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Pryor Plays Well: Buckeyes Thump Minnesota, 38-7

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Terrelle Pryor threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead Ohio State (No. 19 BCS, No. 18 AP) to a 38-7 win over Minnesota on Saturday.

A week after a devastating 26-18 loss at two-touchdown underdog Purdue, the Buckeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) made Minnesota (4-4, 2-3) pay for its bad plays. The Golden Gophers had two major misplays in the secondary and two turnovers inside their own 20.

Pryor said he was a new man after four turnovers in the Purdue defeat. He played better against Minnesota, but it was difficult to tell how much because the Gophers made so many costly mistakes.

Pryor hit on 13 of 25 passes for 239 yards with one interception and also ran for 104 yards on 15 carries.

Minnesota didn't offer much resistance, running its scoreless streak to 136:23 before MarQueis Gray's late 16-yard touchdown pass to Troy Stoudermire.

Trailing just 7-0 through two quarters, the Golden Gophers started making mistakes. They gave Ohio State the ball at the Minnesota 15 after Stoudermire fumbled away a short pooch kick to start the second half. Three plays later, Pryor bolted around right end off a nice play-fake to score on a 15-yard run.

Then Gophers quarterback Adam Weber lost a fumble at his own 22, leading to freshman Jordan Hall, on to replace injured tailback Brandon Saine who left with a concussion, scoring on an 11-yard run.

After a Minnesota punt, a foul-up in coverage led to Pryor's 57-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open DeVier Posey.

The two also had hooked up on a 62-yard score in the second quarter when another gaffe in the secondary left Posey unguarded 10 yards behind the defense.

Minnesota played most of the game without top receiver Eric Decker, who hobbled off the field in the first quarter and didn't return due to a recurring ankle injury. Still, the Gophers had four turnovers, eight penalties and numerous other miscues.

Weber was 10 for 23 for just 112 yards with two interceptions and his fellow quarterback, Gray, was 5 for 6 for 51 yards. They were sacked four times for 21 yards in losses and were harassed most of the day.

Hall finished with 38 yards and his first collegiate touchdown on 10 carries, with fifth-string tailback Jermil Martin rumbling 39 yards for his first career score. He totaled 75 yards on just seven carries.

Neither team played well, continually taking turns making mistakes, in a first half that saw Ohio State lead 7-0 -- thanks to a costly set of errors by Minnesota.

After stopping an Ohio State end-around for a loss on the first play of a series that started at the 25, Minnesota was assessed a late-hit penalty for a Buckeyes first down. On the next play, two Gophers defenders slid to the receiver cutting under coverage -- leaving Posey all alone. He had 10 yards clear of the field to grab Pryor's long spiral to complete the 62-yard touchdown.

Ohio State drove to a first down at the Minnesota 17 late in the half, but in the hurry-up offense Pryor threw a pass up for grabs in the end zone that was picked off by Kyle Theret.

The Buckeyes had a 2-to-1 edge in yards in the opening half, but Aaron Pettrey hooked a 30-yard field goal. They drove into Minnesota territory four times and collected no points.

Ohio State finished with 509 yards of offense, including 270 on the ground.


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Associated Press

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Ohio State—Minnesota: Week Eight Preview, Free History Lesson Included

By HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation

FINAL SCORE:
OHIO STATE 38, MINNESOTA 7

No. 19 Ohio State (5-2) returns home after an unexpected and disappointing upset loss a week ago to Big Ten cellar dweller Purdue.

This week the Buckeyes will take on the 4-3 Minnesota Golden Gophers Saturday at 12:00PM in Ohio Stadium.

The Gophers have one of the best wide receivers in the Big Ten in Eric Decker. Through seven games, Decker has 47 catches for 731 yards and five touchdowns.

Quarterback Adam Weber has not lived up to expectations so far this year. He has only completed 55.8% of his pass attempts for 1325 yards and has only six touchdown passes compared to nine interceptions. His QB rating is 115.

Gopher running backs Duane Bennett, DeLeon Eskridge, and Keven Whaley have combined for 628 rush yards and nine touchdowns.

Terrelle Pryor has taken much criticism recently, but his numbers are slightly better than Weber's. He has completed 56% of his passes for 1169 yards for 10 touchdowns to only eight interceptions and has a QB rating of 128.

OSU's top receiver is true sophomore DeVier Posey who has 30 catches for 355 yards and four scores.

The Buckeyes top three rushers, Brandon Saine, Pryor, and Dan Herron have combined for 989 yards and nine touchdowns.

In the past Minnesota has been a team the Buckeyes could count on for a win and to right the ship. Call me crazy (since I thought the same thing about Purdue last week), but I expect that trend to continue this week.

