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September 11, 2009

Olin Buchanan
Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer

First came questions about Ohio State sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor's eye black. Now, the question is whether the Buckeyes can avoid another black eye.

Last week, Pryor caused a stir by etching in his eye black a message of support for Michael Vick. That temporarily diverted attention away from Ohio State's recent streak of futility in high-profile games, a skid that has diminished its national perception along with that of the Big Ten as a whole. Four consecutive losses against nationally ranked non-conference opponents - three embarrassingly lopsided - will do that.

Yet, the eighth-ranked Buckeyes enter Saturday's rematch against the third-ranked Trojans with an eye on redemption.

"We have been taking a lot of hits for the last few years," Buckeyes senior defensive tackle Doug Worthington said. "At the end of the day it comes down to this week and what we have to do. We have to be a lot more productive as a defense and as an offense and just get out there and play our ball.

"We can't think that this is bigger than a game. This is a huge game, but at the end of the day, we have to make sure we play within ourselves."

The Buckeyes aren't playing only for themselves. Once among the most powerful football conferences in America, the Big Ten has become a punch line. And a punching bag.

Based on performance in bowl games, the Big Ten is in danger of becoming the Big None from a national perspective. Last season, Big Ten teams were 1-6 in postseason games. The previous season, the conference went 3-5. It was 2-5 in '06.

Even a 10-1 regular-season showing last week wasn't impressive. Four victories were over MAC opponents and four were against FCS teams. Minnesota needed overtime to subdue lowly Syracuse. Ohio State barely held off Navy.

But an Ohio State win over powerful USC, which overwhelmed the Buckeyes 35-3 last season in Los Angeles, could restore some respect for the entire conference. A big loss would further diminish the Big Ten's fading reputation.

"It's huge for the Big Ten because, unfortunately, the Big Ten will be judged by how Ohio State plays against Southern Cal on Saturday," Ohio State two-time Heisman-winning running back Archie Griffin told the Orange County (Calif.) Register.

Ohio State's hopes may rest on quarterback experience. Terrelle Pryor has it. USC true freshman Matt Barkley doesn't.

A year ago, Pryor was in the same situation Barkley is in now. He was a heralded freshman facing tremendous expectations, and he was entering his first high-profile game in a hostile environment. Pryor came off the bench to pass for 52 yards and rush for 40 in the loss to the Trojans. He eventually won the starting job and finished the season with 1,311 passing yards and 631 rushing yards.

"I've always said that the most difficult aspect of defending an opponent is when they have a quarterback that can run - and run on plays that aren't designed to be quarterback-running plays," USC coach Pete Carroll said.

Barkley didn't run much in USC's 56-3 season-opening win over San Jose State. He didn't have to. The Trojans rushed for 342 yards against San Jose State. Joe McKnight rushed for 145 yards, and he, Marc Tyler and Allen Bradford each averaged more than 10 yards per carry.

That was all accomplished without center Kristofer O'Dowd, USC's best lineman. He's expected back to face the Buckeyes.

While USC was running at will, Ohio State struggled to stop the run. Navy rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 31-27 loss to the Buckeyes.

If Navy could run up and down the field on Ohio State, what will USC do? Steamroll the Buckeyes again might be the most popular answer.

"Of course, in the outside world, everyone thinks that Ohio State can't win the big game," Buckeyes running back Dan Herron said. "They saw what happened last year. I think this game, we need to go out and execute. That will show the people in the outside world that we are capable of winning the big ones."

No doubt, it's Ohio State's chance to shine. Or get another shiner.

Who gets the edge?

Ohio State run offense vs. USC run defense
Dan Herron and Brandon Saine have had limited carries in their careers because they previously were playing behind Chris Wells. Both have good speed and had solid showings in the opener. QB Terrelle Pryor is the Buckeyes' greatest breakaway threat. The Buckeyes' offensive line needs to perform better than it did a week ago. If it doesn't, OSU could be in for a long day. USC held Ohio State to 71 rushing yards last season, but E Everson Griffen is the only member of USC's starting defensive front seven this season who started last season. The Trojans held San Jose State to 9 yards rushing.
Edge: USC.

