Terrelle Pryor's Complicated Legacy at Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Winning has a weird way of framing perception in sports, whether it's what we're willing to put up with, what we're willing to forgive or what we're willing to roll the dice on.

A mere bounce of the ball can make a player an instant legend, while a shoestring tackle can render him a goat. A championship campaign can erase past sins, or a string of losing seasons can increase the perceived value of a player twofold.

Either way, it's the outcome of games that ultimately determines how we view players—both in their present and their past.

Nobody should know that better than Terrelle Pryor.

It was just four years ago that the former Ohio State quarterback's legacy found itself in limbo as he opted to leave school amid the same scandal that forced Jim Tressel to resign after 10 seasons in Columbus. In the four years sandwiched between the end of Pryor's college career and Monday's news that the Cleveland Browns had claimed him off waivers, so much has changed for both Pryor and the Buckeyes that our memory of his time at Ohio State remains just as complicated, but undoubtedly changed by the paradigm-shifters that are wins and losses.

"If you really knew what happened, there was nothing evil," Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said of the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal and subsequent cover-up that led to Pryor's and Tressel's departures. "A couple mistakes, terrible mistakes were made, but it was not with intent."

Terry Gilliam/Associated Press

It's easy to nod along with Meyer, shrug your shoulders and shake off what was one of the most turbulent times in Ohio State history as "no big deal" as Columbus still basks in the afterglow of last season's improbable run to the first College Football Playoff championship. Even without the healing of a national title, subsequent scandals at Auburn, Miami (Florida), North Carolina and especially Penn State made "Tatgate" look relatively benign compared to how it was viewed—or portrayed—at the time.

But while the benefit of hindsight is advantageous, it too is skewed by wins and losses.

The same rang true of Pryor's legacy before his college career was marred by controversy, as his 31-4 record over the course of three seasons made him one of the winningest signal-callers in Buckeyes history. A 5-star prospect from Jeannette, Pennsylvania, Pryor chose Ohio State over Michigan and Penn State after delaying his college decision for a month after signing day.

A prospect of Pryor's caliber was obviously well worth the wait, and it didn't take long for the freshman quarterback to enter the Buckeyes starting lineup. After a blowout loss to USC, Pryor took over for senior captain Todd Boeckman in the fourth week of the season and helped lead Ohio State to a share of the Big Ten championship and subsequent BCS bowl appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.

Looking back now, it's hard to view the rest of Pryor's time in Columbus as nothing but a success, as he went on to add two more Big Ten titles and a pair of BCS game MVPs (2010 Rose Bowl, 2011 Sugar Bowl) to his resume. Re-watching his old college games on the Big Ten Network, his ability appears even more remarkable, as he put up spread-system-type numbers in Tressel's conservative pro-style system.

But despite his always apparent ability, Pryor remained a polarizing player at Ohio State, as there always seemed to be a sense that he could improve as a passer. Even after breaking a Buckeyes single-season record for total offense in 2010 (3,526 yards), Pryor wasn't named an All-Big Ten selection, and his inability to navigate a relatively weak schedule to a national title game only hurt his cause.

Every subsequent season of Pryor's career was supposed to be the one where he finally put it together, which made what happened in 2011 all the more painful. After six months of suspensions and speculation, Tressel finally saw his way out, and Pryor followed suit shortly after.

The 6-7 season Ohio State endured in the following months should have only proved just how valuable Pryor was, but it was hard for Columbus to ignore its anger at him for putting the Buckeyes in that position in the first place. It was easier to blame the college kid who committed the violation than the head coach who covered it up, especially when that head coach had 10 years of winning and a national title built up as goodwill.

Pryor and Tressel may have been equally responsible for Ohio State's first losing season since since 1988, but make no mistake: At the time, it was the quarterback who took the heat.

Dave Martin/Associated Press

Winning, however, has a funny way of easing pain, and Pryor didn't even have to do any of his own to land back in the good graces of Buckeye fans. As the third-round pick of the 2011 supplemental draft struggled to establish himself as a starting quarterback in three seasons with the Oakland Raiders, Meyer managed to bring Ohio State back to life, reeling off a 38-3 record—including 24 consecutive wins—in his first three seasons as the Buckeyes' head coach.

With Ohio State back on track, it certainly became easier to allow bygones to become bygones with Pryor, especially knowing what we know now about the culture of college football. Now, instead of complaining about what Pryor didn't do, Buckeye fans wonder what Pryor could have done had he ever played in an offense as quarterback-friendly as the one that just helped lead Ohio State to the national title.

It also doesn't hurt that many Buckeye fans now once again have a rooting interest in Pryor's success with his addition to Columbus' most popular NFL team. After failed stints as a signal-caller with the Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, the 6'4", 234-pound Pryor is trying his hand at wide receiver, hoping to capitalize on the raw athleticism that made him one of college football's top players.

In an odd twist of fate, one of Pryor's first times suiting up for his new team will come at Ohio Stadium, where the Browns will host their annual Brown & Orange Scrimmage on Aug. 7. Pryor, who is still serving a five-year "disassociation" from his alma mater, will undoubtedly receive a more welcoming ovation than he would have just a few years ago, thanks in large part to the success the Buckeyes have found under Meyer.

How Pryor will be remembered in five years—whether it be as a Brown or a Buckeye—remains to be seen. But it's a safe bet that winning will continue to play a significant role in whatever that legacy is.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.