OSU Notebook: Pryor called ‘unflappable’ by quarterbacks coach

COLUMBUS - Terrelle Pryor's rise to the starting quarterback's job at Ohio State didn't surprise his teammates and coaches.

But maybe the speed of it did.

"You were expecting it, but you never expect it to that extent because coming from high school to college is such a huge transition. But he made that jump," tailback Chris Wells said after the freshman scored the game-winning touchdown against Wisconsin last Saturday.

OSU quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels said, "I don't think there was any question as far as his athletic ability. When we were recruiting him, obviously that's something that everybody in the country saw. I think the thing that we didn't know - and I don't know that anybody could have known - was how well he would learn the offense and how quickly he would learn the offense."

Daniels called Pryor "unflappable" and said, "Side-stepping a guy or something, that's no big deal to him. That's all part of being a quarterback and being Terrelle

"His confidence in himself, it really is a quiet confidence. He's not going to tell everybody about how good he is. When he does something right, he's not bragging on himself or anything even close to that."

MORE FRESHMEN: Center Mike Brewster has also moved into the starting lineup as a freshman and appears ready to stay there.

"You wouldn't have thought maybe that a true freshman was going to be the guy for that spot because of all it entails. But he's done a pretty solid job," Tressel said.

First-year wide receivers DeVier Posey and Lamaar Thomas also might be in line for more playing time today against Purdue because of injuries to Dane Sanzenbacher and Ray Small.

Sanzenbacher suffered a concussion during a 20-17 win at Wisconsin last Saturday. Small "tweaked" his knee in practice on Wednesday, Tressel said.

WELLS UPDATE: Chris Wells said his injured right foot was sore after last Saturday's game, when he gained 168 yards, but that it won't keep him from playing against Purdue. He also sat out a day of practice with the flu.

DANIELS' HEALTH IMPROVING: Daniels, who has been battling kidney cancer, says he is feeling better.

"I'm feeling good. I think what happens, I probably get more exhausted than the other guys, although they're tired too. I mean, that's just part of coaching during the season, you accept the fact that you're going to be tired. But it seems to happen to me a little bit quicker and I can tell from previous years too. But I feel good, I really do," he said.

NOT PRETTY NUMBERS: Purdue is 13-26 against ranked teams during coach Joe Tiller's 12 seasons and has lost 16 straight to ranked opponents.