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

[martinss01]

Main problem for Pryor is pressure. And maybe it's the system at Ohio State, but Pryor always seems wound up tight.

pryor's biggest issue is he presses. he tries to win the game on every play rather than just take what the defense gives him and he is still a little slow in making decisions.

It's a shame he hasn't developed as much as we'd like to see. But a lot of the time I think Pryor plays best when the game is easily in hand or they're so far down that it looks hopeless -- either way, the main pressure is off and it's about letting loose.

ive said it since he signed his loi. he really could have used a redshirt. i know it wasn't in the teams best interests. but i really think it was in his. he has a lot of technique based issues to iron out and they are all going to take time. trying to do that behind a very young and inexperienced oline IS NOT going to speed up the process. the situation is what it is. he's going to be fine. but its not going to happen over night.

That said I didn't see a ton of today's game but based on what you guys are saying it seems to be true. Very surprised they kept him in after 4 turnovers though.

who would you have put in? only so much the qb can do when he is dealing with look out blocks on every play.

 

[fanaticbuckeye]

pryor's biggest issue is he presses. he tries to win the game on every play rather than just take what the defense gives him and he is still a little slow in making decisions.

Agreed with the trying win the game with each play. I am a little surprised that over half way through the season and his progression isn't a little further.

Having said that, it's not doom and gloom from my point of view. TP has shown flashes that he is on the verge of being a good QB. I am waiting for the 'ah-hah' moment and he turns into a high quality QB.

 

[BuckNut65]

Agreed with the trying win the game with each play. I am a little surprised that over half way through the season and his progression isn't a little further.

I think this was very evident in the long pass he threw down field for an interception after stepping up in the pocket. Not only was it a terrible pass, but he at least 20 yards of real estate in front of him but chose not to take what he could get and went for the deep ball. It reminded me of the Penn State game last year and the fumble.
I think that is the maddening thing with him, we all want to see him learn from his mistakes but it just doesn't seem to be happening.

 

[Bill Lucas]

Not only was it a terrible pass, but he at least 20 yards of real estate in front of him but chose not to take what he could get

This is it in a nutshell to me. I know that I played a long time ago in a galaxy far away but whatever happened to "take what the defense gives you". Cut the ball upfield when you get a lane and run north and south when the pass rush is past you and you have a huge lane to run in.

Terrelle Pryor is not a pocket passer at this stage of his career. He has zero pocket presence IMO. It seems that he and/or the staff is so hell bent on making him into something that he isn't that the entire team is suffering. Brandon Saine should have had 20+ carries today and instead was ignored when he was needed to most.

I'm at a loss. There are very talented players on the offensive side of the ball. This inability to move the ball against average defenses is becoming the norm. It's time to start fixing things.

 

[utgrad73]

This is it in a nutshell to me. I know that I played a long time ago in a galaxy far away but whatever happened to "take what the defense gives you". Cut the ball upfield when you get a lane and run north and south when the pass rush is past you and you have a huge lane to run in.

Terrelle Pryor is not a pocket passer at this stage of his career. He has zero pocket presence IMO. It seems that he and/or the staff is so hell bent on making him into something that he isn't that the entire team is suffering. Brandon Saine should have had 20+ carries today and instead was ignored when he was needed to most.

I'm at a loss. There are very talented players on the offensive side of the ball. This inability to move the ball against average defenses is becoming the norm. It's time to start fixing things.

Apparently they don't throw passes from the pocket on Andromeda Prime - Pryor's home planet. This is getting to be a problem on Terra Firma though as he learns this part of the game. The Boilers did a great job of taking the run away and forcing us to pass - knowing that this is TP's achiles heal at this point in his development. I agree that football needs to shared with the "talented players on the offensive side of the ball". Maybe even Joe Bauserman could share a few touches. Couldn't hurt. :osu:

 

[SEREbuckeye]

I wish we could just have a set lineup for once for Pryor. All the movements have really messed him up IMO.

It seems like the last two years there has been WAY too much movement on the line and backfield. Last year Pryor had Beanie to lean on with a young line. This year we knew Saine/Herron battle would happen, but we should now have a some-what veteran line. These constant "whos gonna start this week?" can hurt the team, to include the QB, in a rythm's perspective.

