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In one sense, Pryor can't possibly live up to the hype, can he? If he wins a national championship, that's what he was supposed to do. If he wins a Heisman, well, it's been done before in Columbus.
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Already his announcement has created ripples that make that Yucatan thing look like skipping rocks:
• Whatever happened to football being the ultimate team sport? This sounds kind of obvious, but there is no doubt in this age of the zone-read spread option that the quarterback is the most important player on the field. This one has been compared to Texas' Vince Young. Look what Texas did with Young and look what it has done in the two years without him.
In support of Pryor, Young did deliver on his promise.
• It's a double negative for Michigan. Score another one for Tressel in the rivalry. You wonder where the next Wolverines quarterback is going to come from, while the Buckeyes continue to be the Big Ten favorites (and national championship contenders) for the foreseeable future.
That's bad if you're Michigan, good if you're the next SEC team to play Ohio State in a bowl.
• Speaking of Tressel, we already knew he was up there with Saban and Stoops as one of the best recruiters. But this guy has just landed the nation's No. 1 dual-threat quarterback to run what had been a pro-style offense.
It seemed to work out for Troy Smith, who went from punk to superstar in Columbus.
Amazingly, Pryor already seems to be buying into to his freshman season mirroring Tim Tebow's. In case you didn't know, Ohio State has a starting quarterback, Todd Boeckman. Pryor as a super backup might be perfect for his development.
• Does this unfortunate result for Penn State, impact Joe Paterno's future? With president Graham Spanier supposedly controlling the coach's future now, it can't help.
Pryor delayed his announcement on Feb. 6, in essence, so he could take an official visit to Penn State. It was a visit he never took.
• I feel kind of slimy for joining the breathless ranks during the recruiting process. This is a replication of a text conversation I had with Pryor in February.
Me: U R having a press conference on Wednesday?
TP: Haven't decided yet.
It's that kind of in-depth reporting that wins Pulitzers.
• Finally, I've said it before: Pryor toyed with 2A competition in Pennsylvania. I would have loved to have seen him play more against large-class schools. None of us have seen him against major-college competition.
While we're waiting for Pryor's next space walk, anyone for waffles?