I said it last week and I'll say it again since it fell upon deaf ears:

It's no secret that Ohio State's offense has sputtered and looked rather anemic the bulk of the season. Coach Tressel and the staff have to make calls more conducive to Pryor's capabilities and subsequently, Pryor must make better, and faster decisions, protect the ball, and play within himself.

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10/24/2009—Game Eight—12:00PM Kickoff
TV/Online: ESPN / ESPN360.com

VS.

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Ohio State-Minnesota History and Tidbits:

• Ohio State leads the all-time head-to-head series (41-7-0).

• Ohio State is 19-1 vs. Minnesota in the last 20 meetings (dating back to 1985).

• Ohio State is 9-1 vs. Minnesota in the last 10 meetings at home (dating back to 1986).

• The last Ohio State loss to Minnesota at home was in 2000 by a score of 29-17 (That year, Minnesota was 6-6 and Ohio State was 8-4).

• Jim Tressel is 6-0 overall (3-0 at home, 3-0 on the road) vs. Minnesota, outscoring the Golden Gophers 218-90, or by an average game score of 36-15.

• The Buckeyes have only lost back to back games one time under Jim Tressel, back in 2004 (It was actually three in a row to Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Iowa).

• This is Tim Brewster's third year as Minnesota Head Coach—He is 0-2 versus Ohio State.

• Minnesota's last Big Ten title was in 1967.

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All eyes are on Terrelle Pryor this week, and rightfully so. He must perform well to redeem himself if he wishes to quiet his critics that suggest he is not a capable quarterback.

If he is less tentative, runs a bit more, and plays smart and confidently, Ohio State should be able to win comfortably, and all will be right in Buckeye Nation, for now.

Next week, the Bucks host New Mexico State which shouldn't pose much of a challenge, but after that, three games loom large to wrap up the 2009 regular season—at Penn State, home vs. Iowa, and the season finale at Michigan.

Those final three games will truly show us what Terrelle Pryor, and this team are made of.

Final score prediction:

Ohio State 41, Minnesota 17

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ESPN Video: What's Wrong With Terrelle Pryor?

Here's some food for thought to Buckeye fans from Olin Buchanan, Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer.


Q: From Nina in New Albany, Ohio: This may be the worst offense in the Jim Tressel era at Ohio State. Is it time for Tressel to look in the mirror and finally see that changes need to be made, whether with players, coaches or philosophy?

A: Yours is one of several emails received about quarterback Terrelle Pryor and the offensive issues at Ohio State.

So, to your first question: Yes, this could become the worst offense in Tressel's nine seasons. After seven games, the Buckeyes are averaging 331 yards and 28 points, but matchups remain against Penn State and Iowa, which have strong defenses.

Tressel's worst offensive team at Ohio State was in 2004, when the Buckeyes averaged 320.8 yards and 24.2 points. They went 8-4 that season.

Yes, it appears to be time for Tressel to reconsider his offensive philosophy, and changes should be made in an attempt to fully utilize Pryor's athletic ability.

Pryor, a sophomore, is getting heavy criticism from all directions. He was just 5-of-13 passing for 87 yards in a win over Wisconsin, then followed that up by throwing two interceptions in last week's 26-18 loss to Purdue. That's unacceptable in Columbus. Indeed, it's unacceptable most places.

But don't bury Pryor just yet. When he came out of Jeannette (Pa.) High, he was being compared to former Texas All-America Vince Young because of his size (6 feet 6/235 pounds) and physical gifts. Dramatic comparisons to Young still can be made.

Pryor is struggling. He's completing 56 percent of his passing attempts, for 1,169 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

But Young was a liability as a passer when he was a sophomore, too. Young passed for 1,849 yards with 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2004. That season, he was just 8-of-23 for 86 yards in a 12-0 loss to Oklahoma and 3-of-9 for 19 yards and two interceptions the next week in a 28-20 victory over Missouri.

Some called for Young to be moved to tight end or wide receiver. But coach Mack Brown re-evaluated his system, junked a pro-style offense and almost exclusively went to the zone read, which was better-suited for Young's talents.

Texas didn't lose another game during Young's playing days, and he emerged as one of the best college football players ever.

That's not to say that Pryor will do the same if Tressel makes a similar move; it should be noted that Young had more talent around him than Pryor does. But it's something to consider.

After all, Tressel saw first hand what a player with Young's physical gifts could do. In '05, Young passed for 270 yards and ran for 76 in a 25-22 victory over Ohio State.


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How a Soft October Schedule Will Ultimately Help the Buckeyes

by Tim Bielik
BlockONation Analyst
OSU Featured Columnist


Many people still aren't sure what to make of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2009, after falling just short of beating USC, then shutting out Toledo.

