Analysis: OSU gives opponents tough choice

COLUMBUS - A first name and a nickname.

That's all it takes to identify the two most popular - and some would say the most important - Ohio State football players at this moment.

It was Day 1 of the Terrelle and Beanie Show when freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor and power-running tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells spent significant time together on the football field for the first time when Ohio State rolled over Minnesota 34-21 on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

Pryor, in his second college start, rushed for 97 yards, ran for two touchdowns and threw for another.

Wells, who had missed the last three games because of a foot injury, came back strong with 106 yards on 14 carries.

Having two such threats in the backfield kept Minnesota guessing, and often guessing wrong, all day.  

If Wells, who says he is still only about 75 percent healthy, gets back to 100 percent, and if Pryor improves as the season goes along, the future looks as bright as a chrome bumper in sunlight.

A more cautious approach might be to suggest this is hardly the first time an Ohio State quarterback-tailback combo has looked pretty good against Minnesota. The Buckeyes have beaten the Gophers 22 of the last 23 times they've played. And tougher tests are waiting down the road.

OK, now that the caution card has been played. Wells and Pryor did look like they could be very, very difficult to deal with for opposing defenses.

Wells rushed for 1,600 yards last season as a sophomore and has been over 100 yards in both games he has played this year.

Pryor is like a bigger Troy Smith. Actually, he might be much more than that.

Listen to what Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said after his first up-close look at him: "I saw No. 10 of Texas (Vince Young) play and they're similar players."

A Pryor-Wells combination will sow seeds of doubt, maybe even a little fear, in defenses. At least that's what Ohio State is hoping.

"Obviously, to have both those guys back there is a scary feeling for defenses. It makes it hard for defenses to figure out who they want to stop, the one guy they want to key on," Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie said.

"When you've got more than one guy back there and people on the perimeter who can make plays, it makes it hard for defenses."

Wells was excited just to play after missing games against Ohio University, Southern California and Troy after suffering a foot injury in the opener against Youngstown State.

Sitting out against then No. 1 USC two weeks ago brought him to tears.

"I wanted to be out there the past three games, especially that big one we played. But I couldn't help it," Wells said.

Being paired up with Pryor also got him excited.

"His ability to run the ball is so incredible. It's a spark, it's incredible for both of us to be on the field," he said.

Pryor also noticed a difference with Wells in the backfield behind him.

"It makes me more comfortable. It takes a lot of weight off me," he said.

Wells, who played through ankle and wrist injuries last season, expects to do the same this time around.

"I'm not 100 percent and actually I don't expect to be the rest of this season. It's something I'm going to have to work through and get better as the season goes on. You just have to roll with everything thrown at you."

The player forced to most roll with everything thrown at him by Pryor's ascendance is St. Henry's Todd Boeckman.

In the span of nine months, he has gone from the starting quarterback in the national championship game to a backup.

Boeckman described himself as "taking it in stride, day by day" on Saturday.

Wide receiver Brian Hartline might have had Boeckman in mind when he talked about all the changes that have happened recently.

"It's different. We were in the national championship game and we have a whole different face 12 months later. It caught me off guard a little bit, but the goals remain the same and I think we're headed in the right direction."

And the people leading the offense in that direction now are clearly Wells and Pryor.