Pryor, Buckeyes Earn Key Win At Penn State

(Make sure you watch the video at the bottom of this story of OSU players and fans celebrating at Beaver Stadium after last night's victory). By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Ohio State's win at Penn State wasn't as shocking as No. 4 Iowa's upset loss to Northwestern 800 miles away, but where the Buckeyes suddenly find themselves now might seem a surprise to some.

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GAMEDAY GALLERY: OSU Handles Penn State, 24-7

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Visiting OSU muscled its way to a 24-7 defeat of the Nittany Lions in a matchup of the Big Ten's elite, if there could be such a thing this year. In the process, the Buckeyes ripped control of the Big Ten race from Iowa, which saw its 13-game winning streak end at home Saturday. The Hawkeyes limp into what promises to be a raucous Ohio Stadium next week without its starting quarterback, Ricky Stanzi, as both teams have just two league games left. The winner goes to the Rose Bowl.

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After OSU's the-world-is-ending loss at Purdue last month, those Buckeyes fans still interested in following their favorite team to a bowl game were thinking an early morning game in Florida on New Year's Day.

But after thoroughly exposing Penn State in front of 110,000 of its loyals on a gorgeous afternoon that turned into a perfectly crisp football evening, Ohio State drives home with a full tank of confidence to go along with a nasty defense that shut down the Big Ten's top attack.

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Meanwhile, all eyes were on Pennsylvania native Terrelle Pryor, who said this week he was desperate to earn his first big win as OSU's quarterback. The nimble sophomore ran for a short touchdown early, then threw for two more in the second half when the visitors turned a tight game into a comfy one for the few thousand scarlet-sweatered supporters who made the trip from Ohio to Happy Valley. It was more like Empty Valley with about five minutes left as fans started to make their way out, knowing that a run at a Big Ten championship will have to wait until next year.

What won't have to wait until next year is Ohio State's push for Pasadena. After the Iowa game next week, the Buckeyes close with their traditional season-ender at Michigan, whose Wolverines have been embarrassed each of the last two Saturdays.

Pryor Meets Clark In Test Of Wills

By ERIC THOMAS
Special to One Great Season

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The image is indelible.

Then-freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor sitting with his Ohio State helmet still on, unable to look across the field at the team he just did battle with. His head in his hands.

A year ago against Penn State, Pryor was a broken man. His fumble led to a game-winning touchdown drive for the Nittany Lions.

His desperation heave to the end zone in the Columbus night fell into the arms of Penn State cornerback Lydell Sargeant. It's the kind of moment that should Pryor never defeat the Nittany Lions, blue and white fans will point to that as the genesis for why.

Should he extract revenge, say, this Saturday before 110,000 rabid, whited-out fans at Beaver Stadium, that lingering moment also will be a genesis for what transpires.

Pryor and No. 16 Ohio State find themselves squarely with the Big Ten destiny in their collective scarlet-and-gray-gloved hands. A win over Penn State and next week against Iowa, and the Buckeyes will share the conference crown with Iowa, but the Buckeyes would go to the Rose Bowl.

It's the redemption Pryor and Ohio State need; it's redemption a beleaguered conference has been seeking for sometime now.

Pryor, who wasn't made available to Penn State media members this week, spoke to BuckeyeGrove.com and expressed his desire to deliver.

"I haven't led us to a big win yet," Pryor told the site on Wednesday night. "That's what a quarterback needs to do, lead, and I haven't led us to a win in a big game yet."

It seems his every move has been scrutinized.

Does Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel use him properly? Can he develop into a pure quarterback? Can he, as Pryor himself suggests, win a big game?

By early Saturday evening some of those questions may be answered. But what we know now is that opposite of Pryor is a quarterback on the Penn State sideline who puts as much pressure on himself as the sophomore does. Clark wants to win just as badly, and, just like Pryor, is still in search of a signature win that will define his legacy.

For the 2009 season you could put Daryll Clark's numbers up against those of any quarterback in America. He's been better than Tim Tebow, he means just as much to his team as Colt McCoy and his ability to throw darts and rally his team may only be matched by Jimmy Clausen.

What Saturday's game comes down to might be a will to win. Can Pryor be patient and withstand a low-scoring game like he had to last year? Or will he grow antsy and look for the big play, which has been there at times this season, but not often enough that Ohio State's passing game lights up the stat sheet.

On the other side, can Clark control his emotions? He didn't finish last year's game in Columbus.

If Pryor wins he gets his marquee victory. If Clark is impressive in a Penn State win, he'll improve a potential Heisman candidacy.

"I think Daryll Clark has been an outstanding performer for us," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said this week. "It's hard to compare. I don't see all the other guys that people are talking about all the time. Every week it's a new list, from what I hear. I don't know. You turn on the tube, to get some sleep, and there are a couple of guys up there talking about, 'Let's hear your Heisman Trophy list,' and whose list is this and that. Daryll Clark is one heck of a football player."

But he still bears the weight of losses to Iowa the past two seasons. Right or wrong, his fault or not. What stands more important is that the winner of this game could strengthen a potential at-large BCS bid, as representatives from the Orange and Sugar bowls will be seated in the warmth of the Beaver Stadium press box.

And then you have the crowd factor.

So much adds up against Pyror -- the crowd, a red-hot opposing defense and his own offensive line which has left a lot to be desired. But good, bad or indifferent, that's just how he wants it.

Pryor and Tressel portray the image that they thrive on the pressure. That may be the case, but go back to last year's game where Paterno out-Tresseled Tressel.

