Terrelle Pryor has taken his fair share of beatings this season from fans and critics alike – and for good reason.

Entering his second season, this was supposed to be the year in which Pryor took the next step as a passer. But instead, he regressed. He showed the inability to lead the offense, struggled with his accuracy and with turnovers, and displayed little to no potential.

But to his credit, Pryor saved his best performance of the year for his last. He gave an incredible effort in Ohio State’s 26-17 win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl and led the Buckeyes with not only his feet, but with his arm as well. He finished 23-of-37 for 266 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the Buckeyes with 72 rushing yards on 20 carries.

Pryor kept drives alive with his feet, limited mistakes and kept his team in the game from start to finish. He wasn’t quite Vince Young against USC in the national championship, but he was damn near Vince Young against Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl. If Pryor’s junior year resembles that of Young’s third season, then Ohio State has plenty to look forward to next year.

If you were surprised that the mighty Oregon offense only scored 17 points, don’t be. They took a back seat to Florida and Alabama this season, but Ohio State’s defense was just as good as the Gators and Crimson Tide’s defensive units this year. The Buckeyes’ front four created problems for the Ducks’ high-powered rushing attack by shooting the gaps and using its speed to get into Oregon’s backfield quickly to disrupt plays. The Ducks still rushed for 179 yards, but they certainly weren’t as explosive as they had been in the regular season.

Another key to the Buckeyes’ win was the play of their secondary. Oregon is a run-first team, but they had a lot of success mixing the pass in with the run to keep defenses off balance this season. But today, Jeremiah Masoli completed just 9-of-20 passes for 81 yards and one interception. OSU’s secondary completely shut down Oregon’s passing game and made them one-dimensional, which was key late in the game.

This was a nice win for the Big Ten, which improved to 3-2 on the bowl season this year. Had Northwestern cashed in on all of their opportunities today against Auburn, the Big Ten would be rolling right now in bowls.

Big Ten champion Ohio State will square off against Pac-10 champ Oregon in the 2010 Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day at 4:30PM ET. Here are five things to watch for when the No. 8 Buckeyes clash with the No. 7 Ducks.As part of our 2010 BCS Bowl Preview, here are five things to watch for in the Sugar Bowl.

1. Oregon’s dynamic backfield vs. Ohio State’s physical defense
The Ducks’ offensive backfield features a running back in LaMichael James that rushed for 1,476 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 YPC, as well as a quarterback in Jeremiah Masoli that rushed for 659 yards and 12 TDs, while also completing 58.9 percent of his passes for 2,066 yards and 15 scores. Oregon can beat opponents in a variety of ways, but Ohio State’s defense limited the opposition to only 12.2 points and 262.5 total yards per game this season. The Buckeyes are one of five FBS teams that did now allow a 100-yard individual rushing performance this year and will test the fortitude of James, Masoli and one-time Hesiman candidate LeGarrette Blount. This should be a classic battle.

2. Terrelle Pryor’s (lack of) development as a passer
Pryor was considered the top high school recruit coming into the 2008 season and was supposed to quickly transform into one of the best college football players in the nation. But after showing flashes of brilliance as a freshman last year, Pryor has been criticized more than he’s been praised this season. Among other things, he started struggling with his accuracy and decision-making and some in the media wondered if he should move to another position due to his lack of development as a quarterback. Things came to a head in mid October when he lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions in an embarrassing loss to Purdue. But in his final five games, Pryor led the Buckeyes to five straight wins (including victories over Penn State, Iowa and rival Michigan) while tossing six touchdowns and only two interceptions. The problem is that he wasn’t asked to do too much either. If Oregon’s high-powered offense starts lighting up the scoreboard, can Pryor keep Ohio State in the ballgame with his arm or will his issues as a passer bury him and the Buckeyes? Better yet, can coach Jim Tressel figure out how to best use his athletic QB?

3. Masoli vs. the Buckeyes’ front four
Oregon’s massive offensive line has only allowed 12 sacks this season, which is only one reason why the Ducks have had so much success this year. But the low sack total can mostly be attributed to Masoli, who rarely stays in the pocket on passing downs. Ohio State’s aggressive front four has produced 22 sacks this season, but even when they don’t get to the quarterback they’re in his face creating pressure. Oregon loves to use the no-huddle in order to confuse the defense and create matchup problems all over the field. But the Buckeyes do an excellent job rotating their defensive line, which will be an advantage when facing the Ducks because they shouldn’t wear down. If OSU can keep Masoli in the pocket, it’ll be interesting to see if the signal caller can adjust.