I would love to see Pryor progress but it seems like everyone around him except the line is trying to help. Saine and Herron are working their butts off to fight for yards while the receivers are busting their [censored] to get open and better their abilities, while the line is a mess.

Its like the old adage "if you have two QB's, you don't have one." Well, if you have 9 linemen in your starting lineup, "you just have too many hands in the pot". This is hurting Pryor the most. The line needs to gel so that Pryor knows who's in front and each of their strengths.

We all remember Troy's success and his abilities to find Ginn and Holmes. But that was because he had a solid O-Line. Mangold was calling the shots, and it was one less worry for Smith. He knew "okay, Mangold has the line, I'll concentrate on finding the receivers and getting yards." I feel that Pryor is having to worry about his line first, and doing his job second.

 

[Oh8ch]

TP was horrid yesterday. As poor a performance by an OSU QB as I can recall. The poor performance by the line didn't help. Baffling play calls didn't help (since when does an OSU team kick a field goal after first and goal inside the five without the Tailback touching the ball?). It would be nice to start off first and 10 rather than first and 15 now and then. But you have to put this on his shoulders.

Sorry CFB, I know what you are trying to say but just don't agree. He should have had six turnovers yesterday if you count the dropped pick and that pitiful pitch to Saine - or rather in his general direction. He came back and did some good things later - but there was huge damage early that just put too much on our D.

That said, the kid CAN play. It is all about his decision making. You can almost see him thinking in the pocket. He is even thinking when he runs - he can't even choose a hole or decide when to pitch. And a QB can't do that. He has to just play. But the game has to slow down first.

I don't know when that will happen. I don't know if that will happen. But once it does happen we have a completely different QB. A QB who has the added benefit of being a physical freak.

Pryor is not a QB. He's an athlete playing QB.

Agree to large extent. His highlight film was of a physical freak. Whether he would develop into a QB was a dice roll to some extent. Same was true of Troy Smith and Vince Young - not that I want to continue to fuel those comparisons. Same was also true of Ryan Perrilloux and Xavier Lee - not that I want to start those either.

We had more reason to believe Zwick and Schoenhoft would be good QBs than we did Pryor. And I am now starting to see posts by those who actually question his recruitment. Who question his not being redshirted. Who question his being developed into a pocket passer.

If JT doesn't promise to develop TP into a pocket QB and provide an opportunity to play as a Frosh he ain't a Buckeye. If he ain't a Buckeye he is playing for a top 20 rated Michigan team. And we are all trashing JT for his inability to recruit QBs.

Pretty much everybody wanted Pryor. That includes everybody on this and every other Buckeye board. We saw the potential for him to be greater than anything we have ever seen in Scarlet and Gray. That potential is still there.

But now half (make that 90% once you leave the Planet) of the "Nation" is ready to throw him under the bus before his game slows down.

I was like most folks screaming for Bauserman yesterday. I was wrong.

You think JT is Mr. conservative? He is taking a hell of a gamble by rolling the dice on TP. Yesterday he doubled down.

Hedge if you like - I'm all in.

 

[buckeyemania11]

If JT doesn't promise to develop TP into a pocket QB and provide an opportunity to play as a Frosh he ain't a Buckeye. If he ain't a Buckeye he is playing for a top 20 rated Michigan team. And we are all trashing JT for his inability to recruit QBs.

eh

I think that Pryor is so deep into the thought that he is a NFL QB in the making that he actually does not want to run the football and is trying way to much to "prove" that he is not just a big fast guy playing QB

at least thats what it seems like

how many times has he had an open running lane, but instead tries to force a throw instead of taking off

I think he wouldnt be any better off right now at Michigan/Oregon/or wherever else he may have gone

 

[Best Buckeye]

I don't think that is the case at all. Teams know that all they have to do is stop Pryor to beat us as we have no real passing attack. Contain pryor to win that's it.

 

[KretchBuck]

"TP was horrid yesterday. As poor a performance by an OSU QB as I can recall."

I agree. I am sure there have been other VERY poor performances by OSU QB's in the past but none with the anticipation and hype of TP.



