COLUMBUS — When the season started, the Buckeyes knew where they were going.
As the season has unfolded, Ohio State is feeling its way and recreating its offensive identity.
Landing a sensational freshman quarterback who has proven he can start and lead the Buckeye offense will do that to a season. Whether OSU can adapt to a new offensive identity in time to salvage a national title run — and if the rest of the country continues to cooperate — remains to be seen.
Terrelle Pryor has taken over for Todd Boeckman at quarterback and Ohio State went from a balanced offense capable of throwing down the field to a run-oriented offense where defenses have to pick their poison. Neither option — Pryor nor tailback Beanie Wells — is particularly appetising.
“I’d say we’re definitely a different team, offensively,” said receiver Brian Hartline, who caught just one pass in Ohio State’s win over Minnesota.
“It’s helped to add a spark. We’re definitely a new offense. We can feel it on the field and I’m sure the people in the stands and watching on TV can, too. It’s a little bit different, but it’s the same guys so it should be successful.
“We went to a national championship game last year and we have a whole new face come 12 months later. That caught me off guard a little bit. Our goals remain the same and we’re heading in the right direction.”
Well, most of the same guys. And it doesn’t appear any of them will be getting a break. The Buckeyes remained at No. 14 in the writers poll after a wild weekend that had four top 10 teams fall. USC only dropped from No. 1 to No. 9 despite losing to Oregon State. The Buckeyes fell out of the top 10 after losing to the Trojans.
Wells played for the first time since injurying his right foot against Youngstown State. Pryor threw just 13 passes, but the big freshman said that was by design against a 3-4 defense.
“It’s not more running, not at all,” Pryor said. “What we see on film is what we try to attack. That’s what we saw. They ran a 3-4 and we had running lanes. That’s why we didn’t throw the ball.”
When the game ended and Hartline had just one haul, that was the second time in two seasons he finished a game with one catch. The previous week against Troy, with Pryor at quarterback, Hartline caught two touchdown passes.
Pryor completed passes to five receivers. Boeckman, who played later in the game, completed all five of his balls to Robiskies, including one that went for a touchdown.
Tressel ran the ball, all told, nearly 70 percent of the time Saturday.
“No, receivers are never all right,” Hartline said. “We want to catch balls.
We’re going to have to keep doing what we can do. Regardless, the coaches are going to do what they have to do to win games. That’s what it comes down to.”
Ohio State’s offense hasn’t been lighting it up, either. The Buckeyes entered Saturday’s game with the 92nd ranked offense and is averaging about 35 points a game.
With Wells and Pryor in the same backfield it created a dynamic opponents haven’t seen in some time. Who do you stop?
“When you’ve got Terrelle and Beanie, it spreads things out and the defense isn’t sure who to try and stop,” guard Jim Cordle said. “We did a good job of using our regular stuff and running between tackles.”
But it will take some getting used to. Receivers may have less opportunities, of course that may be Tressel’s subtle way of telling them to get open more.
“The coaches aren’t trying to lose,” Hartline said. “If they think this is the best way to go, I’m with them.”
Sports
Related Photos
Discussion
Buckeyes changing on the fly
- Sports
-
-
Riverside sneaks past Edgewood
Riverside wrestling coach Scott Blank learned a good deal of what he knows from Edgewood coach Greg Stolfer as a former Warrior great. Thursday, he used a bit of that knowledge to get the better of his old coach as the Beavers bested the Warriors, 31-28, at Edgewood.
-
Madison rolls past Geneva
Madison recovered from coming out on the short end of a pin in the first match of the night by taking six of the next seven matches against Geneva and capped the night with pins from their last pair of grapplers in dismantling the Eagles, 49-17.
-
Boys tourney returning to county
On Feb. 27, for the first time in 20 years, postseason boys basketball will return to Ashtabula County when the Division II sectional-district tournament comes to Lakeside high school.
-
Dragons dump Lakers in drink
Despite the fact his girls have been through a tough season, Lakeside coach Rob Livingston spoke as though he had sensed that better things might be around the corner.
-
Mustangs dominate Heralds
In their last home game of the season, the Grand Valley Mustangs rose to the occasion on Senior Night, defeating the SS. John and Paul Heralds, 59-28.
-
Clark, Francis help give Falcons Liberty
Paige Clark led an attack that saw three Jefferson players reach double figures and Rachel Francis had a triple-double as the Falcons blasted visiting Liberty, 59-17, in an All-American Conference game Thursday night in Falcon Gym.
-
Scholastic Statistics:
WRESTLING
NON-CONFERENCE
Riverside 31, Edgewood 28
at Edgewood -
Scholastic Schedule:
FRIDAY, FEB. 10
Boys Basketball
n Lakeside at Madison
n Conneaut at Edgewood
n Liberty at Jefferson (WFUN)
n South at Geneva
n PV at Bloomfield
n Grand Valley at Southington
n Riverside at North
n Harvey at Perry -
PV prevails
Cody Miller and Zach Campbell knew what they had to do in order for the Pymatuning Valley wrestling team to complete a come-from-behind victory over Jefferson on Wednesday at triangular match at PV.
The pair delivered exactly that and the Lakers pulled off the win, 37-36. -
Eagles bounce back
The Geneva girls didn’t have much time to regroup. But just one day after a heartbreaking defeat, they were able to knock off a strong Perry team on the road, 39-33.
- More Sports Headlines
-
