Ohio State must stick with Pryor

His development must take priority over victories this season, according to at least one observer.

By DOUG LESMERISES

Cleveland Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS — This is odd advice for understandably angst-ridden Ohio State fans accustomed to success. But don’t worry about wins right now.

It’s not really Saturday’s loss to Purdue that drove the backers of the Buckeyes crazy. It was the proof that the offense, now 91st in the nation in total yardage and 101st in passing yardage, isn’t progressing.

Things might have to get worse, or at least stay that bad, before it gets better.

At 5-2, second place in the Big Ten and No. 19 in the BCS standings, this season isn’t lost, but it’s not going to be one to remember.

It’s a step back, something that happens at programs all the time. What matters is whether it’s worth it, and that won’t be determined until 2010 and 2011.

If the Buckeyes go 8-4 during this regular season, but win the national title in one of the next two seasons, won’t that be worth it?

The best way, probably the only way, for that to happen is with Terrelle Pryor at quarterback.

So settle in, hold on, close your eyes and hope the ride smooths out.

Because Ohio State has to stick with Pryor, and all that matters now is figuring out what the sophomore does best, what he’ll never do well, and devising an offense to fit that.

It’s hard to imagine Jim Tressel and his coaches sat in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Sunday and thought, “You know, we’re on the right track.”

Maybe the best move is buttoning things up even tighter, taking absolutely no risks, throwing the ball 12 times a game and giving 20 carries each to Pryor and running back Brandon Saine, figuring that one or the other will break a big run once or twice a game and the defense can carry the day.

That’s preferable to Pryor the turnover machine, who has thrown eight interceptions and lost five fumbles in seven games, and admitted Saturday, “sometimes I’ve got to quit going for the deep ball and the big plays and let it come to me a little more.”

Except he hasn’t done that yet. He throws up jump balls and fires into traffic like he’s playing a pickup game, and hasn’t shown any signs of eliminating that behavior. So maybe you eliminate it for him. His fumbles are as bad as his picks — he looks almost panicked at times, trying to make plays in the middle of a sack when there’s no hope.

Maybe the best move is a Big 12 type of spread, five receivers all the time, with a hurry-up mindset and short quick passes that Pryor can get rid of before the rush gets to him.

Pryor seems most comfortable under the gun in two-minute drill situations, and he’s always making allusions to how much he likes and wants to attack as an offense. So stop handing off on first down and really put the game in his hands for 60 minutes, not just when things get desperate.

Either way, the next five games need to be used to work that out, whether it’s the best way to beat Minnesota or Iowa or Penn State on that day or not.

You always try to win, but the big picture needs to take precedent, because Pryor was a big-picture, raw, risk-reward recruit.

When the Buckeyes won the Big Ten in 2006 and 2007 and were outclassed in two national title games, that wasn’t enough for many fans. That’s fine. But Pryor is the type of physical talent who can give Ohio State a chance against the best teams in the country.

At the moment, he also happens to be a quarterback who can lead the way to a loss against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten.

Tressel tied himself to Pryor when he signed him and threw on a double knot when he benched senior Todd Boeckman for Pryor as a freshman.

The backups aren’t the answer. Pryor scared two quarterbacks into transferring. He drove away top QB recruits in the current freshman class and in the class of high school seniors. The only reason to bench Pryor — for a series, a quarter or a game — is because you think that’s best for his growth. Shaking him back to reality by proving that no quarterback that turns the ball over four times is safe in his job might be a worthy strategy.

Ask all the other questions.

Is Pryor getting the best coaching possible?

Is he absorbing that coaching?

Must Tressel completely change his offensive philosophy to fit this quarterback?

But don’t ask who the quarterback should be.

For that question, for good and bad, Ohio State has only one answer.