4. Ohio State loses four players to academic issues
The Buckeyes suffered a huge blow when it was discovered that freshman receiver Duron Carter, sophomore running back Bo DeLande, defensive lineman Rob Rose and returner/receiver Ray Small were all declared ineligible for the Rose Bowl. Losing Small is crucial because of what he brings to the return game, but Rose also provided depth to the defensive line. Small was also the team’s No. 3 receiver, so losing both him and Carter (OSU’s No. 4 wideout) cripples the Buckeyes’ depth at the position. That said, the No. 3 receiver in Tressel’s offense doesn’t usually play a key role, so maybe these losses won’t hurt the Buckeyes in the end. Still, the situation will be something to follow leading up to the game and it’ll be interesting to see how Taurian Washington does in the return game.

5. Can the Buckeyes get over their BCS slump?
OSU’s 24-21 loss to Texas in last year’s Fiesta Bowl marked the Buckeyes’ third straight BCS bowl loss. Florida beat Ohio State in the 2007 national championship game and LSU knocked the Buckeyes off in the ’08 title game. Their three-game bowl losing streak marks the Buckeyes’ longest such streak since they lost four straight bowls from 1989-92. While this isn’t the most talented team Tressel has had during his OSU tenure, supporters are desperate for the Buckeyes to end the streak and quiet Big Ten critics. Tressel has been highly criticized for his conservative play calling and game plans during big games; will he be on the hot seat if OSU flounders again in a bowl?

2010 Rose Bowl Game Information
Matchup: Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2)
Kickoff: 4:30PM ET
TV: ABC
Odds: Oregon –3.5

Talk smack about the 2010 Rose Bowl.

The Big Ten Champion Ohio State Buckeyes will battle the Pac-10 Champion Oregon Ducks in the 2010 Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. In order to help get you ready for the game, below is a viewing guide complete with TV information, kickoff times, odds and more.

2010 Rose Bowl Game Information
Matchup: Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2)
Kickoff: 4:30PM ET
TV: ABC
Odds: Oregon –3.5

Key Stats:
Ohio State comes into this game with the 19th best rushing offense in the nation, led by running backs Daneil “Boom” Herron and Brandon Saine, as well as quarterback Terrelle Pryor (who almost went to Oregon before deciding on OSU). The Buckeyes also have the fifth best run defense in country, the 17th best pass defense and are ranked fifth in both total defense and scoring defense.

Oregon has been an offensive juggernaut this season, averaging over 37 points (they rank seventh in the nation in scoring offense) and over 236 rushing yards per game (sixth in the nation). The backfield tandem of LaMichael James and Jeremiah Masoli has been tough to stop this season and the duo is aided with the return of one-time Heisman candidate LeGarrette Blount, who missed 10 games after serving a suspension. Defensively, the Ducks rank 32nd against the run and 37th against the pass.

The Bottom Line:
This game offers a great matchup between the Ducks’ sixth-rated rushing attack versus the Buckeyes’ fifth-rated run defense. But the key to victory might be whether or not the undersized, fast Oregon defense can match up to the physical (yet inconsistent) OSU offense.

Let the smack talk begin:

Who will win the 2010 Rose Bowl?

• Ohio State
• Oregon

View Results

Photo from fOTOGLIF

SI.com’s Stewart Mandel recently ranked all 34 bowl games.

Here are his top 5:

1) BCS National Championship Game (Jan. 7): Alabama (13-0) vs. Texas (13-0). It’s the first-ever matchup of two 13-0 teams. Colt McCoy. Mark Ingram. Rolando McClain. Sergio Kindle. Yeah, I’m thinking you might want to tune in.

2) Sugar (Jan. 1): Cincinnati (12-0) vs. Florida (12-1). It’s spread vs. spread, Tim Tebow vs. Tony Pike, Mardy Gilyard vs. Joe Haden. It may be a letdown game for the Gators, but it should still be entertaining.

3) Fiesta (Jan. 4): TCU (12-0) vs. Boise State (13-0). Enough with the outrage, people: You know you’re going to watch. The nation’s No. 1 passer, Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore, goes up against the nation’s top-ranked defense.

4) Rose (Jan. 1): Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2). Dangerous dual-threat star Jeremiah Masoli is what Terrelle Pryor was supposed to be. But the Buckeyes present the toughest defense the Ducks have faced since Boise.

