{mosimage}As we approach recruiting signing day, the analyses of what an 18 year old is thinking undoubtedly spills over until not a stitch of integrity is left for many recruiting enthusiasts and projectors. I'm ready to plead guilty, in efforts to justify this Terrelle Pryor breakdown.

The near future commitment of top prep quarterback and Army AA MVP Terrelle Pryor will likely send shock waves through the storied recruiting rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State. If OSU wins the recruiting battle, fans will become very obnoxious and annoying talking about "next year" (yes, even more than usual). If Michigan wins, they'll hold their noses up in the air, anointing R-Rod and Pryor a saint.

The Michigan Wolverines and Head Coach Rich Rodriguez made Terrelle Pryor their #1 recruit (through a Rodriguez to Pryor phone call) before the West Virginia players knew their coach was gone.

Ohio State on the other hand is the only place Pryor has visited and has built a solid relationship with the coaches and players (OSU's current verbal recruits).

And oh yeah, Florida, Oregon, Penn State and even Duke are still mentioned too. Here is a breakdown on all of the factors in play and explainations as to why both OSU and UM think that they are going to get Pryor.

Top 5 reasons Michigan thinks Terrelle Pryor is coming to Ann Arbor:

• Rich Rodriquez: His system is perfect for Terrelle Pryor, or should I say Pryor is perfect for his system. R-Rod recruited Pryor at WVU, a school Pryor dropped from the list as soon as R-Rod left for Michigan. At the same time, Pryor told reporters that Michigan should now be considered as one of his top schools. He wore a Michigan sweatshirt to the Army AA game.
• Mallet is gone: Ryan Mallet is said to be transferring. If this happens, the QB spot is basically waiting for Pryor to dominate for the next 3-4 years. It's not his to lose, it's his.
• Michigan WR Toney Clemons is TP's cousin. According to Clemons they talk all of the time and Clemons has a very good shot at starting next year. The Pryor/Clemons combo would be a great thing for the family.
• Pryor is visiting in late January, a perfect time for Michigan to show him his new home and right before signing day.
• As Michigan proved against UF, they have talent. With Henne leaving and top recruits like RB Sam McGuffie coming in, the transition to the new offensive system may not be as difficult as portrayed. While UM has suffered more than usual losses, they've maintained a high level of recruiting. Starting out, Rodriguez may already have more talent than he ever did before. He just needs the right skill guys, specifically a QB that can run and pass. Specifically, Terrelle Pryor.

Closing Statement:

The national media talk about you going to Michigan because it makes so much sense. Immediate playing time, at a top university and an offensive system that will make you look better than you even are. If you come, Michigan will return to national prominence by year 2 and Ohio State will be scared shitless of the spread-option attack. If Tim Tebow is a perfect fit for Florida's system, then you are an even better fit for Rodriguez's system.

Top 5 reasons Ohio State thinks Terrelle Pryor is coming to Columbus:

• Michael Brewster and Company: Ohio State's recruiting class is very good, lead by top OL like Mike Adams, Michael Brewster and J.B. Shugarts. Pryor is said to have hung out with a number of the members of the 2008 class that were at the Army AA game. He wore a Buckeye sticker on his helmet which he liberally pointed to during the AA game.
• Ohio State is Pryor's only visit. He creates a lot of smoke about other teams, but Columbus is the one place he has built relationships with people he can trust. It's pretty late to build those sorts of feeling at other schools.
• Pryor is the missing link: Ohio State has lost two title games in a row. While Pryor's skill sets are off the charts, it's the attitude and confidence he brings that can push the program into the top slot.
• Ohio State has proven to be considerably more stable than Michigan. Ohio State has been the better program and retains assistants at a great rate. Tressel is here to stay. If you went to Michigan, tons of immediate pressure will be put on your shoulders. If you go to Ohio State, you'll get playing time but will also ease into tough roles.
• With Troy Smith, Ohio State ran a spread formation and it worked great, as he won the Heisman and is enjoying an NFL paycheck. R-Rods offenses are great for rushing stats but the passing game is very bad. For an NFL career, OSU is the place to go.

Closing Statement:

Ignore the headlines, Ohio State is a great place to compete for championships right away and not kill yourself in year 1. Michigan is desperate because they know without a "savior" they will be in deep doo-doo for the next couple of years. They just fired most of the coaching staff and you'll take lots of blows to the body--which is built of the NFL or NBA. And yeah, their b-ball program is bad. So, if you want to play basketball too, Thad Matta is the man.

Conclusion:

On the OSU insiders board on scout.com, nevadabuck (connected somehow) has been saying Pryor to OSU is a lock for a long time now. This is mostly due to his personal relationships developed with current recruits and the staff. Other Michigan insiders seem to be nearly as confident (although I don't have direct access to their "inside" reporting). Pryor has been verbal in his interest in Michigan, so it's no wonder the national pundits are drawn to the story.

One thing is probably true, Pryor is telling people different things. This is either for fun or because he does not know what he's doing yet. Either way, it will lead to a signing day decision that will rock 2 storied Rivals. Should he go to say, UF or Oregon instead, it will make many insider's seem clueless.

Until the dotted line is signed, things will get even more ridiculous. You can count on that.

