Terrelle Pryor: The New Face of the Buckeyes

Saturday night was Todd Boeckman's night to show the world that he deserves respect from everyone outside the Ohio State Buckeyes' fan base, and that he can finally step up and win the big game.

And, once again, he flopped under the lights. 

When Chris "Beanie" Wells was ruled out of the game against USC on Saturday, everyone immediately knew that the Buckeyes' chances of competing with USC would come down to the play of Boeckman, and they were right.

The quarterback is the center of the offense, he leads the team on the field and he also leads the team emotionally, and Boeckman showed on Saturday that he is no emotional leader; however, one player stepped up to try and be that leader.

Enter Terrelle Pryor.

The highly touted prospect showed a little of his talents against Youngstown State, but this game was his chance to show the world what he can do against a legitimate defense, and that's what he did with the opportunities he was given. However, his talents also go beyond what he displayed on the field; during the game, he was continually attempting to pump up his teammates, trying to be that emotional leader that they were missing on the field. 

On the other hand, Boeckman didn't even rally his offense on the sidelines; in fact, they sat in different spots on the bench. On the other sideline, Mark Sanchez repeatedly talked to his team—when he was on, the offense was on, and that is what an emotional leader does. That just wasn't the case with Boeckman and the Buckeye offense.

This then sparks the question: How can someone emotionally lead a team without talking or even being around them? They can't.

Pryor has proven that he is ready to lead this offense and this team. Although Boeckman is a senior, he crumpled under the pressure, looking more like a freshman than Pryor did.

If the Buckeyes are to once again try and prove that they can win on the big stage, they cannot do it with Boeckman; they must learn to rely on their quarterbacks and not their running backs, and they must use Pryor, because he is the emotional leader that this team needs.