Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor: Master Recruiter, Underhanded Dealer, or Just Plain Lucky?

I got a call from my dad a few days ago, and he was furious.

He is a huge Michigan football fan, and I am a huge Ohio State football fan.

Contradictions aside, let's get to the call. He called my favorite head coach a cheater and the Kelvin Sampson of football.

I then asked why. Somehow, I had not yet heard the news that Jim Tressel had persuaded No. 1 high school quarterback recruit Terrelle Pryor to come to Ohio State instead of following the coach he had originally committed to, Rich Rodriguez.

This got me thinking. How did this happen? How did Tressel convince a top recruit to betray the reputation of Michigan football for the prestige of Ohio State?

I decided that it's not because Tressel is a master recruiter although he is a good one nor is it because he is a cheater at recruiting because in my eyes. Tressel is one of the most stand-up coaches in all of college sports.

Rather, he got lucky.

First, let's get this straight. No matter where Pryor goes, he should and probably will start immediately.

But he chose Ohio State because the personnel situation without him at Ohio State was much better than the personnel situation without him at Michigan.

He made a smart decision because the supporting cast Pryor would have at Michigan was infinitely worse than the supporting cast at Ohio State.

Don't believe me?

Here's a position-by-position breakdown as to why.

Quarterback: This position is affected mostly by offensive philosophy, and most directly impacts Pryor.

Playing QB under Rodriguez and the spread option, Pryor would get an average of 16 pass attempts per game. Playing under Tressel and the spread pass offense, Pryor would get an average of 23 pass attempts per game.

With Rodriguez, Pryor will use his legs first and his arm second—a truly college mentality. With Tressel, Pryor will use his arm first and then his legs, a pro-oriented philosophy.

Clearly, a pro prospect like Pryor requires the offense Tressel runs as opposed to the offense Rodriguez runs that is confined solely to the college ranks.

Not only do the offenses make a difference, but also the mentoring received by the previous quarterback is superior at Ohio State.

At OSU, Pryor would have the guidance of a skilled and experienced quarterback Todd Boeckman. At Michigan, Pryor would have no guidance from any other quarterbacks with any experience or skill with the loss of Chad Henne to the draft and Ryan Mallett to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Tailback: Perhaps, at this position more than any other, Pryor is at an advantage by going to Ohio State.

His primary tail back at Michigan would most likely be Brandon Minor. He is a solid back no doubt. But I question whether he has the durability to make it through a full season of Rodriguez football without injuring himself or becoming a fumble liability.

He doesn't have the experience or durability to last in an option-oriented offense, and nor was he recruited for that purpose.

His primary tailback at Ohio State, however, will be, without a doubt, Beanie Wells. Wells is now a seasoned veteran in college football with a full year of starts under his belt.

He is a bigger, faster, stronger version of Maurice Clarett. He punishes linebackers and defensive backs and every handoff is another chance for a touchdown with him.

Again, the clear advantage is here with a proven college veteran who is most likely pro-bound at Ohio State simply destroying an unproven, unseasoned backup at Michigan.

Wide Receiver: Three names. Brian Hartline. Brian Robiskie. Ray Small.

That's Ohio State's stacked receiving corps. Hartline and Robiskie are solid one and two receivers with great speed and hands.

Small is the lesser known of the three, but he has the speed, skills, and potential to reach Ted Ginn-like status.

I would much rather throw to these three guys than to an unproven corps that Michigan has that will most likely be led by junior Greg Matthews and freshman recruit Darryl Stonum.

Granted, Stonum has an upside as one of the better receivers coming from high school, Pryor again chose to go with the sure thing rather than the shaky possibility of quality with Michigan.

O-Line: Again, Ohio State has the clear advantage.

Not only are the Buckeyes returning several starters from last year, but they also have received signed committments from three of the top 10 high school recruits. 

On the other hand, while I have no doubt they will have a solid offensive line, Michigan cannot compete with the current and future stature of the dominant and ever important offensive lines.

As you can see, it was not recruiting prowess or underhanded dealings on the part of Tressel that got Pryor signed.

Rather, it was the luck of the situation of the upcoming year. Ohio State has a better recruiting class and a better returning cast from the previous year.

Pryor made the right decision, and I will now make a shameless plug that I believe, with this huge addition of a dynamic quarterback, the Buckeyes very well may be a front runner for the national title next year.

Until next time, GO BUCKS!!!