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itoffishul77 said:

	good objective breakdown there but i have no idea where he's going
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January 10, 2008
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itoffishul77 said:

	many people said ronald johnson was a lock for michigan last year then he went to usc...
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January 10, 2008
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Wolvepuck said:

	When Pryor goes to Michigan OSU fans will cry a lot. Thats much is for sure. 2nd place must suck.
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January 11, 2008
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bbobobobobobobo said:

	terrelle pryor wont go to michigan because they cant do anything right
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January 11, 2008 | url
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Twisted Blue Steel said:

he could go to ohio and play for a guy in a sweater vest. and be in the shadow of beokmen for a few years. then get all the playing time. or he could go to michigan the all time winning school in college history. known for developing some of the greatist players in the NFL. and get four years of playing and devolopment not to metion four years of sportscenter highlights.regardless te kid has talent. but better opertunities await him as a STUDENT athlete at the university of michigan.no matter where he goes he will do well.but if he is intelegent and wieghs the pros and cons michigan shines GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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January 27, 2008
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JEH45 said:

	Interesting that Brewster, Shugarts, and Sweat watched TP play Bball Saturday. Read something recently wherein it was said TP can't really tip his hand prior to the NLOID because he is the show for ESPN. The uncertainty will draw viewers. Time will tell.
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January 29, 2008
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Muck Fichigan said:

	Hey Twisted Blue Steel - From your illiteracy, it is apparent you are a Michigan fan. Enjoy watching Terrelle beat the crap out of you some more as a Buckeye. RR will make you sorry for hiring him, he is a big 'ol pile of sh*t, just like Michigan Stadium, as told by the Dead Schembechlers, the best damn punk band in the land.......
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January 30, 2008
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Fear th Vest said:

Ohio State and Michigan are without a doubt the most storied programs in the Big Ten and every year they compete for bragging rights. This offseason they are competing for one of the highest profiled high school football players in recent history. The battle has been a contentious one, so if you are unaware of this, you must have been living under a rock for the past six months. Whether Terrelle Pryor attends Ohio State or Michigan, there is no doubt he will be a dual threat quarterback. He will average 100 yards rushing every game, and each autumn Saturday hundreds of thousands of fans will don his jersey. When it comes to deciding between Ohio State and Michigan, you’ll see the differences are night and day. I think the biggest difference is that at Ohio State, Pryor would be surrounded by players who are all just as talented he is. He would be sure to win the last game of the regular season every year and have several chances to help his team to a national title. Rich Rodriguez did not prove anything to me at West Virginia, except that he can recruit athletic players and get them to be more athletic than the opposition. The Big Ten may be down right now as a conference, but there is still a good deal of major talent in the Big East. Anyway, it takes more than talent to win in the Big Ten (ask Lloyd Carr about last year). And it’s not hard to run the offense that Rodriguez runs. Ohio State could install that offense overnight if they wanted to (but they won’t). Pryor needs to look at this situation as a business decision. Which program and coach will better prepare him for the NFL and increase his earning potential? The only obstacles to Pryor’s making it into the NFL would be if he were unable to prove he can throw the ball, or if he were to be injured. At Michigan, Rich Rodriguez will be pressured to win and he would call on Pryor to run the ball nearly 25 times a game. This would take its toll on Pryor, physically, and increase the possibility of injury. Should Pryor choose Michigan, he will risk injury and he will not be given the chance to showcase his arm nearly as much. On the other hand, at Ohio State Jim Tressel will have him throw the ball because his team thrives on a balanced offense; in the Big Ten you never know what kind of weather conditions you will be playing in. Pryor would also have less risk for an injury because Ohio State already has other players more than capable of handling the ball. In fact, Ohio almost always has one of the best offensive lines in the country. I do believe that Tressel would have Pryor run the ball (that is Pryor’s main strength). I am pretty sure that Tressel likes to run the ball and control that clock. Being prepared for the NFL is what really matters in the long run, and if Terrelle Pryor's main goal is to make a career out of football, Michigan and Rich Rodriguez are not the answers. It’s a no-brainer.

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January 30, 2008
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Objective UM fan said:

As an alumni and UM fan, I certainly hope Pryor attends school there and rejuvenates the football team. Buckeye fans can claim a great program and coach. Coach Carr at UM was a good coach, not a great coach. He does have a national championship but is tagged as an underachiever. Integrity only gets you so far in the extemely competitive world of Division 1 football. Tressell is a class act as well, the savior for OSU's football program. I hate the Buckeyes but I don't let emotion cloud my objectivity. Good points on both sides of the argument I think. One thing is for sure, no matter what the fuckeyes say; a University of Michigan education is far more impressive than an Ohio State education, because UM is one of the premier educational institutions in the nation. If that counts for anything. Also, their record of cranking out NFL caliber quarterbacks is unrivaled in the Big Ten. To the guy who dogged the Big House; please, any football fan will tell you that 108,000 in the stands is like no other. The Horseshoe simply doesn't compare; they get loud for sure, but can you really compare the two? I don't think so. By the way, OSU fired Earl Bruce for racking up 5 consecutive 9-3 seasons, then suffered other coaches with poor records against UM. These dominations by either school are periodic, check the record. UM will be back and OSU will be on the receiving end, so keep running your vulgar, uneducated pie holes fuckeye fans...

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January 30, 2008
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onearmedbandit said:

"Objective" UM fan, I was with you in the first half of your comment. The second half made your claim of being objective a farce as you degenerated into talking about "fuckeye" fans. Your name in itself is an oxymoron. Here's a question. Have you been to Michigan/OSU games in both stadiums? If not, then your claim of Michigan's unparalleled, superior crowd noise in unfounded and you are just going by what you've heard others say, undoubtedly other Michigan fans. I do agree that UM will be back. I'm not sure they've gone anywhere. They've been consistent threats to win the Big Ten and have been in several prestigious bowl games in recent years. Their main shortcoming is their inability against Tressel and the Bucks. Other than that, they have been a consistently strong program. I hwave no doubt that the UM/OSU game next year will decide the Big Tne once again, despite the big losses the Wolverines are taking on offense with the departures of Hart, Henne, Manningham, Long, etc.

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January 30, 2008
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