Error-prone Pryor not Buckeyes’ only problem

A year ago, many of the same people were praising Pryor as the second coming of Troy Smith, only better.

The Buckeyes and their backers are up in arms after Pryor’s poor effort in a 26-18 loss to two-touchdown underdog Purdue last week. One popular way to panic and vent frustration is to target the quarterback as the clown.

Here’s the truth, as spoken by The Gold Sheet handicapper Bruce Marshall: “Ohio State is just not that good.”

The next thing I’ll say is that Pryor is only partially at fault, and most of the blame should fall on Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel.

Ohio State has no offensive identity. The smash-mouth running attack is missing, the wideouts are average, and Pryor is being asked to run a system with no definitive game plan. Pryor’s footwork is poor, and it’s obvious he’s not being coached properly.

Put Pryor at Michigan or Purdue — the only two Big Ten teams that use the passing game effectively and consistently produce NFL quarterbacks — and the results would be different.

Tressel had been living on the edge, and winning masks most mistakes, but it could be a good thing for the Buckeyes that they finally slipped off the cliff and got exposed by the Boilermakers.

Ohio State’s 31-13 victory over Wisconsin on Oct. 10 was as deceiving as it gets. The Badgers held a 368-184 advantage in total yards, while the Buckeyes had eight first downs and Pryor completed only five passes. But Ohio State covered as a 15-point favorite by scoring on two interception returns and a kickoff return.

Pryor’s turnover problems — eight interceptions and three fumbles — are a product of his youth and a weak support system. He’s a rare talent at 6 feet 6 inches, but he has regressed because the offense fits him like a new suit that’s two sizes too small.

The Buckeyes will kick butt the next two weeks, as a 16-point favorite over Minnesota on Saturday and again at home against pitiful New Mexico State on Oct. 31.

The Gold Sheet projects Ohio State, which is 5-2 against the spread, to beat Minnesota, 34-10. Criticism of Pryor, who is being counseled by LeBron James, will quiet down, and in a few weeks we’ll see if Tressel is getting the offense figured out.

It’s not often this happens, but the Big Ten is in the background this weekend and a Mountain West Conference game is in the spotlight.

Brigham Young is a 21/2-point home underdog to Texas Christian, and the early money has been on the Horned Frogs, who won last year’s meeting, 32-7.

Marshall (goldsheet.com) is siding with TCU, which he said will put too much pressure on the Cougars’ big but slow offensive line and quarterback Max Hall.

“It’s a matchup that works against BYU because of TCU’s speed on defense,” Marshall said. “Hall has been throwing too many picks this year. He has been a little sloppy.”

Marshall also recommends Air Force as a 91/2-point underdog at Utah. The Utes are still in the league title hunt.

“The Mountain West is better than the Big Ten this year,” Marshall said. “The top teams are definitely better in the Mountain West. At the top and middle, I would say that. I’d take BYU over Ohio State in a minute, and I’d take TCU over Penn State.

“But the bottom of the Mountain West is pretty bad, and that’s the problem.”

UNLV opened as a slight favorite at winless New Mexico, but money moved the Lobos to 1-point favorites, and the line has steadied at about pick-em. The Gold Sheet projects the Rebels to win by 11.

Marshall also recommends plays on Oklahoma State (-9) over Baylor, and Texas Tech (-211/2) over Texas A&M.

• CLOSING NUMBERS — Bad luck with Washington and bad handicapping with UNLV led to a 2-4 record last week, but I plan to bounce back with these six picks for Saturday (home team in CAPS):

Illinois (+11) over PURDUE; Indiana (+51/2) over NORTHWESTERN; Boston College (+8) over NOTRE DAME; WASHINGTON (+10) over Oregon; MICHIGAN (+41/2) over Penn State; Auburn (+71/2) over LOUISIANA STATE.

Contact sports betting reporter and columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.