Terrelle Pryor may not be a great quarterback. In fact, he is often anything but.
However, when his team needed to convert a crucial 4th-and-10 late in the 4th quarter, Pryor delivered with an elusive scramble that moved the chains and preserved Ohio State's eventual game-winning drive.
A few plays later, Dan "Boom" Herron scored from a yard out, and the Buckeyes still have a pulse in their quest for a 6th consecutive conference championship.
The two teams exchanged a pair of punts to begin the game, and, following OSU's punt, the Hawkeye offense began to click.
Ricky Stanzi led Iowa on an 8 play, 87-yard march, and the Hawkeyes' QB capped the drive by tossing a 19-yard touchdown to Marvin McNutt. On the play, Devon Torrence blitzed from his cornerback position, but, for the second week in a row, he arrived at the quarterback too late to prevent the score.
Ohio State quickly responded as the Buckeyes moved the ball to the Iowa 1-yard line. The Hawkeye defense, though, produced a huge key goal-line stand, and Jim Tressel decided to settle for 3 points. Pryor was visibly upset at this decision, but Devin Barclay did make the chip-shot field goal, and OSU was on the board.
The Hawkeyes had a chance to stretch their lead a few minutes before halftime, but Mike Meyer hooked a 40-yard field goal just outside the left upright.
Following the failed 3-point attempt, the Buckeyes took over possession and promptly drove into Iowa territory. Needing about 15 more yards to get into field goal range, Pryor took a shot at the end zone, and the pass was tipped by an Iowa defensive back. Micah Hyde then made a ridiculous interception off the ricochet as he was falling backwards.
And so, the score at intermission was 7-3, which was indicative of the way the 1st half played itself out.
Ohio State received the 2nd half's opening kickoff and swiftly moved down the field. And Pryor gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the afternoon when he fired a 5-yard TD strike to Reid Fragel.
The Hawkeyes' ensuing offensive series resulted in a Meyer 31-yard field goal, and this Big Ten clash was tied at 10 after 3 quarters of intense action.
On the 8th play of the game's final period, Pryor committed a costly mistake deep in OSU territory. The junior QB attempted to fit a pass into tight coverage, and, as a result, it was picked off by Shaun Prater.
Two plays later, the Hawkeyes were in the end zone thanks to Marcus Coker and his 1-yard touchdown run.
The Buckeyes now had 12 minutes with which to work, and they did not waste any of it in moving across midfield. However, after crossing the 50-yard line, the Ohio State attack bogged down, and Barclay was summoned to salvage 3 points out of the drive. And the senior kicker knocked down a 48-yarder to pull the Bucks within 4.
With 7 minutes remaining, the Buckeyes were still alive.
At this point, the Ohio State defense was in an obvious must-stop mode, and the Silver Bullets got what they needed by forcing a timely 3-and-out.
The football was resting 76 yards from pay dirt when the Buckeyes began the drive that will ultimately define their season. The Kinnick Stadium scoreboard clock read "6:05." For Ohio State, it was now or never.
On 1st down, Brandon Saine darted 11 yards to OSU 35. It was Saine's only touch of the contest.
The next play saw Pryor ramble for 6 yards on an option keeper. The Buckeyes were on the move, and they reached midfield moments later as Herron gathered in a pass in the left flat and raced upfield.
Iowa's defense finally stepped up, and the Hawkeyes pressured Pryor into a pair of incomplete passes.
Just like that, it was 3rd and 10.
With the crowd roaring all around him, Pryor dropped back and lofted a perfect deep pass to Devier Posey, who was wide open in the end zone. The Buckeyes started to celebrate, but there was one problem. Posey had somehow managed to drop the ball.
Ohio State's season had now, for all intents and purposes, come down to one play. Pryor took the shotgun snap and rolled out to his right. Seeing that none of his receivers were open, Pryor reversed his field and, after a moment's hesitation, sprinted for the 1st down.
Technically, the scamper was worth 14 yards, but, in actuality, it was worth a lot more than that because it sucked the life right out of Iowa's players and fans.
The Buckeyes' next two plays, a Pryor pass to Sanzenbacher and a Herron run, picked up a combined 10 yards and moved the chains once more.
From the Hawkeyes' 26, Pryor found a leaping Sanzenbacher along the right sideline at the Iowa 2.
Two Herron runs later, and the Bucks had a lead of 20-17.
Sensing the kill, the OSU defense jumped all over Stanzi and the Hawkeyes on Iowa's ensuing possession. On 3rd down, Cameron Heyward sacked Stanzi for an 11-yard loss, leading to a turnover on downs.
Ohio State then proceeded to run out the clock, securing a hard-fought victory.
If the Buckeyes go on to defeat Michigan in the regualar season finale, this win in Iowa City will probably be regarded as one of the greatest in Tressel's tenure at Ohio State. And to think the Buckeyes were a single play away from losing. . .
Player of the Game
Brian Rolle: 10 tackles, 3 tackles for loss
Due to his stellar performance in the game's closing minutes, it is tempting to select Terrelle Pryor as the player of the game. But, keep in mind that if Pryor had played better early in the contest he would not have needed those late-game heroics.
With Pryor now eliminated, the obvious choice becomes Brian Rolle.
I continue to be amazed at people who choose to ignore Rolle because of his lack of physical stature. This ignorance, though, makes no sense at all. Rolle plays with passion, aggression, and a frightening reckless abandon.
In this particular game, Rolle was in Iowa's offensive backfield all day long. And, despite the fact that he is only 5'11", the Hawkeyes were unable to find an answer for number 36.
Play of the Game
Terrelle Pryor 14-yard run on 4th-and-10 in the 4th quarter
I hope this selection needs no explanation. But, for those of you who are struggling to get the point, I will simplify matters. If Pryor would have been stopped short of the 1st down on his clutch scramble, Ohio State's streak of Big Ten titles would have come to an end.
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