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How many programs return nearly everybody from a team that played in the national title game and end up depending almost entirely on a true freshman to save them from the abyss?

Ohio State's climb back up Mount Redemption began today with a new guide and a new base camp. It was a gutsy move for Jim Tressel to start Terrelle Pryor today. It was a techtonic shift in operations to stick with him for the whole game, keeping sixth-year senior and team captain Todd Boeckman on the bench.

Congratulations to Terrelle on a fine first outing and condolences to Todd as any meaningful minutes as the Buckeyes' QB are likely behind him. You may not be a great player but you didn't deserve the boos you heard today either.

Pryor played, frankly, far better than one would expect a true freshman to perform in his first start. While the offense still clanked and croaked at times, it's clear that Tressel and the offensive coaching staff have rebooted this machine with a new drawing board. Annoying too, considering I wrote earlier of not wanting to support this staff until they made some changes. This was even bigger than I expected.

The best thing Pryor offers is hope that a first down and possibly a touchdown is right around the corner. Sadly, Boeckman left that feeling back in Happy Valley at the Penn State game last year. How many programs return nearly everybody from a team that played in the national title game and end up depending almost entirely on a true freshman to save them from the abyss?

The o-line looked much better and I don't think it was simply because these Trojans were from Alabama rather than California. You're never thankful for an injury but Steve Rehring's hurt leg leaves this line in better shape with Jim Cordle at guard and Michael Brewster at center.

The defense still looks vulnerable to the spread, at least when it is run by experienced veterans, but they didn't give up many big plays and generally kept things in front of them. You get the feeling that this outfit took the slobber-knocker USC laid on them like real men and did the best they could in the aftermath: Play better, coach better, get better.

Kudos to the players and staff for not packing it in, especially when Troy hung around a lot longer than was comfortable.

What is apparent is that this team is not nearly as talented as the preseason mags stated they were. Not quite Michigan in 2007 but definitely not Ohio State from 2002 either.

As we get ready to face Big Ten play, it is going to be a lot tougher for this team to win it and the chances of Penn State or Wisconsin taking the conference instead of the Buckeyes are better than anyone thought. Upcoming games in East Lansing, Madison and Champaign-Urbana have the potential to get ugly, though Pryor gives Ohio State a chance they don't have with Boeckman under center.

In an earlier column I slammed Tressel and his coordinators for hiding behind "player execution" as the main reason for the team's poor performance in big games on the national stage. Unfortunately, we won't know whether or not the changes they are making will work until sometime well into the future. But, I'll give credit where credit is due because they are obviously making some pretty big changes and making them on the fly out of necessity.

Welcome to the Terrelle Pryor era, it should be a heck of a show.

Tags: jim tressel, ohio state football, terrelle pryor