Sorry if that wasn't clear, but I think Tressel's conservative approach in developing Pryor is very similar to the way (his friend) Mack Brown developed Vince Young. First eliminate all the freshman and sophomore errors then let him go, as Tressel did with Troy Smith.
Obviously neither Smith nor Pryor are NFL quarterbacks, but this is college football. You're right, Tate probably won't be either. Coach Rod also declined to name his as the starter for next year, which is understandable I guess since you guys seem to have a phenom from Inkster coming in.
If you don't understand that I am a fan of Tate, despite his size and his freshman inexperience, you are misreading my post. I think he tries to do too much, which is the opposite of what Tressel has let Pryor do -- and many of our fans say “too little”.
I have no idea where you got the idea that I said a small fast athlete can't be successful. I did point out that a lot of the smaller players (Tate, Vince Smith) were hurt against the bigger players in the Big Ten. Pryor, who is much bigger, also was playing with a leg injury (and OSU does not disclose a lot about injuries.)
I also understand how you guys might feel about Boren. My point was, don't bring that out before game day. You made your point in the pre-season. I'm sure I'd feel the same way if we had one of our key guys defect.
I wish Minor had been in the game too. Must be tough as a senior to miss out on this one. He's been underrated.
As for Pryor being an “all world athlete” you are wrong. He has “all world potential.” Compare Pryor's sophomore season to Vince Young. Fine for Tate to have better stats in a pass-happy spread offense, but neither Pryor nor Vince threw four picks to lose a huge game. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but while Tressel is putting a lid on Pryor's youthful penchant for mistakes and “I can make this play -- I did it in high school” false confidence, I wish I could have seen Forcier get better in the last game. It's not about yards or stats, it's about game management. There are ten other guys on the field and Pryor used them and, other than Roundtree, I don't think Tate did.
Like I said, after your opening game, I fully expected him to be what you expected Pryor to be. I was sure that by The Game, he'd be even better. The real difference was that he didn't get better. Sure he had injuries. He's small and quick and talented and there are some big guys pounding on him.
If you want to call my comments “stupid' then I suggest you explain why your team has a freshman QB give us five turnovers. I suggest something behind that game plan might also share that term. I wouldn't say that, it's just a coaching gamble because you didn't have many other options.
Draft some defense. Get back in The Game. That's all I want. I'm not out dissing you, just sharing the view from the other side.
Thanks Brodie. I agree. I rooted for Chris when he was great with the Lions and the Browns, let alone his insane 29-tackle game for the Buckeyes. ABC did a nice tribute and I saw some signs from the fans.
Ironically the Lions and Browns play tomorrow and I hope the greedy NFL will have the humanity to understand that their former players are what make them the billion dollar business they are today.
The fact that the game is blacked out is another example of their greed. Maybe, as a Browns fan, I don't want to witness the Lions further humiliate this once proud franchise. Actually, I hate Mangini so much I want the Lions t win in a blowout.
The Maize and Blue played great today. There is a good outlook. Good luck with recruiting. We need UM to be back -- for the respect of the whole Big Ten.
Okay, first of all, full disclosure: I am a Buckeyes fan. I always root for Blue in Bowls and have a ton of respect for your program and your school. (I must say, I've endured the ignorance of some of your fans, and have a real scar to show for it from a beer bottle, but I know all teams have ignorant drunks, just as you notice the worst of ours.)
Tate is a great athlete. I watched the first game and said to friend who's a UM fan, “you guys are finally gonna beat us this year.” The offense was crisp and fast and I saw the promise.
I really think the difference between Tate and Terrelle is not necessarily athleticism but a different approach in coaching. Tressel coaches with an emphasis on eliminating mistakes and an emphasis on game management, getting coached on schemes, reads, etc. and relying on the whole team, not just his “athleticism”. He reins him in to build toward unleashing him. I think your coach likes to unleash athleticism (which Tressel has not done with TP or with Troy Smith, another comparable athlete, until he let Troy get bulked up on Heisman Prime Rib and added 22 pounds before the Florida game! That is bad coaching.)
Pryor has gotten so much more mature with each game, even while his instincts to make every play were kept in check. The really Vince Young comparisons will emerge next year and if he stays around for senior year. JT develops quarterbacks. I really wish Rich Rod would focus on eliminating mistakes. If he would have coached Pryor last year maybe he would have thrown four picks against you last year too.
Your other QB should maybe be a wide receiver. All year I've not seem him improve as a passer. So easy to read. I hear you've got a great kid coming in next year so let's hope he pans out so we can get this rivalry back to where it belongs -- the whole country on the eidge of their seats with national title implications. OSU can't get respect without UM being good, and Penn State and MSU being good, and hey, Iowa too. I want improvement in the whole conference.
By the way, the one other thing I noticed, and so did national commentators, was the way the UM players “went rogue”. Shaw's elbow smash on an OSU trainer was a little uncalled for. I think Brandon Graham (a great player) really gave us bulletin board material (or Twitter these days) with his comments. Boren said nothing. And Tate talking to the press after the game directly and making all these brash promises.
While at times our fan base goes nuts over the Senator's conservative approach, he sure does manage the young men on the team to avoid shooting themselves in the foot.
I think Rich could be a good coach, but one final observation: the smaller, faster players he recruits were okay in the first half of the season, but they sure seemed beat up once they got into the heavier, stronger smashmouth of the Big Ten.
Hurry up and get back to where the Maize and Blue belong, just behind the Buckeyes :).
Oh, and you played a hell of game today. The horrible part is your defense played the best I've seen them this season and, the agony of it is, you still lost. Trust me, I've felt that too.
Go Blue, recruit like hell!
As a Buckeyes fan, I admire the class and heartfelt sympathy you have shown in regard to the passing of Stephanie Spielman. I know that there are drunk jerk fans on both sides, but it is also important to recognize the respect we have for each other. A rivalry is only real when the so-called “hate” is often fueled by fear, admiration, and talent.
Your expressions of sympathy and understanding show the class and dignity of your school and program. Let's hope this puts some of the idiots on both sides into a more respectful frame of mind.
It's ironic that we paid tribute to Bo at the Horseshoe, and that our team and fans will remember Stephanie at the Big House.
Throw the stats and standings out the window. THIS is OSU-MICHIGAN!!!!
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