2010 Heisman Hopeful Countdown: No. 2 Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor

in Heisman Watch by Asher Feldman — August 20, 2010 at 11:46 am | 1 comment

As part of BCS Know How’s 2010 season preview, we will be breaking down our ten favorite Heisman hopefuls to get you ready for this season’s edition of the Heisman Watch.

Here’s our No. 2 selection, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

In a season without a clear-cut Heisman favorite, a Jim Tressell-coached, former PARADE National Player of the Year and second-year starting quarterback is about as good a Heisman candidate as they come.

But for Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor, the qualifications to be listed among the favorites in 2010 run much deeper than that.

Sure, Pryor hasn’t exactly lived up to the huge hype he had coming out of high school, where his recruitment and school commitment was homepage news around the country. And certainly, his first season as a Buckeye — when he split time behind center — was a little underwhelming for his skill set.

But the latter part of his second season and first year as the full-time starter for Ohio State may have finally revealed the Pryor the nation expected to see from day one, and that’s a thought that should scare the entire country in the 2010 season.

In leading the Buckeyes to another Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl bid, Pryor began to finally reveal the dual-threat capabilities of his game, something that had been slightly repressed by the offensive style of Tressell’s offense.

Pryor rushed for 779 yards and passed for another 2,094 in 2009 while throwing for 18 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.

While those numbers don’t exactly pop out of the page, in his final six games Pryor began to control his interceptions (throwing just three) while also rushing for more than 70 yards per game and leading OSU to six straight wins.

The highlight of the season came in the Rose Bowl, where Pryor went head to head with another dual-threat QB in Jeremiah Masoli, coming out on top in the Buckeyes’ victory.

In 2010, Pryor sees the return of most of his offense, including four offensive lineman and his top two receivers from last season, senior Dan Sanzenbacher and junior DeVier Posey, which combined with his continuing maturity, could mean big things for Pryor this year.

Bottom Line: Pryor has seen Heisman talk surrounding his name from the moment he committed to Ohio State, and although he has yet to truly fulfill that potential, 2010 is lining up to be the season that it all finally comes together for the junior quarterback.

Consistency in the system and a slew of returners will help Pryor continue improving, and with an increased freedom granted from coach Jim Tressell, Pryor can finally run the offense the way he feels capable of doing.

Just like any other Heisman hopeful, Pryor will need a nationally relevant Buckeye squad to compete for the trophy, and Ohio State looks ready to do just that as many believe them to be a legitimate national title contender.

The key of course to the Buckeyes success will be Pryor, and there is simply no reason to believe the Buckeyes can’t make another run at a national title.

Pryor is a changed quarterback, in charge of the offense and finally showing the skill we all expected from day one. Put it all together, and he is without a doubt one of the favorites for the trophy this season.

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2010 Heisman Hopeful Countdown: The Best of the Rest →

Tags: 2010 college football season featured heisman hopefuls Heisman Watch ohio state buckeyes Terrelle Pryor