Drew Thurman (1:14 pm)

The 18-15 loss last night is one that I am sure everyone wishes the Buckeyes had back. Outside of two drives at the end of each half, the Buckeyes dominated the game and have nothing to show for it. I will say though that it has been even more disheartening to get on the boards to see the outrageous things being said afterwards by fans. I am no less heartbroken than any other Buckeye fan, but I think it is important to see the full perspective on a loss like this. So let's look at the good and bad...

Negative:

- Pryor has a long way to go to become the kind of quarterback he is hyped to be. There obviously was a lot of conservative judgment calls made by Tressel, but that in no way excuses Pryor's lack of execution. He looked timid and scared most of the night, and had happy feet before throwing almost every pass. Instead it was Barkley, who faced much more pressure in the pocket, that stood strong and stayed patient. Unfortunately Pryor had some early success throwing the long ball down the field, and that gained his attention for the rest of the game. Rather that staying patient and checking off to the second or third option underneath, Pryor felt the pressure before it came and launched the ball. Give some credit to USC's defense that kept Pryor from getting outside the pocket where he enjoys throwing the ball the most, but this exposed how bad Pryor is in the pocket. He still has a long way to go! Optimistically I hope he blooms late like Smith and Young, but right now he looks more like Tyrod Taylor.

- The offensive line struggled all night long to open holes in the running game. I thought they did a good enough job giving Pryor time to throw, but when the Buckeyes needed to pound the ball they were unable. This killed the Buckeyes at the end of the first quarter when three straight attempts to score were denied, and also late in the fourth quarter when they needed to put the game out of reach. Running the ball consisently is only going to help take pressure off of Pryor, and last night he showed he needed that.

- Like I said earlier, it was tough to watch Tressel choose not to go for the jugular. I will say that the Buckeyes played the exact same style of football that won them a National Championship in 2002, but I would have liked to seen the staff "play to win" a little more. The two occasions I am sure every Buckeye fan wishes they had back were the 4th and goal field goal and the last punt prior to the final USC scoring drive. I understand the defense played amazing and Tressel banked on another stop, but sometimes you have to man up. Pettrey is great from long distance, and eight points might have been the difference. In Tressel's defense, if Pryor had done the things he should have on that drive the Buckeyes would have at least been in a more obviously place to kick the field goal.

- Herron is a solid running back, but isn't a game changer. I know Herbstreit said he was impressed with Boom's tough running style, but he didn't change the outlook of the game much at all. Some of that criticism has to go on the offensive line, but we also have to realize that Boom is good not great. I am a huge Herron fan, but the Buckeyes need to probably mix in a playmaking back like Berry or Hall a little more.   

Positive:

- If there were any doubts about our defense going into Saturday, they were erased. Outside of the final drive by USC, they dominated the entire game. They were passionate, aggressive, and relentless all night long. I was especially impressed with the defensive line, which overwhelmed arguably the best offensive line in college football. I want to see this kind of effort from this unit the rest of the year, because if they do we should not lose another game!

- We found out we have some serious players in Devon Torrence and Jermale Hines. Torrence had eight tackles on the night including a sack, and Hines had five. Both looked tough against the run, and also showed strong coverage skills. The Buckeyes were able to put eight in the box most of the night because of the strong secondary play, and these guys had a lot to do with that. I was very impressed with the secondary, and think they could be scary good by the end of the year.

- Though we saw very little from them in the second half, we got to see that the Buckeyes have some very talented receivers. If Pryor can become more consistent, he has some studs in Posey and Sanzenbacher. Both have great hands, and just know how to come up with the big play. Throw in guys like Small, Carter, and Thomas and you have some serious options.

- The Buckeyes finally played sharp on special teams once again. For the last several years this has been missing, and last night all units were practically flawless. The returns were good, field goals and kickoffs were solid, Thoma was a stud punting the ball, and they almost had a blocked punt. If these units keep up this effort, they will help decide some ball games down the road for the Buckeyes.

- Finally, it is important to realize how bright the future looks for the Buckeyes. I said at the beginning of the season that the Buckeyes were one year away from being incredible, and Saturday was a great learning experience that will help them grow for the future. I know that doesn't heal the wounds of a loss right now, but we have to realize that the Buckeyes have shown in the last two big games (Texas and USC), that they are very close to returning to greatness. I feel that once Pryor grows a little bit more as a leader and passer, the Buckeyes will get this big game crap off their backs. This is no time to panic, rather a time to watch a team grow together the rest of the season!