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

[Tlangs]

Man if we break down accolades of each and every QB that has come through OSU we would consider every QB we have had great:

Todd Boeckman:
- Beat Michigan twice
- First team All-Big Ten
- Conference Champ
- Led team to an NC Appearance

Troy Smith:
- Self Explanatory

Craig Krenzel:
- 3 Time BCS Appearance (2 wins)
- Led an undefeated time in 2002
- NT winner
- Draddy Award winner
- 3-Time All Big Ten
- 24-3 as a starter
- Numerous other post-season awards

So, already in the 2000's you are ready to say that we have had 3 (Pryor, Smith, Krenzel) "great" QB's? Man, if this is the case we would look back at every QB and think all of them were "great" because of accolades and records.

Saying Pryor is going down as one of OSU's "great" QB's as of now is basically denouncing our criteria for greatness.

Bottom line - Pryor has done the things EVERY OSU QB is brought in to do:

Beat Michigan
Win the Big Ten
Take us to a BCS bowl (and win)
Put us into contention for a National Title

These are the expectations, not something that make you great, we're not TCU.

I would say we have had 3 great QB's in the 2000's. I hope we keep running out QBs like Krenzel, Smith, and Pryor for the next 50 years. Smith and Pryor put up huge numbers and Krenzel just flat out got it done somehow some way.

 

[SEREbuckeye]

I would say we have had 3 great QB's in the 2000's. I hope we keep running out QBs like Krenzel, Smith, and Pryor for the next 50 years. Smith and Pryor put up huge numbers and Krenzel just flat out got it done somehow some way.

All Im saying is that not everyone is "great". If every QB we have is "great" then how do we distinguish them? How is Pryor one of OSU's all time greatest when he has yet to be the best QB or player in the country in ANY of his three years?

It seems to me every player and recruit we get is either the next "Cris Carter" and the greatest ever. The title of "greatness" seems to get thrown around a lot, depreciating its value.

You tell me what are reasonable goals are for an OSU team and QB and tell me how Pryor has consistently went above and beyond each of those goals...

 

[SEREbuckeye]

Do me a favor and come up with the name of a starting QB that led his team to 4 BCS Bowls, for any team in the country. And Matt Leinart doesn't get credit for the 2003 Orange Bowl, that was Carson Palmer's team.

Tim Tebow. He also won a Heisman and two National Titles.

I wouldn't even put Pryor near Tebow's level.

 

[sandgk]

Tim Tebow. He also won a Heisman and two National Titles.

I wouldn't even put Pryor near Tebow's level.

Tebow was not the starter in '06, he was the backup to Leak. His sophomore year (firsdt as the UF starter) they ended up in the Cap One bowl, not a BCS bowl - losing to TSUN.

 

[SEREbuckeye]

Tebow was not the starter in '06, he was the backup to Leak. His sophomore year (firsdt as the UF starter) they ended up in the Cap One bowl, not a BCS bowl - losing to TSUN.

Actually in 2006 Tebow saw action in 14 games. He even accounted for all three TDs against rival LSU. Then in the NT game against us, Tebow had two TDs against us. He finished 2006 with the second most rushing yards on the team.
If you think Tebow wasn't a significant role in 2006 you are wrong.

Yeah, Tebow did lose a BCS bowl, but Pryor lost to Texas in the Fiesta Bowl.

Sorry man, but there is no way that you can put Tebow (as much as I loath him) and Pryor on the same page. The stats, the wins, the accolades don't compare one bit. I wouldn't even put Pryor on the same page as Troy Smith.

 

[jwinslow]

Actually in 2006 Tebow saw action in 14 games. He even accounted for all three TDs against rival LSU. Then in the NT game against us, Tebow had two TDs against us. He finished 2006 with the second most rushing yards on the team.
If you think Tebow wasn't a significant role in 2006 you are wrong.

neat, and incredibly well known.

That still doesn't make your answer a valid one

Yeah, Tebow did lose a BCS bowl

no he didn't

Sorry man, but there is no way that you can put Tebow (as much as I loath him) and Pryor on the same page.

let me know where sandgk tried to do so

The stats, the wins, the accolades don't compare one bit. I wouldn't even put Pryor on the same page as Troy Smith.

his team accolades are better than troy's, and he didn't severely let his team down as a leader in his first two years, not counting the uninspired effort in the third year finale.

Troy was a more polished qb, but while his passes were more reliable, pryor was a more reliable teammate

 

[dragurd]

He didn't say he was as good as a player as Tebow. He said basically despite how great of a player Tebow was even he has never been the starter on 4 BCS bowl teams which was a statement of how hard and how great such an accomplishment would be.

 

[SEREbuckeye]

Im sorry guys but OSU has a goal each year of:

BCS Bowl
10+ Wins
Beat Michigan
Win the Conference
Hunt for an NT

Now you can say that bar is high, but lets be honest - how upset were we last year after losing to USC and Purdue, hoping we would still be able to win out and head to a BCS Bowl? Sam for the year prior. I remember the uproar from Buckeye nation in 2004 when we went to the Alamo. People were questioning Tressel's coaching for going 8-4 and an Alamo win, despite beating Michigan. Years like that prove that the bar is already set high at OSU, so I'm sorry but I see Pryor completing the goals of OSU, that's it.

