Head Games
We’re three days away from Pryor’s first return home for the first time as a Buckeye. The good news, is that he appears to be healthy after having his leg “banged” against New Mexico State. We’re going to assume the party line and assume having him padless in the second half last week was just an overly cautious move out of the Senator, though we have our lingering doubts.
From an emotional standpoint, you know this weekend is huge for him. Playing just two hours from Jeannette, he’ll have a chance to play in front of his family. He’s still thinking of the costly fumble from last season and if he isn’t, a packed house geared up for a rare big game in Beaver Stadium will be there to remind him with clever attire.
His teammates are saying he’s playing excited in practice this week, and you hope that he’s starting to see what the little things like squaring the shoulders outside the pocket and running with a purpose can do to help dictate the flow of a game.
There’s definite concern given his body of work in what could be considered big games during his tenure: Michigan, Texas and USC, and the Penn State defense will operate at a speed he hasn’t seen since the tilt with the Trojans, but one of these days he’s going to go off. 300/150 off. And wouldn’t that be sweet if that day was Saturday?
Jordan Hall rising. The Silver Bullet asks if Jordan Hall is the best option at running back:
Herron runs like a power runner in a 5-10 195 pound body, and Saine has ran with authority this season but has not shown the ability to be a quick, decisive runner. This is where Hall really shines on film. He makes quicks decisions (because of his vision), and then hits the hole fast. Regardless of size, quick and decisive runners always have success.
Buckeye Football Analysis seems to agree:
generally trust the coaches as they see these guys everyday in practice. But at this point I’m pretty well convinced that Jordan Hall needs to be the primary tailback. He doesn’t need to start or play every series, but he should be getting 15 carries a game and should not lose carries to the other two. Whether you want to call it vision or what have you, he a) finds the hole, b) hits it hard, and c) always manages to fall forward. He therefore gets 3 or 4 yd gains on plays where one of the other guys gets 0.
Hall is definitely all of those things, but what really stands out to me as well is the way he’s always falling forward. He did have more touches than Saine last week, but with Boom returning to full health, I have to wonder if he’ll get the ball 15 times a game anytime soon.
And now for something completely different. We get frustrated with Tressel’s calm demeanor and ability to say a lot without really saying anything at his pressers, but Penn State fans sure get a show. Some examples of Joe’s snark at his weekly presser:
Q. Ohio State closes with you guys and Iowa and Michigan, which would seem to be its toughest stretch of the season. Last week against New Mexico State they tried an onside kick early in the game, recovered it, and not long after they did a double reverse pass for a touchdown. Seems to me that if they had tricks in their trick bag they might have held them for this week or one of the last two games. Do you think maybe they were trying to give you something else to think about?
Well, when you start questions, “it seems to me,” well, if it seems to you, that’s fine, that it seems to you. That’s not asking me a question. I don’t have the slightest idea. I know that they tried an onside kick. I know they recovered an onside kick, I thought they did it very well. The kicker dribbled the ball and he got on top of it and obviously the New Mexico State kids weren’t expecting it, all right? And they were successful with it. Whether that’s trying to send a message or not, ask (Jim) Tressel when you get him on a press conference, all right? And you tell him “it seems to you” that he did a good thing.
And:
Q. Can you compare and contrast your coaching style with Jim Tressel’s?
My coaching style with Jim Tressel’s? Come on. Jim has done a heck of a job everywhere he’s been. He did a heck of a job at Youngstown State, won that division’s championship several years, done a heck of a job at Ohio State, he’s been the winner or co winners of the Big Ten for the last four or five years. No, I’m not going to compare myself. Heck, I’ll compare your writing with somebody else’s writing if you want me to do that, or something like that, but that’s not…I think Tressel is a heck of a coach, and I think his staff is, he’s done a great job out there.
Now, that’s fun!
Fun!
I cannot wait to see Jordan Hall’s first >100 yards game. I hope it is Saturday.
I HATE Penn State – I hate all teams from Pennsyltuckey.. I hate Penn State more than Michigan… I live an hour away from crappy valley… I’ll be at the game – I’m laid off and I shouldn’t – but i bought a $65 ticket – not knowing where the seats are – and will drive the round trip… For any Ohio State fans going to the game this weekend – you will need to buy one of these shirts!!! http://tinyurl.com/yzanjmn
I guess I’ve been one who all season has predicted that Pryor is going to blow up any week, and I still believe that. A lot of people only look at the bonehead passes and have totally ignored the strides he has made the last couple of weeks. I think he is really on the cusp of being LIC. The last 2 weeks I’ve seen a totally different player. I know they were bad teams, but he has played much worse against teams that were bad too. His mechanics are better, his running has been better, there seems to be a bit of an edge to him. Pryor is going to blow up very soon.
The more people talk shit to him, the better he will get. The more people say “oh, its okay Terrelle, you’re still young” the less motivated he will be. I’ve seen it time and time again, some people just respond to being challenged and being told they are not good enough. I sensed a change in Terrelle after the Purdue game, and I’m starting to beleive it wasn’t in my head. Get hype son!
That’s exactly what I thought too. He seems to be a different player since then. It was good to see him handle the media after that game and I think maybe he wasn’t so shielded from the criticism after that game. He really is about to bust out.
i’ve been thinking like this for months. glad you guys agree.
JoePa is miserable…..I would be too if Moye was my primary receiving option tho
After reasing the press conference bits from JoePa, how can you not help but like the guy? He cracks me up. I have tremendous respect for him, and hope he does go down as the all time winningest coach, but this week he is not getting a win I’m pretty sure buckeyes are going to romp.
