Pryor Rolls in Rout of Rockets

Alliteration aside, Ohio St did not have much trouble defeating Toledo this past Saturday. For what will most likely be the only time all year, the team I was cheering for won in Cleveland Browns Stadium as the Buckeyes stomped Toledo, 38-0. I had the unpleasant task of being in Pittsburgh last weekend, where the game was not televised. So again, this recap will be fairly brief.

Game Recap
OSU got off to a great start when Terrelle Pryor hit Dane Sanzenbacher for a 76-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game. That was a sign of things to come in this contest. Later in the first, Pryor hooked up with Sanzenbacher again and it was quickly 14-0 Bucks. Boom Herron ran in a score to start the 2nd quarter and Aaron Pettrey ended it by nailing a 47 yard FG. This guy has a hell of a leg.

With the game already out of reach, TP had a TD run in the middle of the 3rd to make it 31-0. After the Buckeye defense continued to completely shut down Aaron Opelt and Toledo, DeVier Posey caught a touchdown pass from Pryor in the 4th to complete the scoring at 38-0. Joe Bauserman came in for the last couple of series to run out the clock.


Game Notes

Game Ball
Hopefully this was finally the breakout game for Terrelle Pryor that we've all been waiting for. He was 17/28 for 262 yards and 3 TDs while rushing 12 times for 110 yards and another score. This was his first 200/100 yard game of his short career. He did, however, throw two more picks, and really needs to start limiting his mistakes.

Run, Run, Run
Ohio St had no trouble running up and down the field on the Rockets. TP had the aforementioned 110 yards, Herron led the team in carries with 15 for 42 yards and a touchdown, Brandon Saine (Yes, that Brandon Saine from the beginning of the season - apparently Tressel realized that he was still on the team after all) had 9 rushes for 45 yards, and a pleasant surprise was Freshman Jordan Hall. It was mostly garbage time, but he ran the ball 7 times for 44 yards, good for 6.3 per carry. It looks like they're going to redshirt top recruit Jamaal Berry (although the decision doesn't have to be made yet) so we could see more of Hall as the season progresses.

Spreading It Around
Pryor hit seven different targets, with Sanzenbacher leading the way, grabbing 5 balls for 126 yards and 2 TDs. It is very important to have a lot of depth here because of the lack of a true star.

What Kind of Name is Opelt Anyway?
Toledo QB Aaron Opelt came into this game leading the nation in total yards per game with 437. The Buckeyes held him to a mere 197 yards passing and negative 16 yards rushing, sacking him twice. This defense has looked very good so far, especially considering what they lost from last year's squad.

Pitt
As I mentioned earlier, I was in Pittsburgh this weekend and attended the Pitt game, and I have some thoughts. First of all, it is ridiculous that a major college program does not have their own field. They have buses that take students from campus to Heinz field which makes it relatively convenient, but not quite as convenient as WALKING DOWN THE ROAD. This might not have bothered me as much if I didn't have to sit in those awful seats. Nick once nailed the description of this color, as the color your urine is the morning after a night of heavy drinking. Regardless of what type of yellow we call it, we can all agree that it certainly is not "gold." I got in an argument with an unintelligent Steeler fan at the game about the colors. I simply told him to look on the field. Navy and Pitt were both sporting obviously gold helmets. I asked him to tell me how that is the same color as what he is sitting on. He replied that "There are different shades of gold." Unbelievable. Lastly, another moron yelled at me for wearing my OSU jersey. It was game day, so obviously I had to rock my A.J. jersey, just as I have for years. However, I was wearing a Pitt hat and clearly rooting for the Panthers, so get off my nuts. It's not like I was wearing WVU or the opponents gear. I got some comments throughout the day, as I expected, but they were good natured. This clown was seriously pissed, so I drunkenly responded with a "Blow me you fucking asshole."


Up Next: vs. Illinois, 3:30, ABC
The Illini come to The Horseshoe to begin conference play. The last time Illinois came to Columbus, they shocked then-#1 Ohio St with a 28-21 upset. Playmaking WR Arrelious Benn suffered an injury two weeks ago and hasn't played since, but is expected to make his return this week. With or without him, I think OSU carries the momentum in from last week and takes care of the Fighting Zookers.
Prediction: Ohio St 31 Illinois 16

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