"That said, the kid CAN play. It is all about his decision making. "

He is an incredible athlete no doubt but I am afraid this is just not about decision making and just the overall intangibles needed to be a good QB. He does not seem to be comfortable in the pocket at all. Even if he were to make the right decision his mechanics prevent him from making the proper throw.


"Agree to large extent. His highlight film was of a physical freak. Whether he would develop into a QB was a dice roll to some extent. Same was true of Troy Smith and Vince Young"

The difference I see between TP and Troy was that Troy had a cannon arm and a great throwing motion before he arrvied to OSU. For Tress it was much easier to develop Troy because all it took was coaching the reading of defenses and game experience. TP needs those two things while completely channging his throwing motion. This is a tough task, just see Vince Young and his career. Vince however had the benefit of a better offensive scheme to win a national title.


"If JT doesn't promise to develop TP into a pocket QB and provide an opportunity to play as a Frosh he ain't a Buckeye."

I agree completely but at this point it is not about his recruitment and more about where we go from here.

 

[billmac91]

My $50,000 question is...does TP not take the 5 or 6 yards by turning the ball upfield b/c he wants to bounce it and make a huge play OR because he hates contact? I can see arguments for both sides quite easily.

The only time he took the inside lane on the option is when he had the speed to hit the seam without a Purdue body in sight. Every other time he held the ball too long and continued down the LOS even when a hole was there too turn up for posiive yards.

BTW...that also hurts the OL. They did their jobs several times by creating those holes, but Terrelle didn't execute, and it leaves 2nd or 3rd and long and the defense gets to pin their ears back.

 

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

How about the genius offensive coaches start calling plays like they did in the last 9 minutes of the game yesterday in the first quarter of all games? It's like they sit there, call the same thing over and over, make no adjustments whatsoever, and then suddenly, while in panic mode, start to actually call plays where Pryor can make good throws.

Just think, if you call those crossing routes and plays across the middle at the beginning of the game, TP just might get comfortable and not press as much. Alas, the same stale offensive bores are calling the plays, and the beat goes on.

 

[utgrad73]

I don't think that is the case at all. Teams know that all they have to do is stop Pryor to beat us as we have no real passing attack. Contain pryor to win that's it.

Contain him, run him to the sidelines, wear him out, rattle him, make him pass, rush him, rattle him, make him pass some more and watch the cycle replay.

Everything centers around the QB. Take him out early (I mean take out his effectiveness) and it goes downhill fast. This is all hindsight now and we'll bounce back, but when? This is the only loss in the Big Ten this year.

 

[1926Buckeyes]

How about the genius offensive coaches start calling plays like they did in the last 9 minutes of the game yesterday in the first quarter of all games? It's like they sit there, call the same thing over and over, make no adjustments whatsoever, and then suddenly, while in panic mode, start to actually call plays where Pryor can make good throws.

I actually thought that was all on Pryor. He actually looked like a good QB (mostly) on those last few drives. He was 90% decisive, took some runs when he could, and threw the ball with zip and confidence. He plays like that all game and OSU wins by 14 or more.

And that's what we'll have to sit through until he gets it. Just how the game goes. THey'll have a 3 play, 60yd TD drive and then paly badly for most of the rest of the game, and then play well again. I'm just hoping the light comes on sooner than later.

And I think it's pretty obvious that Bauserman isn't going to replace Pryor. Tressel is going all out to develop him and make him a good QB, whether that is for better or for worse. He's going to take a ton of heat for it, I'm sure.

 

[Powair7s]

My $50,000 question is...does TP not take the 5 or 6 yards by turning the ball upfield b/c he wants to bounce it and make a huge play OR because he hates contact? I can see arguments for both sides quite easily.

I think it is a contact thing. I have never seen him finish a run where he did not slow down or completely stop before contact. This is so frustrating because the kid is huge and can run through arm tackles if he would just run full speed.

Until he is willing to take some contact and pick up the 4-5 yards the defense is giving him we are going to have a hard time sustaining drives.

On a bright note it was great to see Small get 2 passes in a row yesterday. The guy is our big play threat and he might get one pass per game. The coaches need to get creative and get Small the ball 6-10 times per game.