Dave Thurman (7:09 pm)

There is joy in Columbus again.  Nobody is threatening suicide this week.  The "Fire Jim Tressel" chants and websites are quiet at least for a little while.  And Terrelle Pryor can actually go to class again without wearing a disguise.  What a difference a week makes!

If you saw the game you know that it was actually fun to watch as the offense not only showed up but actually had over 500 total yards.  The line blocked well, Pryor made a lot of good decisions, Posey caught two bombs for touchdowns, and the Buckeyes actually had a multi-dimensional, high-powered attack. 

That's not to say that all went well.  Early on OSU moved the ball but couldn't convert drives into points.  Another Pettrey miss on a short field goal (how is he better from 40+ than from 30 and in?), a failure by Posey to hold onto the ball on a couple of plays that could have been six, and an interception in the end zone at the end of the half meant that the Bucks had 278 yards but only 7 points in the first half.  But they did show the ability to have a long, sustained drive, something that has been missing the past couple of weeks.  And they didn't panic when a few drives stalled.

The second half was easy as the defense and special teams forced four Minnesota turnovers, and the Ohio State offense was consistently given a short field.  With the confidence gained through moving the ball in the first half, the offense made it look easy, converting Gopher mistakes into Buckeye touchdowns.

A few things stood out to me

Pryor looked more relaxed.  

He obviously went through an awful week facing nearly universal criticism, but Tressel and the team seemed to rally around him and Pryor came out with more poise and seemed to have fun.  He didn't look like he was carrying the weight of the whole world on his shoulders.  For the most part his decisions were good.  He picked the right times to tuck the ball and run, but also chose the right times to throw the ball.  My favorite play of the game may well have come late in the first half, when Pryor eluded the rush, ran to his right and looked downfield.  Nothing was there, and he wisely threw the ball out of bounds rather than force a throw or take a sack.  That's progress.

The offensive line did a good job  

Especially in pass protection.  Early on they didn't open many holes for Saine, but Pryor had plenty of time to throw the ball.  I realize that Minnesota is a weak defense, featuring a line that is as weak as any in the Big Ten.  But I was still pleased to see the o-line provide solid pass protection, and eventually begin to open holes for the backs.  Cordle at left tackle seems like a big upgrade from Adams.

Receivers dropped easy passes, special teams fumbled numerous kickoffs, defenders were flagged for silly penalites, and players talked back to their coaches.  Some people this week accused the Buckeyes of being a team marked by discord.  Maybe there has been some, I don't know.  But Ohio State looked poised and unified on this day and Minnesota looked like a team that had imploded.