The Pryor Problem

Well, we were right to put Terrelle Pryor in the spotlight in our Friday College Football Preview. Except, #2 got ran over by a Boilermaker train on Saturday. This was not how the Terrelle Pryor Era in Columbus was supposed to go. A 26-18 defeat at an unfancied 1-5 Purdue team isn't fulfilling the big hype and big dreams that the biggest recruit in college football history was supposed to bring to reality.

Pryor's numbers against Purdue: 17/31 221 yds 1 TD 2 INT, 21 carries 34 yds 1 TD 2 fumbles

Ouch. 4 turnovers? 34 yards on 21 carries! That's 1.3 yards per carry. I think Peyton Manning has had better games rushing the football. While his passing numbers don't look JaMarcus Russell bad, if you watched the game on Saturday, you saw a QB with little hope of turning into a superstar.

Coming out of Jeanette, PA, Terrelle Pryor was supposed to transform college football. He was the next Vince Young, he was the next Tim Tebow. Do you remember all of the hoopla about this kid when he came out of high school? Do you remember when the nation was put on halt when he didn't sign on signing day? Do you remember the drama of the recruiting race between Penn St, Michigan, and OSU? Do you remember the celebration when he signed to play in the Shoe?

My, doesn't that seem silly now.

In his first full season as a starter, Pryor has been held under 200 yards passing in 5 out of 7 games with the only outliers being Saturday's loss and a game against Toledo, (that game against Toledo also featured his only 100 yard rushing game of the season). He's only had one game above 65 yards rushing this season as well.

Now, you might tell me, "Hey, give the kid a break, he's only a sophomore." Yes, but, I counter by saying that Pryor has regressed in nearly every statistical category from his freshman season. He's down in QB Rating, down in TD/INT ratio, down in yards per carry, down in completion percentage. Terrelle Pryor's portfolio might as well be in Bernie Madoff's pile at this point.

But, it's not just the stats that are a concern with Pryor. The space between #2's ears is perhaps a larger problem. His poor decision making is troubling. His reluctance to use his ability to break the pocket and get up the field is baffling. Throwing interceptions that Steve Bellisari would be proud of brings back nightmares. Anyone in Columbus will tell you that this kid's confidence isn't just shattered, but nonexistent at this point in his career.

In an age where Tim Tebow can win a Heisman as a sophomore, and Matt Barkley can lead USC as a freshman, age is no longer an excuse to a growingly impatient college football fanbase. Slowly but surely, big programs like OSU are asked to reload and win every season. A kid like Terrelle Pryor is expected to use his gifts and ability to win ballgames.

Blame the poor O-Line, blame the lack of impactful skill players around him, those are issues that affect Pryor's play. Blame Jim Tressel, but he coached Troy Smith to a Heisman not so long ago. Blame a number of things that surround Terrelle Pryor, but the time for excuses is running out.

A letter into the Columbus Dispatch on Sunday said that the initial concern for Ohio St. fans was that Terrelle Pryor would stay for 3 years, now the worry is that he'll stay for 4.

Our papa asked us yesterday, "Is it too late to put Pryor into the Top 10 Flops of the Decade?"

Maybe the Pryor Problem is symbolic of a greater problem in the world of sports. Why do we lay so much hype and so much pressure on young kids that haven't graduated high school yet? Why do hundreds of thousands of people put their faith and live and die based on the actions of a 20 year old? Do we really need high school kids showcased, criticized, and put in the public light to such an extreme degree? In truth, it's unfair to lay this on any youngster, but they know what awaits them when they put that hat on. For Pryor, hopefully he's able to get back his confidence, find a consistent passing game, and use those special talents to win games and win back fans. Nobody wants to see a kid that's not even old enough to enter a casino fail in the national spotlight.

But, as it stands right now, maybe we should revise that Flops of the Decade list.

Check back later tonight as Mr. Yoder II takes you through the rest of College Pig in more uplifting fashion with our YCS Standings and the Heisman Watch. See you further on up the road.