5) Orange (Jan. 5): Georgia Tech (11-2) vs. Iowa (10-2). You remember the Hawkeyes. They love low scores and dramatic finishes. With a month to prepare, can Pat Angerer, Tyler Sash and Co. stifle Josh Nesbitt and the triple-option?

That’s how I would have my top 5, although the Fiesta and Sugar bowls might be interchangeable. I love watching TCU’s defense play and I’m intrigued about how Gary Patterson will game plan to stop Boise’s offense. That said, I’m interested to see how Cincinnati responds after Brian Kelly ditched them for Notre Dame.

I know Georgia Tech’s triple-option is exciting to watch and Iowa does have a solid front seven, but that matchup just doesn’t have the same appeal as the other four. Maybe it’ll wind up being the best BCS game of the season, but the matchup offers little sizzle compared to the other top bowls.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/12/11/mandel-ranking-the-bowls-1-34/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/14/ohio-state-smelling-roses-after-win-over-iowa/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/14/ohio-state-smelling-roses-after-win-over-iowa/#comments Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:52:59 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=29030

Ohio State edged Iowa 27-24 in overtime to win at least a share of their fifth consecutive Big Ten title and essentially book a trip to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl. It’ll be the Buckeyes first appearance in the Rose Bowl since 1997.

I’ll be honest, I expected more out of the Buckeyes today, who were 17-point favorites over a depleted Hawkeyes team. I figured OSU’s stingy defense would harass freshman quarterback James Vandenberg, who struggled mightily last week when Ricky Stanzi suffered an injury in Iowa’s loss to Northwestern.

But give credit to Vandenberg, who was awfully impressive while completing 20 of his 33 pass attempts for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He found Marvin McNutt for a 10-yard touchdown pass with less than three minutes remaining to tie the game at 24-24 and force overtime.

The problem is that Vandenberg also made a ton of freshman mistakes, which led to three Ohio State interceptions. The Buckeyes actually picked him off a fourth time and returned it for a defensive score midway through the fourth, but OSU was called for offsides and the touchdown came off the board. Vandenberg was also lucky another one of his passes wasn’t intercepted on Iowa’s game-tying touchdown drive, as the ball was deflected into the air around multiple OSU defenders but a Hawkeye receiver caught it for a first down.

Vandeberg’s counterpart, Terrelle Pryor, wasn’t asked to do much in the passing game. He completed 14 of his 17 pass attempts for only 93 yards and no scores. Jim Tressel played things ultra-conservative and allowed Brandon Saine and the running game to take over. Saine finished with 103 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns.

Iowa was the No. 4 team in the country heading into last weekend’s action, had the inside track to win the Big Ten title and at the very least, had a trip to the Rose Bowl almost locked up. After today, they’ll be lucky to be ranked in the top 15 when the new polls are released on Sunday and will likely head to the WhoCares.com Bowl.

On the flip side, everyone was ready to write Ohio State off after they lost to Purdue last month and now it looks like they’ll be crowned Big Ten champs again. It’s amazing how quickly things can change in college football from week to week.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/14/ohio-state-smelling-roses-after-win-over-iowa/feed/ 1 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/04/most-disappointing-college-football-teams-of-2009/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/04/most-disappointing-college-football-teams-of-2009/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:45:15 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=28272

FOX Sports.com ranked the 10 most disappointing teams of 2009:

1. USC
A loss to Washington was the beginning of the end. Still, we’ve almost come to expect the Trojans to lose one game every year that they shouldn’t. While USC was slightly favored to beat Oregon, the manner in which they lost was downright ugly. Pete Carroll’s signature unit — the defense — got embarrassed by the Ducks. Sure, USC had to replace eight defensive players who are now playing on Sundays, but the Trojans always have reloaded, and the expectations were high this year despite those defensive losses. USC fans accustomed to “settling” for the Rose Bowl may need to aim a little lower.

2. Virginia Tech
The class of the ACC is now fighting Miami for third place in the Coastal division behind Duke and Georgia Tech. Let that sink that in. The Hokies’ consecutive losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina have probably ended their Orange Bowl dreams. Either Beamer Ball isn’t working anymore or parity in the ACC has finally caught up to Virginia Tech. Either way, 2009 will be a major disappointment for Gobbler Nation.