What confuses so many others is how, or why, Ohio State actually dropped in the AP poll after the 38-0 shutout win over the Rockets.

I was recently approached by FC Coordinator Trey Bradley who gave me a great thought and theme for the next few weeks: "If you don't hear from the Buckeyes for awhile, it's a good thing."

I looked at the upcoming schedule for the Buckeyes, and anything less than a 5-0 October would be considered disastrous in Columbus.

When the toughest game in the next few weeks is at home against Wisconsin, that is something the Buckeyes can build off of.

And this young team still needs to get some seasoning. The defense is one of the better units in the nation, but the offense still needs work.

And only one thing can fix what ails this offense: reps. For these next six weeks, that will be exactly what the OSU offense will get.

Terrelle Pryor has shown great improvements as a passer, though his decision-making needs some serious work.

Running back has become a serious problem, as Dan Herron has struggled to be effective, and Brandon Saine has inconsistencies of his own as a runner.

If the Buckeyes offense wants to be successful this season, it will have to become an air attack squad, anchored by stud wideouts Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey. Both receivers have shown tremendous big play ability and separation speed.

Saine and true freshman Duron Carter have also become solid targets in the passing attack. Not to mention that this type of attack will play towards the strength of the offensive line, which is better as a pass blocking unit.

Defensively, this might be the most athletic group in recent years, anchored by a great defensive line with Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward as superstar bookends. One surprise this season, freshman DT John Simon, has played tremendously and been a force in his short time.

As for the schedule, Ohio State has two road games in October, both against Indiana and Purdue, which on paper should be big wins for the Buckeyes.

The two conference home games might be closer, with the Badgers and Minnesota Gophers coming to town. They end the month with a home OOC game against New Mexico State, a team considered by most to be one of the worst teams in the country.

A perfect 5-0 in the month of October is easily attainable, but Buckeye fans will want more in the coming weeks. They will want to see a more efficient offense and the defense continuing to play outstandingly.

They want to see these improvements happen because November is not a kind month for the Buckeyes, with road games at Penn State and Michigan, and their only home game that month against the Hawkeyes.

If Ohio State looks great and shows more improvement throughout October, people will be looking at them as potentially running the table in the Big Ten and possibly a trip to Pasadena.

Regardless of how they are ranked, they are still in a position to make some noise in the BCS and hopefully end their three-game bowl losing streak.

If they win in October, OSU can quietly sneak up on teams in the polls as other teams should get knocked off in a similar pattern to the previous three weeks.

If that happens, don't be surprised to see the Buckeyes playing in a big bowl game once again in January. For this young brand of Buckeyes, a "Red October" could be the start of turning fortunes around in Columbus.


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Photo Copyright Dan Harker--TheOzone.net

2009 Big Ten Conference Breakdown: Team and Player Projections

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation


My recent projection articles have went so well, that I've decided to go back to that goldmine once again.

The Michigan, Wisconsin, and Penn State fans that visited this site, or read my previous articles on BleacherReport, CBSSports, or TheBestDamnPoll among other sites were none too thrilled.

Since causing such a stir brings a smile to my face like that of a 10-year-old's on Christmas morning, here are a few more of my, sure to be extremely popular, Big Ten 2009 projections.

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Big Ten Conference Standings Projections

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1. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1, 7-1)

2. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2, 6-2)

3. Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2, 6-2)

4. Michigan State Spartans (9-3, 6-2)

5. Northwestern Wildcats (9-3, 5-3)

6. Illinois Fighting Illini (9-3, 5-3)

7. Wisconsin Badgers (7-5, 4-4)

8. Michigan Wolverines (6-6, 4-4)

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-7, 3-5)

10. Purdue Boilermakers (3-9, 2-6)

11. Indiana Hoosiers (1-11, 0-8)

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Top 5 Impact Freshmen / Newcomers

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1. Tate Forcier - QB - Michigan

2. Hayo Carpenter - WR - Minnesota

3. Jaamal Berry - RB - Ohio State

4. Duwyce Wilson - WR - Indiana

5. Duron Carter - WR - Ohio State

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Top 5 Breakout Players

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1. Terrelle Pryor - QB - Ohio State

2. Mike Kafka - QB - Northwestern

3. Dan "Boom" Herron - RB - Ohio State

4. Kirk Cousins - QB - Michigan State

5. Jewell Hampton - RB - Iowa

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Big 10 Player of the Year

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Terrelle Pryor - QB - Ohio State

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Big 10 Off. Player of the Year

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Juice Williams - QB - Illinois

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Big 10 Def. Player of the Year

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Kurt Coleman - S - Ohio State

