he does not like to get hit. He often will run laterally to avoid being hit or stop all together to avoid contact. In the third quarter against Wisky, he took off on third down and STOPPED when defenders came up on him. The offensive line plowed him forward for the additional 3 yards to get the first. This is not something we are used to when we guys like Krenzel and Smith would lay out for the first down.
Unfortunately, toughness is something you cannot teach, Have you seen him hang in the pocket one time till the last second before releasing a ball to a receiver? Never. When the pressure comes, he resorts back to his old habits and his mechanics go by the wayside.
I think everyone needs to be patient with both Terrelle and the coaching staff. He has made definite progress this year. Maybe not as much as we all would like but have some faith in the coaching staff. Tressel is a QB coach and has been successful in the past. Give he and Sciliano some more time to develop this great talent.

 

[Bleed S & G]

I guess I am. I would like to see more option plays and I don't think he's a pocket passer at this stage of the game. If that makes me dense, so be it. For the record, I would have stayed with Boeckman last year, not because I don't think TP is a good QB, but I think that Boeckman was at a disadvantage when Wells was out.

The issue with the whole "run the option" school of thought is that TP came to Ohio State and not M*ch*g*n so that he would not be an option QB. I don't disagree with you, but it's not gonna happen. A large number of the options we've seen this year have been set-up's for the option pass, which has been effective. And, the option-runs have been effective too - see the last minute of the 2nd half against Wisky.

With what Grad said, that he would like to see a zone-read offense.. we've been seeing that transition this year.. as TP goes, the offense goes. He still makes some bad reads on those plays (at least from my vantage point) too, but has been looking better and we've been running the zone-reads (ala Vince Young) more and more.

Trust the coaches.

 

[Woody1968]

The issue with the whole "run the option" school of thought is that TP came to Ohio State and not M*ch*g*n so that he would not be an option QB. I don't disagree with you, but it's not gonna happen. A large number of the options we've seen this year have been set-up's for the option pass, which has been effective. And, the option-runs have been effective too - see the last minute of the 2nd half against Wisky.

With what Grad said, that he would like to see a zone-read offense.. we've been seeing that transition this year.. as TP goes, the offense goes. He still makes some bad reads on those plays (at least from my vantage point) too, but has been looking better and we've been running the zone-reads (ala Vince Young) more and more.

Trust the coaches.

I agree with your post, but to clarify, for the record, I did not say we should run the option exclusively. Just getting TP rolling out with the option to pitch to the outside on a few more occasions would be sufficient for me. I know the opposing defense is worried about his running ability. They can recognize the designed run play and the draw, so why not play into that and make them have to guess a little more?

 

[Buckin Crazy]

I have a question. What would we be saying about Pryor if he was a redshirt Freshmen right now?

 

[Poe McKnoe]

The issue with Pryor is not necessarily coaching but toughness. The bottom line is he does not like to get hit. He often will run laterally to avoid being hit or stop all together to avoid contact. In the third quarter against Wisky, he took off on third down and STOPPED when defenders came up on him. The offensive line plowed him forward for the additional 3 yards to get the first. This is not something we are used to when we guys like Krenzel and Smith would lay out for the first down.
Unfortunately, toughness is something you cannot teach, Have you seen him hang in the pocket one time till the last second before releasing a ball to a receiver? Never. When the pressure comes, he resorts back to his old habits and his mechanics go by the wayside.
I think everyone needs to be patient with both Terrelle and the coaching staff. He has made definite progress this year. Maybe not as much as we all would like but have some faith in the coaching staff. Tressel is a QB coach and has been successful in the past. Give he and Sciliano some more time to develop this great talent.

That lack of toughness you describe is the opposite of the freshman I saw successfully rush against USC, singlehandedly launch a Minnesota linebacker, and stiff-arm Michigan State into submission.

Why would his toughness and attitude change?

I think it has actually. Last year he was the guy to get the team fired up and he looked like he was having fun and let others know it. Then this year, he's tense, shies from contact, and can't complete passes.

 

[jwinslow]

Whether it's coaching or his running style, Pryor has a tendency to slow down and brace for impact in traffic. He shifts from being the 240 lb locomotive to a receiver protecting a catch over the middle.

That lack of toughness you describe is the opposite of the freshman I saw successfully rush against USC, singlehandedly launch a Minnesota linebacker, and stiff-arm Michigan State into submission.

Launching a flat-footed Minny DB (who was letting up) was the exception to the rule last year in terms of how he handled contact.

I think it has actually. Last year he was the guy to get the team fired up and he looked like he was having fun and let others know it. Then this year, he's tense, shies from contact, and can't complete passes.

I think Pryor is bearing a heavier burden this year (visibly so), but I don't think it's changed the way he bottles up in traffic.

 

[jwinslow]

I have a question. What would we be saying about Pryor if he was a redshirt Freshmen right now?

I think it's an excellent question.

Pryor was not ready to start last year, but the situation was such a disaster that he was thrust into action before his time. Sure, he has double-digit starts, but young QBs forced into action too early do not progress at the same rate as those who were ready. It only increases the learning curve when the quarterback is a runner without much development as a passer.

Pryor's status as a recruit distorts things as well. His athleticism & potential were undeniable, but so was the amount of improvement he needed to make before becoming a star.