"(Terrelle's) been under fire in his own mind since he got here," Tressel said. "He puts a lot of pressure on himself because he has high expectations for what he can do, and most importantly what he can do for the good of the team.

"If we are successful on a Saturday he feels as if it probably had his contribution and if we're not successful many times he feels as if he was the problem. That's the way competitors are."

Two competitors, on the Big Ten's biggest stage, battling in what should be another four quarters of physically grueling football, trying to answer one question.

Who has the stronger will to win?

Thomas writes for Blue White Illustrated.

Tressel Downplays Pryor's Eye-Black Tribute To Vick

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In a packed media room at the Jack Nicklaus Museum Tuesday, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel answered questions from reporters about an at-times subpar performance against Navy, the upcoming heavyweight tilt against USC and of course Terrelle Pryor's eye-black tribute to Michael Vick.

Tressel opens the soundbite in the video below after being asked if the team has any kind of policy about messages players like to write on their eye-black, wristbands or shoes. And he concludes it with some heavy praise about Pryor's character.

"If there's anyone who feels bad about something or downtrodden about something, he's the first one there with his arms around him," Tressel said. Watch the video below for more of Tressel's reaction:

Report: USC's Barkley Named Starting QB

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

NEW YORK -- USC's highly touted freshman quarterback Matt Barkley should place a phone call -- or a Facebook friend request -- to his Ohio State counterpart, Terrelle Pryor.

YOUR THOUGHTS: Can Freshman Barkley Win in Columbus?

His first question might be, "As a true freshman, how do you handle a high-profile game with national championship implications in a hostile environment?"

Barkley Thursday was named the starting quarterback for Southern Cal, which plays Ohio State on Sept. 12 in Columbus. ESPN's Shelley Smith reported that it's not yet clear whether coach Pete Carroll's decision applies only to USC's season opener vs. San Jose State, or if the depth chart was filled out in pen to signify a more permanent ruling today.

Either way, Barkley is a talented young player who just eight months ago was roaming his high school hallways. But in 16 days, he might be asked to steer USC, always with national championship aspirations, to a victory in front of 110,000 scarlet-sweatered Buckeye backers at Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State is led by Pryor, who as a true freshman saw significant playing time at quarterback when the Bucks got blasted out of Los Angeles Coliseum last September, 35-3. With that embarrassing defeat still likely fresh in his head and a clear-cut role as team leader, Pryor will have to come up big no matter who starts where for USC. The Trojans are always dangerous on offense, nasty on defense and very well coached.

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Freshman QB Barkley Could Start at USC

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

EDISON, N.J. -- Last year, Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor was under the microscope when his Buckeyes played at USC early in the season. The highly heralded freshman didn't get the start, but leading up to the game, it was expected that he would definitely get some reps. He ended up getting most of them in lieu of an ineffective Todd Boeckman.

And now, it's Matt Barkley's turn to get thrown to the wolves.

This year's top freshman quarterback could very well shake hands with a national audience for the first time when his USC Trojans return the trip to Columbus, and hopefully for Buckeyes fans, the Ohio Stadium crowd will be just as unwelcoming as the packed house in Los Angeles Coliseum was last September.

Though Pryor never really seemed rattled in last year's meeting, Ohio State was embarrassed, 35-3. And now that the word out of Southern Cal's camp has Barkley as the possible starter, only a few weeks separate us from finding out what kind of freshman performance he can deliver. Current No. 1 Aaron Corp missed Tuesday's workout and is scheduled for an MRI Wednesday, according to ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman. And as he sits, Barkley continues to impress in preseason drills.

USC coach Pete Carroll and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates are using words like "extraordinary" and "really good throws" and "confident" to describe Barkley, according to Feldman.

Similar words were used a year ago about Pryor. We'll find out who's more deserving of the praise on Sept. 12.

Are Pryor, Ohio State Really That Surprising?

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

NEW YORK -- It's amazing what we like to describe as "controversial."

Is it a surprise pick that Big Ten writers picked Ohio State to win the league? And that those same writers gave preseason offensive player of the year honors to OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor? Both are slight surprises I think, but hardly controversial, as some bloggers are suggesting today.

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Pryor had a good freshman season. He'll be a better passer in 2009 and will likely transition well from coddled young star to offensive leader. The athletic tools are already in place, and he showed good poise as a rookie last year. That trend will continue and he'll be the best player on what many think will be the best team in the league. It's not any crazier than a wideout from the fourth- or fifth-best team in the league (Arrelious Benn, Illinois) or a decent quarterback who lacks superstar potential -- Penn State's Darryl Clark -- being named.

I laugh when rich, old, white men in suits like to say their sport is for the fans. We all know it's really for the networks, but what are for the fans are silly preseason teams. They mean nothing. What means far more is what happens in the postseason, and I'm pretty sure if you check Google, you just be able to find, oh, maybe one or two or a million online jabs at the Big Ten's postseason track record in recent years.

For each team, a college season often shakes out as a reflection of how well your quarterback plays and how well your team performs on the road. If the slight advantage in the first category goes to Ohio State over Penn State, I think the same-sized cushion goes to the Nittany Lions in the second category, and for just one reason: Ohio State plays at Penn State in November.

We saw it in 2005 when the evenly matched Nittany Lions and Buckeyes played a tough game that Penn State won largely because of its home-field advantage. Both teams finished 7-1 in the conference, but PSU got the league's BCS bid and defeated Florida State in the Orange Bowl. I think Penn State wins the league because Ohio State has to visit Happy Valley this year. It's as simple as that.