Pryor is a real handful

Any conversation about the 2009 Ohio State football team has to begin and end not with coach Jim Tressel’s sweater vest, but supremely talented quarterback Terrelle Pryor. The 2008 No. 1 recruit in the country, Pryor boasts a skill set that already has NFL executives drooling.

“He’s a great player. He’s a focal point guy. You can’t watch [Ohio State] and not watch him,” coach Pete Carroll said during his weekly press conference.

Dual-threat quarterbacks like Dennis Dixon and Vince Young have given the USC defense fits in the past with their scrambling ability, and Pryor has more raw talent than either of them.

“I’ve always said that the most difficult aspect of defending an opponent is when they have a quarterback that can run and run on plays that aren’t designed to be quarterback running plays,” Carroll said.

Pryor himself played well last season against USC in relief of starting quarterback Todd Boeckman. While the lead-footed Boeckman was hopeless in the face of the Trojans’ pass rush, Pryor completed seven of nine passes for 52 yards and added another 40 yards on the ground. With another year of seasoning he should provide a stiff challenge for the revamped Trojans defense.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Pryor is more than just an agile pair of legs, however. The sophomore spent so much time this summer working on his passing that he developed tendonitis in his right arm. His arm, since healed and improved, could help Pryor emerge this year as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks.

“This is a very, very unusual athlete to be this tall and this fast and have a great arm,” Carroll said. “I think you’ll see he’s not just a runner.”

Here is a brief primer on some of the other names USC should be wary of this weekend.

Daniel “Boom” Herron, Soph. RB, 5-foot-10, 193 lbs. and Brandon Saine, Jr. RB, 6-foot-1, 217 lbs.

Running backs Daniel “Boom” Herron and Brandon Saine have the unenviable task of trying to replace Chris “Beanie” Wells, who left a year early for the NFL. The duo combined for 125 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries last week for the Buckeyes.

Last season, Herron and Saine were largely ineffective against USC in place of the injured Wells, gaining just 61 yards on 13 carries. Ohio State needs to get more production from their running game outside of Pryor to take pressure off of the quarterback.

Brian Rolle, Jr. LB, 5-11, 221lbs.

Linebacker Brian Rolle racked up nine tackles including a tackle for loss last weekend against Navy, but it was his interception late in the game that thrust him to the forefront of the rebuilding Ohio State defense. Rolle stepped in front of a pass on a two-point conversion attempt and returned it the other way 99 yards for two points, preserving the Buckeyes victory and likely saving their season.

If last week’s six-touchdown performance is any indication, the Trojans plan to ease quarterback Matt Barkley along while relying on the ground game. With three-time All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis gone, it will be up to Rolle and the other new starting linebackers to slow down USC’s stable of running backs.

“The [linebackers] are real active. They run sideline to sideline. They’re just new players like our guys are,” Carroll said. “But, like our guys, they’re very athletic, and they can do all the same stuff. It’s just a matter of them gaining experience and all.”

Thaddeus Gibson, Jr. DE, 6-foot-2, 240 lbs.

Defensive end Thaddeus Gibson is the best NFL talent Ohio State has on that side of the ball and will be counted on to get pressure on Barkley and the USC passing game. Gibson does not have great size or strength for his position, but he combines shifty moves with excellent speed around the edge.

USC’s offensive line was dominant last week against an outclassed opponent and will need to be so again this weekend. The return of center Kristofer O’Dowd, the unit’s anchor, should help the line protect Barkley, but they will need to be on their game to keep Gibson out of the backfield. If he can make Barkley uncomfortable in the pocket, the Buckeyes’ chances in the game improve drastically.