By: Tim Cary (BleacherReport.com) -- COLUMBUS—Ohio State forced a turnover on the opening kickoff and scored their first touchdown of the season a whopping 78 seconds into the opener here Thursday night against Marshall. And just like that, this game was basically over. As the Buckeyes began their national title pursuit by disposing of the Herd 45-7, here are five things we learned about Jim Tressel's 2010 ballclub. 1. Terrelle Pryor Has Made Progress, but He's Not a Finished Product Pryor put up big ... Read More

By: Daniel Dinunzio (BleacherReport.com) -- This is the year for the Buckeyes.  If you look at the competition and the way the schedule sets up for Jim Tressel and Ohio State, they have a favorable lineup that could earn them a spot in Glendale, Arizona in early January. Terrell Pryor is starting to become a dual-threat quarterback who is equally effective throwing the ball in the pocket as he is tucking it and running.  Coming in as a true ... Read More

By: Grant Freking (BleacherReport.com) -- They say a man's best friend is a loyal, well-trained dog. In baseball, a pitcher's best friend is a well-timed double play. In football, a quarterback's best friend is an effective running game. Think about it. If the thoroughbreds in the backfield are busting through the holes in the interior of the offensive line or hitting the corner, and advancing the ball up the sideline, the defense has to take notice. Seven men in ... Read More

By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- Quarterback Terrelle Pryor was the first pick today in the team's annual draft for Ohio State's spring game. The team scrimmage, featuring four 11-minute quarters, will be played Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Ohio Stadium. In a mild surprise, Kenny Guiton was then picked next, meaning he'll be the lead quarterback for the Gray team, backed up by fourth-stringer Justin Siems, while Pryor and Joe Bauserman lead the Scarlet team. The ... Read More

By: Doug Dilillo (TheLantern.com) -- The Ohio State Buckeyes are used to having quality running backs, just not having several of them at one time. Throughout Jim Tressel’s tenure at OSU, the Buckeyes have usually had a top ball carrier in the backfield, but little depth beyond that. “As far as numbers, we went a few years with really shaky numbers in 2001, ‘02, ‘03, ‘04,” Tressel said about his lack of depth at tailback. “In ‘05 we were OK.” This season, however, depth should not ... Read More

By JOHN KAMPF (MorningJournal.com) --COLUMBUS — Patience is supposedly a virtue. Good luck telling that to a freshman football player who is used to being “The Man” on the football field. Brian Rolle and Ross Homan know all about it. The pair of returning starting linebackers for Ohio State remember coming to Columbus and being told by the likes of James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman to be patient, listen and learn. It wasn’t easy for them. And now that they are veterans and saying the ... Read More

By: Adam Rittenberg (ESPN.com) -- Ohio State doesn't know if it has an Eddie George or an Archie Griffin or a Beanie Wells on the roster. None of the Buckeyes' current running backs has distinguished himself as a potential featured guy. Then again, several candidates haven't had the chance to do so ... yet. What Ohio State knows it has at running back is options. Lots of them. More than they've had in recent memory. "Without question," offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said when asked if ... Read More

By: Dave Miller (NationalFootballPost.com) -- What a difference one game can make in changing the perception of a quarterback — and possibly an entire program. As Ohio State opens spring practice Thursday, Columbus is still abuzz over Terrelle Pryor's dynamic Rose Bowl performance. The question on many Buckeyes fans’ minds now is whether head coach Jim Tressel, fresh off a two-year contract extension, will open up the offense for the signal-caller and allow him more freedom in the passing game or if ... Read More

By: Sean Jackson (Examiner.com) -- The Buckeyes kick off spring camp today. Spring camp consists of 15 practices and culminates with the Scarlet and Gray game on Saturday April 24. The camp serves as a learning tool for both players and coaches. For coaches it gives them an idea of what they have. While spring camp won’t finalize the depth chart it gives coaches a clearer picture of who stands out going into the summer. For players this is a crucial time. Not only ... Read More

By: Michael Duchesne (The Lantern.com) -- Anything worth having is worth waiting for. That old maxim applies to both Carlos Hyde’s yearlong wait to take the field with his Ohio State football teammates and also to the wait Buckeye fans have endured to see him suit up. Because when he does suit up, Carlos Hyde is impressive indeed. At an imposing 6-feet-1-inch and 230 pounds, Hyde is the type of big, physical back that gives opposing defensive coordinators fits, as well as any defensive backs unlucky ... Read More

By: Doug DiLill (TheLantern.com) -- The Buckeyes added 19 players in the 2010 recruiting class, but none might excite the fans as much as Roderick Smith. The Big Ten is a conference that has traditionally been centered around powerful running games. With Smith, Ohio State should continue that trend. The 6-foot-3-inch, 220 pound running back from Fort Wayne, Ind. has many fans dreaming of another Chris “Beanie” Wells. Wells led the Buckeyes to two Big Ten Championships in his time as a starter at OSU, and ... Read More

By: Mike Tokito (OregonLive.com) -- When Beanie Wells left Ohio State after his junior year last season, it seemed to open the door for his backup, Dan Herron, to slide into the featured runner role. But an ankle injury has kept Herron, a sophomore, from carrying the full load. That, in turn, opened the door for junior Brandon Saine. Now Ohio State goes into its Rose Bowl matchup with both ready go against Oregon. "We love the fact if those two guys are healthy, ... Read More

By: Matt Markey (Toledo Blade via Ohio.com) -- COLUMBUS: The clearly defined low-water mark in the 2009 season for the Ohio State Buckeyes was a 26-18 loss at Purdue in their seventh game. The Buckeyes rushed the ball 28 times in that game for a meager 66 yards — 2.4 yards per carry — an almost certain formula for defeat. As it prepares for the Jan. 1 meeting with Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State wants to put that performance farther and farther ... Read More