Now if you think OSU's goals are less than that, then we probably should never see an outrage of a loss or two in a season nor should we feel snubbed when our players don't get AA titles. What would you consider OSU football goals each season?

 

[Tlangs]

... How is Pryor one of OSU's all time greatest when he has yet to be the best QB or player in the country in ANY of his three years?

So to be considered a "great" player, you have to be the best in the entire country? I guess the disagreement isn't over Pryor's abilities or stats, it is of the definition of the word great. I consider someone who will hold the all time yardage record at The Ohio State University to be a great player. By your definition of great, he would have to break the national record.

 

[1926Buckeyes]

So to be considered a "great" player, you have to be the best in the entire country? I guess the disagreement isn't over Pryor's abilities or stats, it is of the definition of the word great. I consider someone who will hold the all time yardage record at The Ohio State University to be a great player. By your definition of great, he would have to break the national record.

There lies the difference in some fans. Pryor will probably leave OSU with
~11000yds passing and ~3000 rushing, although those both might be a bit high. I forget his exact career totals right now. Anyway, I would see Pryor as a great QB and great player with a 2800yd passing and 700yd rushing senior year. The thing is some people wouldn't, especially without an NC. The bar is set extremely high for players in college right now. If you're not a Newton or some guy that gets 400yds and 50 TDs, you're not the best and that doesn't ride with some people when talking about Pryor.

It's not fair and I'm not saying it is. Comparing Pryor to Newton, when those guys are in totally different systems, totally different coaches, etc. is not fair, but it happens. Right now I think Pryor is among the top 3 OSU QBs ever. That's my opinion with a Rose Bowl MVP, 3-0 against UM, and tremendous career stats.

You have to understand though people thought he was gonna come in and rock some socks off. People thought he would have a Vince Young type year with huge yardage etc. He's just not that player yet, and usually OSU doesn't have that kind of player under Tress because of the balance he seeks in his offense.

So yeah, some people do think he needs to be the best player ever. They want him to be Cam Newton and Vince Young and if he isn't they see him as a bit of a dissapointment. It's not good or fair, but it happens. I'm hoping those fans can pull their heads out of their asses and realize how good we have it with Pryor, as he is a top 5 QB in the country, but I doubt that will happen. Probably only after Pryor is gone and OSU has to start over at QB will people really understand how good he was.

 

[jwinslow]

They want him to be Cam Newton and Vince Young and if he isn't they see him as a bit of a dissapointment. It's not good or fair, but it happens.

And those same people don't realize that Vince Young was well behind Pryor for his first three years. It wasn't until year 4 that he became the legend they want Pryor to be.

Guys like Tebow are exceptionally rare.

 

[Jake]

Yes, he needs to win 3 of 4 BCS games to reach legendary status. Im not saying Joe Germaine status, Im talking Les Horvath and T. Smith status. Theres a big difference between being memorable and being unforgettable.

I hate these kind of discussions because they end up sounding like we're speaking negatively about a Buckeye, but while Troy Smith was awarded a Heisman his last game as a Buckeye was completely forgettable. To suggest TP needs 3 BCS bowl wins to equal Troy is a bit much.

 

[1926Buckeyes]

And those same people don't realize that Vince Young was well behind Pryor for his first three years. It wasn't until year 4 that he became the legend they want Pryor to be.

Guys like Tebow are exceptionally rare.

Yeah pretty much. Patience is rather rare as a Buckeye fan. I'm as guilty as any.

 

[JBaney45]

I think TP set his bar high when he drug out his college announcement and made a big deal of it by doing it on National TV with an entire audience in attendance. Dont get me wrong, his signing helped OSU with more PR and more looks by kids we may not have had a chance with, but he helped set his own "expectancy bar" as high as it is.

We only cared about his decision because of the talent we knew he had. If he was some 3 star guy he wouldn't have had the opportunity to come out and announce it the way that he did. In terms of the way he made his decision, he was/is just a kid and had the right to draw out the process to make the best decision he could for himself when it came to choosing a college.

 

[SloopyHangOn]

We only cared about his decision because of the talent we knew he had. If he was some 3 star guy he wouldn't have had the opportunity to come out and announce it the way that he did. In terms of the way he made his decision, he was/is just a kid and had the right to draw out the process to make the best decision he could for himself when it came to choosing a college.

I don't think it's any secret that with that talent and the reciprocal hype comes a little bit of an ego. While I don't think it was malicious, I certainly don't think Terrelle was simply "drawing out the process to make the best decision" it was more about the talent HE knew he had.. He's grown and matured a lot over his time under Tressel and Co. but let's not forget that he was (uncontrollably and unwillingly) a hype-baby out of high-school. Those kind of players tend to set the bar higher for themselves and thusly create lofty expectations right out of the gates that many never live up to. Personally, I'm glad he hasn't been entirely as good as he wanted/expected himself to be without being challenged or having to work. That kind of success creates egotistical bastards like LBJ and A-Rod.

The most important part about the college experience for a student-athlete is not what happens on the field, but off of it. In those terms, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who has made larger strides (literally) than TP and I feel like next year won't be last we see this guy on the national stage. If his largest steps of progression aren't in a Buckeye uniform, I won't be any less excited for him.