Terrelle Pryor: If Ohio State Doesn't Lose During His Absence, Should He Start?

There are many questions that surround the 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes football team.

First and foremost is how the Buckeyes will fare during the five games that seniors-to-be Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Daniel "Boom" Herron, Mike Adams and Solomon Thomas will be suspended for. The general consensus is that the Buckeyes are deep enough to go at least 4-1; within Buckeye nation many believe that Ohio State has a legitimate chance at 5-0.

Then there is the question of how many games that the aforementioned five will actually be suspended for.  The Ohio State athletic department is currently in the process of appealing the NCAA's decision, and it is widely believed that the suspensions will be reduced from five to three games.

However, the most important question might be: Should the Buckeyes go undefeated in the five (or possibly three) games that Terrelle Pryor misses due to suspension, should he be handed the starting job when he returns, especially if his replacement (Joe Bauserman, Ken Guiton or Braxton Miller) performs particularly well?

The short answer is no, and that he should remain on the sideline until his replacement proves that he cannot lead the team.  That Pryor was the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart before he got suspended should not matter.  More unfair than Pryor losing his position to possibly an underclassman simply because he was not on the field is the idea that either one of the other three should lose their jobs despite playing well.

In the end, it probably won't matter, as even if the backups do well, head coach Jim Tressel will find a way to work Pryor back into the starting rotation. Pryor would be well served to lose the starting job to one of the three, as it might teach him a lesson in humility.  Whether that actually happens remains to be seen.