Terrelle Pryor, now over a year after being named Ohio State’s brand spankin’ new poster child for success in college football, is instead now nearly halfway to becoming the equivalent to Notre Dame’s Ron Powlus.

That’s right, the same Ron Powlus that Beano Cook claimed would be the first player to win multiple Heisman trophies since Archie Griffin.

The same Ron Powlus that had moments of success at Notre Dame, but all in all never met the hype that was generated around his exit from high school football and apparent ascension into college football history.

The same Ron Powlus that was a part of an Irish football team that made three bowl games, only to lose each and every one of them.

That, my friends—to this point—has described this Buckeyes quarterback “in a nutshell” —a boatload of hype, but only a handful of brilliant moments drowned out by a number of Titanic-like collapses.

Don’t buy it?  Look at the facts.

Terrelle Pryor: A Closer Look

Pryor, named the Big Ten’s preseason offensive player of the year, instead has just been plain offensive.

For starters, Pryor is just 84th in QB rating (in the country) through Ohio State’s first seven games, while throwing eight interceptions.

This is also the same Pryor that last year against Penn State attempted to play the role of hero by turning a QB sneak into a run to the outside, only to lose a fumble that eventually led to a game-winning Nittany Lions touchdown drive.

This is the same Pryor that followed a cool as a cucumber Matt Barkley scoring drive with an intentional grounding penalty and a frantic rush up the middle on the next play—eventually following that with an incomplete pass that led to a turnover on downs—and a USC Trojans victory.

Let’s not forget about the four-pack of turnovers in a loss to a Purdue Boilermakers team that had one win entering last weekend’s game against the Buckeyes.

Pryor and LeBron

Most recently, an AP report has now linked LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers to speaking with Pryor, and attempting to help him out.  So on top of it all, does this mean that if another poor performance by Pryor rears its ugly head, will we spy Terrelle not shaking hands after a game, or perhaps bolting out on the post-game press conference—like LBJ himself?

One can’t resist but consider such a chapter to emerge in this part scarlet, but mostly gray novel—a novel that seems destined to become a tragedy.

But hey, look at it this way—LeBron’s name would still look better than Michael Vick’s when inked on Terrelle’s eye black.

Still backing Pryor now?

In Conclusion

Apologists can drop an “a-bomb” on this theory, screaming obscenities on how Pryor’s still just a kid.

One word: BULL.

The day Pryor dragged four contending schools (plus the media) along his little delayed signing day circus is the same day that he waved all rights to be “just a kid.”

The day Terrelle Pryor took the reigns of one of the most prestigious programs in college football history was the official day that he waved this right.

And when success seemed destined to shine down on Terrelle Pryor, the young man instead appears to be on a steady pathway to being the sequel to Powlus.

But the way this young Buckeye has been waving the white flag lately, perhaps it’s more fitting to refer to him as “Powlus Part Deux.”

Who knows, maybe Terrelle Pryor will right the ship.  If anyone could move in and help avoid the kid’s sinking into the college football history books, it is a man with great character like Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.

For now, Ohio State’s future hangs in the balance.

 

Originally posted by Kevin Paul (via Fox Sports, Bleacher Report or First and Big Ten) on October 23, 2009

Archive: More College Football at The Wife Hates Sports

Image Credit: B1G logo owned by Big Ten Conference