Ohio State pass offense vs. USC pass defense
Pryor seems to garner more attention for his running ability, but he's not a bad passer. Pryor's mobility enables him to keep plays going and find receivers breaking open. But the Buckeyes' receivers won't scare anyone. USC's secondary is anchored by All-America FS Taylor Mays. Last season, the Trojans led the nation in pass defense. Last week, the Trojans allowed San Jose State just 112 passing yards and posted five sacks.
Edge: USC.

USC run offense vs. Ohio State run defense
Based on last week's performances, this could be a mismatch. USC has a productive stable of running backs led by the elusive Joe McKnight. He, Marc Tyler and Allen Bradford combined for 270 yards a week ago. Stafon Johnson and C.J. Gable also are capable of big games. All those backs have the luxury of running behind perhaps the best line in the nation. And it's getting even better with C Kristofer O'Dowd returning to the lineup. The defensive front was expected to be an area of strength for the Buckeyes with T Doug Worthington and E Cameron Heyward leading the way. Senior Austin Spitler is a first-year starter at middle linebacker. The Buckeyes had difficulty containing Navy's running game last week.
Edge: USC.

USC pass offense vs. Ohio State pass defense
Matt Barkley debuted with a 233-yard performance against San Jose State. He wasn't tested, either. Ohio State should make him work harder. He'll benefit from good protection. Damian Williams is among the most talented receivers in the nation, while Anthony McCoy has big-play ability at tight end. Ohio State allowed 156 passing yards to Navy after the Midshipmen managed only 792 passing yards all of last season. Junior Jermale Hines may replace senior Anderson Russell at free safety. Last week, Russell was beaten twice for touchdown passes, including one that covered 85 yards.
Edge: USC.

Ohio State special teams vs. USC special teams
The Buckeyes' Aaron Pettrey is among the country's top kickers. Pettrey has a big leg and is 18-of-22 on field-goal attempts in his career. He was 3-for-3 last week, including a 52-yarder. P Jon Thoma had a solid first game. Look for the return game to get a boost with Ray Small likely back in the lineup after sitting out last week. USC's return game also is dangerous with McKnight on punts and Gable on kickoffs. But K Jordan Congdon hasn't made a field goal since 2006, when he was at Nebraska.
Edge: Ohio State.

OHIO STATE COACHING STAFF VS. USC CoachING STAFF
USC has new offensive and defensive coordinators, but Pete Carroll remains the coach - and that's all that matters. USC is 24-1 in non-conference regular-season games since 2002. Strangely enough, Ohio State's Jim Tressel has come under some criticism of late despite an 84-19 record as the Buckeyes' coach. Detractors feel the offense is too conservative. Coordinator Jim Bollman, obviously, also has been a target.
Edge: USC.

X-factor
Pryor has the ability to make plays. In some instances, a heavy pass rush can work against the defense because he has the ability to escape pressure and burst into the open field. Containing him - or at least trying to - is a top priority for USC's defense.

Ohio State will win if
The Buckeyes need some success in the running game, but ultimately Pryor has to make big plays. He's been compared to former Texas QB Vince Young, and he may need a performance similar to Young's against USC in the '05 championship game. If Pryor has success running, he may draw in the USC secondary and open up opportunities for long passes. Defensively, the Buckeyes must slow USC's running game and try to rattle Barkley. Avoiding turnovers is vital. Ohio State figures to have an advantage in a close game with Pettrey kicking on his home field.

USc will win if
USC's offensive line must establish its dominance. If McKnight, Johnson and the other running backs consistently get significant yardage on early downs, Barkley will stay out of obvious passing situations. That also would create opportunities to get the ball to receivers on play-action passes. Defensively, the Trojans need to keep Pryor in the pocket to prevent him from making big plays on runs or scrambles.

EXPERT PICKS
Olin Buchanan: Ohio State 24, USC 23
Tom Dienhart: USC 29, Ohio State 24
David Fox: USC 28, Ohio State 21
Mike Huguenin: USC 27, Ohio State 17
Jason King: USC 31, Ohio State 21
Steve Megargee: USC 38, Ohio State 17

Olin Buchanan is the senior college football writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at olin@rivals.com.




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