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Big 10 Overrated POY

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Daryll Clark - QB - Penn State

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Big 10 Underrated POY

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Aurelius Benn - WR - Illinois

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Projected Bowl Teams and Possible Bowl Destinations

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Ohio State - BCS N.C. game, Rose Bowl, Fiesta, or Capital One

Penn State - BCS NC game, Rose Bowl, Fiesta, Capital One, or Outback

Iowa - Fiesta, Capital One, Outback, Champs Sports, or Alamo

Michigan State - Capital One, Outback, Champs Sports, or Alamo

Northwestern - Outback, Champs Sports, Alamo, or Insight

Illinois - Outback, Champs Sports, Alamo, or Insight

Wisconsin - Champs Sports, Alamo, Insight, or Motor City

Michigan - Champs Sports, Alamo, Insight, or Motor City

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Now that my work here is done, and I'm pretty sure I have poured enough gas on the fire, I'll just sit back, relax and enjoy the show.




Please feel free to commence with the anger, accusations of total homerism, and general insanity by adding a comment and let us know how great we are, or how much you hate us.


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2009 Big Ten Conference Breakdown: Team by Team Projections—Part I

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


Big Ten football fans, as you know, the 2009 season is almost upon us.

Fall camps have begun and coaches, players, and fans alike are excited and optimistic about how this year will unfold over the next four months.

But seriously, who wants to wait that long?

It's true, the season is too short and that's why we love it, but if you're interested at all in knowing how your favorite Big Ten team is going to fare, read on.

SPOILER ALERT!

We'll begin at the top and work our way down through all 11 teams.

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Ohio State Buckeyes



Toughest home game: vs. USC on September 12th

Toughest road game: at Penn State on November 7th

Best case regular season record: (12-0)

Worst case regular season record: (8-4)

Teams that might beat them: USC, Penn State, Illinois, Iowa

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Penn State Nittany Lions



Toughest home game: vs. Ohio State on November 7th

Toughest road game: at Illinois on October 3rd

Best case regular season record: (11-1)

Worst case regular season record: (8-4)

Teams that might beat them: Iowa, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan State

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Iowa Hawkeyes



Toughest home game: vs. Northwestern on November 7th

Toughest road game: at Ohio State on November 14th

Best case regular season record: (10-2)

Worst case regular season record: (8-4)

Teams that might beat them: Arizona, Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State

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Michigan State Spartans



Toughest home game: vs. Iowa on October 24th

Toughest road game: at Notre Dame on September 19th

Best case regular season record: (9-3)

Worst case regular season record: (6-6)

Teams that might beat them: Notre Dame, Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern, Iowa, Penn State

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Northwestern Wildcats



Toughest home game: vs. Penn State on October 31st

Toughest road game: at Iowa on November 7th

Best case regular season record: (9-3)

Worst case regular season record: (7-5)

Teams that might beat them: Minnesota, Michigan State, Penn State, Iowa, Illinois

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Illinois Fighting Illini



Toughest home game: vs. Penn State on October 3rd

Toughest road game: at Ohio State on September 26th

Best case regular season record: (9-3)

Worst case regular season record: (6-6)

Teams that might beat them: Missouri, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern

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Minnesota Golden Gophers



Toughest home game: vs. California on September 19th

Toughest road game: at Ohio State on October 24th

Best case regular season record: (8-4)

Worst case regular season record: (5-7)

Teams that might beat them: California, Northwestern, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa

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Wisconsin Badgers



Toughest home game: vs. Iowa on October 17th

Toughest road game: at Ohio State on October 10th

Best case regular season record: (7-5)

Worst case regular season record: (5-7)

Teams that might beat them: Fresno State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern

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Michigan Wolverines



Toughest home game: vs. Ohio State on November 21st

Toughest road game: at Iowa on October 10th

Best case regular season record: (7-5)

Worst case regular season record: (4-8)

Teams that might beat them: Western Michigan, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Iowa, Penn State, Illinois, Ohio State

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Purdue Boilermakers



Toughest home game: vs. Ohio State on October 17th

Toughest road game: at Oregon on September 12th

Best case regular season record: (4-8)

Worst case regular season record: (2-10)

Teams that might beat them: Toledo, Oregon, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Minnesota, Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State

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Indiana Hoosiers



Toughest home game: vs. Ohio State on October 3rd

Toughest road game: at Penn State on November 14th

Best case regular season record: (3-9)

Worst case regular season record: (1-11)

Teams that might beat them: Everyone they play except for MAYBE Eastern Kentucky in week one. That is the only team I think they are almost guaranteed to beat.

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Enjoy the 2009 season everyone!

Thanks for visiting and please post your thoughts in the comments section!


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