Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
Patience is wearing thin around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center after Ohio State slipped to 108th nationally in pass offense (143.6 yards per game) and 70th nationally in scoring (24.3 points per game). Tight end Rory Nicol wants something (anything!) to change with the offense, and tight end Jake Ballard thinks a two-quarterback system could jump-start the unit. Left tackle Alex Boone knows the wide receivers are getting frustrated with the current direction of the offense.
Head coach Jim Tressel, whose opinion actually matters, continues to support Pryor and his leadership of the unit.
"Do I feel OK about what we've done and what we're doing? Yeah," Tressel said.
A rift could be developing in the locker room between older players -- particularly wide receivers and tight ends -- who remain loyal to Todd Boeckman, and those who side with freshman Terrelle Pryor. I'm sure Boeckman's demotion in favor of a true freshman didn't sit well with some of the veterans, but I also believed Boone and guard Jim Cordle when they told me Pryor has their support and Boeckman is handling the situation as well as possible.
"[Pryor's] demeanor and his attitude, really both of the quarterbacks' attitudes, with the change and how they settle into their roles, it's not a distraction at all for the team," Cordle said earlier this month. "Terrelle, even from day one that he's been here, he's exuded poise and confidence. When he gets a chance to step into the No. 1 huddle, he's just got that leadership and the poise. Those attributes make it easy.
"For me it doesn't feel like Terrelle's a freshman at all. I can't imagine a freshman with the poise and confidence and leadership that he has. But he's got it and it's not a problem at all."
This is more a case of players getting frustrated with their own decreased roles. Thing is, Ohio State's wide receivers and tight ends had a chance to make an impact before Tressel made the switch. Boeckman never seemed to be on the same page with wideouts Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. Ohio State had a whopping 110 passing yards against Ohio and 136 against USC. The passing game has been a problem all season, not just with Pryor at quarterback.
Pryor isn't immune to growing pains, as he has shown the last few weeks. He holds the ball too long and takes sacks instead of winging it into the fourth row. But Ohio State needs to be patient with the freshman and continue to shape the offense around his skills. He's the future of the program, and Ohio State hasn't lost a game since the switch was made. Ultimately, the problem here could be the scheme and the offensive coaching staff, which will be evaluated after the season.
The bottom line is this type of talk can't be helpful heading into a critical matchup at No. 20 Michigan State (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET). Buckeyes players need to rally around Pryor, who needs another big performance on the road.
Adam Rittenberg joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four years at the Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald, where he covered sports at Notre Dame, Northwestern, DePaul and several other colleges. He lives in Chicago.