3. Ohio State
The Buckeyes’ loss to USC wasn’t that shocking, but their loss to Purdue was. With Navy, USC, Toledo and New Mexico State on their non-conference schedule, the expectations of a special season were pretty high in Columbus. But plenty of fans are starting to question whether Tressel’s offense will work with Terrelle Pryor as quarterback. With Penn State, Iowa and an imploding Michigan still left on the Buckeyes’ schedule, Ohio State fans should start making travel plans for Tampa, site of the Outback Bowl. Now.

A lot of people thought they were overrated coming into the season, but I think Ole Miss (which ranks No. 7 on FOX’s list) should be in the top 5. I know they lost a couple of key defenders from last year’s squad, but for the Rebels to currently be 5-3 is surprising to say the least.

Big Ten haters aren’t surprised, but Ohio State wasn’t expected to be this inconsistent either. Some thought that Terrelle Pryor would progress as a passer and lead the Buckeyes to at least a Big Ten title, but he’s actually regressed and now people are questioning whether or not he should remain OSU’s starting quarterback.

Personally, I’m not shocked that the Trojans are where they are right now with a freshman quarterback. They always lose a game every year that they’re not supposed to and the writing was on the wall last week for them in Eugene. Oregon is playing better football right now and is tough to beat at home.

Along with a complete list of point spreads and odds for Week 10’s action in college football, here is a quick-hit look at some of the marquee matchups:

No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama, Saturday, 3:30PM ET
After losing to Florida in Baton Rouge three weeks ago, LSU has rattled off two wins in impressive fashion. While Auburn and Tulane aren’t powerhouse opponents, the Tigers combined to score 73 points in those games and showed an offensive pulse. But can they do the same against a worthy defensive opponent like Alabama? The Tigers only mustered three points against the Gators and will certainly have their hands full trying to move the ball against a Tide defense that ranks No. 4 in the nation and should be well rested coming off a bye.
Odds: Alabama –7.5.

No. 8 Oregon at Stanford, Saturday, 3:30PM ET
Oregon is one of the hottest teams in the nation right now, but will they suffer a letdown after beating No. 5 USC last week? Stanford has been solid at home this year, beating previously ranked Washington 34-14, UCLA 24-16 and a decent Arizona State team 33-14. They had defensive troubles in road losses to Oregon State and Arizona this season (and also lost to a pesky Wake Forest team earlier in the year), but otherwise the Cardinal has been competitive. The Ducks’ offensive attack is firing on all cylinders right now, but the game this week in Stanford is far from a gimmie.
Odds: Oregon -6.

No. 16 Ohio State at No. 11 Penn State, Saturday, 3:30PM ET
If either of these teams wants to keep Iowa in their sites in the Big Ten, a win is a must this Saturday in University Park. Since his brutal display in Purdue three weeks ago, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has looked better the past two weeks. But Minnesota and New Mexico State don’t have the kind of defensive prowess that Penn State has and Pryor could be in for a long day on Saturday. The Lions have been outstanding since their loss to Iowa in late September, rattling off five straight wins while beating opponents by a 176-43 margin. The Buckeyes’ defense should be up for the challenge, but will Pryor?
Odds: Penn State –4.

Week 10 College Football Point Spreads & Odds:

Thursday, November 5
No. 23 Virginia Tech -12
East Carolina +12

Friday, November, 6
No. 7 Boise State -21
Louisiana Tech +21

Saturday, November 7
Vanderbilt +34.5
No. 1 Florida –34.5

UCF +36.5
No. 2 Texas –36.5

No. 9 LSU +7.5
No. 3 Alabama –7.5

Northwestern +16.5
No. 4 Iowa –16.5

Connecticut +16.5
No. 5 Cincinnati –16.5

No. 6 TCU –24.5
San Diego State +24.5

No. 8 Oregon -6
Stanford +6

Wake Forest +16
No. 10 Georgia Tech -16

No. 16 Ohio State +4
No. 11 Penn State -4

No. 12 USC –11
Arizona State +11

Syracuse +22
No. 13 Pittsburgh -22

New Mexico +27.5
No. 14 Utah –27.5

No. 15 Houston –1.5
Tulsa +1.5

Virginia +13.5
No. 17 Miami –13.5

Washington State +33
No. 18 Arizona -33

No. 19 Oklahoma State –7.5
Iowa State +7.5

Oregon State +7
No. 20 California -7

No. 21 Wisconsin –10.5
Indiana +10.5

Navy +11
No. 22 Notre Dame -11

No. 24 Oklahoma -6
Nebraska +6

For expert picks and daily free picks, visit HIS Sports!