By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season
Every preseason publication that talks about the huge step Terrelle Pryor took in Ohio State's Rose Bowl win over Oregon overlooks one thing: the kid actually established himself nearly two months earlier when he led the Buckeyes to a thorough dismantling of Penn State in Happy Valley.
His stat line was a far cry from the one he posted against the Ducks, but if you watched that game from start to finish, then you saw a young athlete become an elite college football player in 60 minutes.
EXTRA: 2009 Gameday Images: USC at Ohio State | Ohio State at Penn State
There's never been any doubt about Pryor's talent. Until that Penn State game, though, that dual-threat tag may have implied twice as much credit as he deserved. But after he ran for a touchdown and passed for two more — all in a hostile environment — and put Ohio State in the Big Ten driver's seat with only two games left, Pryor was deserving of the tag ... and then some.
Now, after those November road wins at Penn State and Michigan, sandwiched around a defeat of Iowa, and that Vince Young-like coming-out party at the Rose Bowl, Pryor is a true triple-threat. His feet are great, he's become a legitimate passer and he appears more than ready to be the undisputed leader of a team gunning for a national championship.
His own repertoire notwithstanding, Pryor could look like a great leader by season's end, as he's blessed with a multitude of weapons.
Brandon Saine and Dan Herron give the Buckeyes a potentially dominant running game. Wideout DeVier Posey gives Pryor a big-play presence on the edge, and on the other side or in the slot, sure-handed Dane Sanzenbacher runs perfect routes. And after a couple of sub-standard years, OSU's offensive line looks more like, well, an OSU offensive line. Every starter is back, including stud guard Justin Boren.
Defensively, the Buckeyes must replace five starters, but there is talent all over the field. End Cameron Heyward will contend for national honors, and Nathan Williams and John Simon also will help make the line a game-changing unit. At linebacker, Ross Homan might not be the next A.J. Hawk or James Laurinaitis, but he's a big-play guy and the leader of the defense. Brian Rolle is also experienced and overall the unit is deep.
Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence return as starting cornerbacks, but OSU is replacing graduated safeties Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell. Jermale Hines leads a talented group vying for those starting slots.
Who's back? QB Terrell Pryor, RB Brandon Saine, RB Dan Herron, WR DeVier Posey, DE Cameron Heyward, LB Ross Homan, CB Chimdi Chekwa
Who's gone? TE Jake Ballard, DE Thad Gibson, S Kurt Coleman, S Anderson Russell
Why they'll win: OSU has one of the best coaches in the game, a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, its best offensive line in years and always has a strong defense.
Why they'll lose: A somewhat thin secondary coughed up two big pass plays late in a Week 2 loss to USC last year. OSU is replacing two veteran safeties this year, and faces Miami's dangerous passing attack in Week 2.
Get your tickets: vs. Miami (Sept. 11), at Wisconsin (Oct. 16), vs. Penn State (Nov. 13), at Iowa (Nov. 20), vs. Michigan (Nov. 27)
Prediction: 12-0 (8-0, Big Ten champs)