*Reading
He’s like that cool grandpa that sneaks you beer at family reunions and always has something sharp and a little crazy to say.
Love JoePa:
After the Northwestern game he was asked about adjustments Penn State made after halftime…
“The adjustment we made is their quarterback got hurt,” Paterno said.
thats too fucking funny….thank you for that!
I agree, that was pure entertainment.
JoePa reminds me of this guy:
http://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Crazy old bastard.
If I was still working at age 107 I would give a big middle finger every chance I had. Bravo, skids.
Or is it JoPoo?
I believe it’s actually “The winningest Division I football coach of all time”. But you can call him Mr. Paterno thank you very much.
if you coach for 60 some years you better damned well be the winningest of all time on virtue of tenure.
Yeah but it’s not exactly like he’s had bad teams for 60 years. I’ll give him credit for being the winningest coach and for hanging in there as long as he has. The guy who is right behind him is a real douche who has had dirty programs for 20 years. I’d take Joe Pa anyday over him.
That being said, he’s getting his ass stomped Saturday. There could be some serious sharting on the sideline.
COMMMMMMMMMME TO PENN STAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!
i know this has been discussed some, but read number 20
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&page=dash0910&sportCat=ncf
holding in vomit as we speak
Im only making a suggestion here. But, at some time should we consider breaking trends to possibly help attract young future Buckeyes? Im not saying I like this guys uniform idea, but at what point do we become proactive rather than getting “stuck in our ways”?
i am 26 and completely stuck in my ways, what of it?
let’s just not get to the point where our uniforms look like they belong in movies like “any given sunday” etc. you know what i mean?
I do not see any correlation between a uniform and recruiting.
You know, Pryor had a pretty good game last year against Penn State. He was 16/26 for 226. Had he not fumbled on the infamous 4th and 1, he might still be running. And on the int, I bet he runs for a first down in that situation this year. I’m not worried about TP for some reason. I don’t know that he’ll have the breakout game so many of us are hoping for, but I think he’ll play well enough to win.
I know PSU has improved their offense over the course of the season, but I bet they can’t run Saturday. Aside from maybe one or two games in the series, they’ve never been able to run against OSU.
Very good points.
*channeling Corso* “buckeyes (finger and thumb close together) in a close one”
Joe Pa is beginning to sound like Bobby Knight. Good for him.
A better man than me said about that shirt: It looks like the lion just jerked Pryor off and they both feel kind of bad about it.
another kind of white out all together….
Does that mean JoePa ate the cookie?!
i thought it was a donut…
or is that a certain house on 15th and indianola…..
well now that i think about it… they were kinda between 14th and 15th on indianola and had multiple houses in the area. that should narrow it down.
They are recalling the shirt……..saying it wasn’t meant as an attack on Pryor. Um,……how could that not have been meant as an attack?
“Since 2002, 46 Penn State football players have faced 163 criminal charges, according to an ESPN analysis of Pennsylvania court records and reports. Twenty-seven players have been convicted of or have pleaded guilty to a combined 45 counts.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=3504915
We are STATE PENN!
I hope they get their arses kicked…..
Dont forget this gem:
Penn State Police confirmed today that they have filed charges against Nittany Lions basketball player Stanley Pringle in an incident involving public masturbation that occurred last Thursday in Pattee Library.
LMFAO!
I think we’ve all had a charge like this from time to time.
Apparently, I’ve hit the big time fellas. BlackShoeDiaries has linked at least 3 of my comments today and are crying about it. Awwww, someday you guys will have a varsity team. If I were them, I would stop posting pics of Pryor all day and send somebody to make sure JoePa hasn’t eaten all the Activia in the fridge again……
ACTIVIAAAAAA! hahaha! oh shit! pun intended!
I knew I could count on you!
how firm thy friendship…
11w? doesn’t rhyme i guess… a lyricist i am not.
i swear i know you outside of the internet though…
State Penn fans were referenced in an episode of Sunny dude…..
“Salt the Snail”
you don’t want to salt the snail, but you have to
“Hey guys, remember when we beat you last year!?!”
SALT THE SNAIL!
i’m gonna toss something out here..
were you in chi phi by chance?
No dice
well then i do not know you. thought for sure you were someone in particular
For the record…your comments were linked in reference to your writing sounding like that of a 5th grader. Congrats dude.
You cut me deep shrek
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43828211@N02/4076258008/
Endorsed by JoePa himself!
Shit! I thought he endorsed Dulcolax exclusively
JoePa’s unreal. I want him to say, “You know what, kid? I was answering questions smarter than this from your grandpa. He must be real proud’a you!”
To Terrelle Pryor:
When the boooo’s rain upon you as you walk out of the locker room and onto the field at Beaver Stadium, SMILE :) with malicious clarity that you will own those fans before the end of the game.
Go Bucks!!!!
We should make a shirt using the gameshot of that chubby PSU broad crying while wearing her silly little lion costume during that white out.
I think everytime someone looks at that photo, an angel gets it wings…..
Or is it a Lion throws a full beer can? I get those confused.
Whoops, sorry about the not so family friendly nature of my post…my bad
how dare you
get a room you two
i think it’s both
Yanks wrap it up tonight….
Bucks stomp on State Penn….
Its gonna be a bad week for Pennsylvania sports…..
“We get frustrated with Tressel’s calm demeanor and ability to say a lot without really saying anything at his pressers…”
Economics has Alan Greenspan.
College football has JT.