Todd Boeckman never stood a chance. Jim Tressel said Boeckman and Terrelle Pryor would split the snaps against Troy 50/50. Mercifully, he was much too smart for that.

Pryor started out hot and stayed that way, throwing four touchdown passes in his first start as a college quarterback, and a should have been fifth on a bomb to a wide open Brian Robiskie, who short-armed the pass. Pryor threw and ran his way into the hearts of the Buckeye faithful with his excellent performance. What more could you ask of a true freshman quarterback? He ran the offense, created plays with his feet, looked comfortable in the pocket, and threw well standing still and on the run. His running and passing styles are eerily similar to Vince Young, the best college quarterback I've ever seen (at least for one season). Young didn't throw four touchdown passes in a game until late in his final season. Pryor is just as difficult to bring down as Young was, as he rarely can be corralled by one defender. Pryor is a much better passer than Young at the same stage in their careers, and the sky truly is the limit for him.

Talking to the media earlier in the week, Tressel said he's not a fan of two quarterback systems and that he was hoping either Pryor or Boeckman would separate themselves on the field. He also said that if there is a tie at a position, playing time will go to the player with the most seniority. Age is no longer a factor in the quarterback controversy. There isn't even a debate anymore. This is Pryor's team. He was aided by a strong running game that was spearheaded by another excellent youngster, Boom Herron. Herron also is playing beyond his years. He runs harder than Brandon Saine and is just plain better than Mo Wells.

Pryor has an aura of invincibility about him, just as Young did. He oozes ability out of every pore. He can do things that very few quarterbacks have ever been able to do, and he's just scratching the surface of his seemingly limitless ability. The future is very bright for the Ohio State offense, a thought that was almost laughable following the USC game. In just one week, Pryor has turned a lost season into an exciting one, and when Beanie Wells returns, there's really no telling just how good this offense can be. Stealing Pryor away from Michigan may turn out to be the biggest reason that OSU continues their dominance over that school up north. Pryor said that he liked what coach Tressel had to say when he was being recruited, and I'm sure it didn't hurt that Rich Rodriguez is a bit greasy. I passed Pryor on the street in Columbus last night. He had a smile from ear to ear, the look one gives when he's got the world by the balls. As we passed, he yelled "Fuck Michigan!" into the night. Not only do I agree, but I love that the Buckeyes starting quarterback would yell that on the street with two months until the game.

The mood in Columbus has changed from somber to elated in just a week's time. All the pain that accompanied the trouncing by the Trojans had been replaced by a sense that we are all going to witness something special over the next three years (four if we're really lucky). Instead of dreading the coming matchup with Wisconsin, a bit of the cockiness that many have come to hate about Buckeye fans has returned, knowing that we will always have the best athlete on the field who is capable of creating magic on any play. There is just one reason for this shift in outlook: Terrelle Pryor. Bring on the Big Ten, the Bucks are ready.

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