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Both Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and Pryor squashed that rumor, as the No. 15 Buckeyes have Rose Bowl thoughts flowing through their minds. A win over Penn State means Ohio State controls its destiny for the BCS berth, while a loss could potentially put them in a minor bowl game.
"He better not be debilitated because those guys will be chasing him Saturday," Tressel said. "Adrenaline is an amazing thing, even when you're feeling a little bit sore or whatnot. All of a sudden the blood starts flowing and the lights are turned on and it's time to go. He'll be ready to go."
Pryor has a team-high 708 yards rushing this season, but when it comes to passing the ball he has struggled to get it deep. He has thrown for 1,534 yards with the lowest completion percentage (54.6) in the Big Ten.
Part of the reason is Pryor has been banged up the past few games, while his skills seem more suited to a Wildcat scheme. Despite those facts, today is the one game Pryor has had marked on his schedule to have a breakout game.
"I'm going home on a mission and it's not to see family. I'm going there to get a W," Pryor said. "I'm a little sore, but I told a bunch of people 'you are going to have to kill me not to play,' so it doesn't matter."
Last year, after being humiliated by Southern Cal 35-3 in a nationally televised game, the Buckeyes reeled off five straight wins, and appeared headed for a sixth against the Lions. Leading 6-3 late in the fourth quarter, Pryor fumbled a snap and Pat Devlin drove PSU 38 yards for the winning score.
Tressel doesn't expect that to be in the back of Pryor's mind today.
"I'm sure as we go through the preparation for the week, we'll talk a lot about poise and patience because that's what you have to do," Tressel said. "You have to be a poised guy, whether you're an offensive lineman and you can't hear the snap count and they're yelling at you when you're sitting on the bench that you might not look as lean as you should or whatever. That's what being part of a great environment is all about. So we'll talk a lot about poise and patience."
As for what he expects Penn State to throw at him, Pryor expects the environment at Beaver to Stadium to be electric. He also expects the defense to do the unexpected.
"They are scrappy, they have a nose for the ball, and (defensive coordinator) Tom Bradley, I know him pretty good," Pryor said. "He sends a lot of blitzes and will try to mix me up a little bit. They have good athletes at Penn State, they are a tough team."
As to how he, along with his teammates plan to counter it, Pryor said that Ohio State has a really good game plan.
"The coaches have prepared a real good scheme for us, especially me, and I can't wait to get on the field," Pryor said. "To tell you the truth, I haven't led us to a big win yet, and as a quarterback you have to do that. I know our defense is hyped up and ready to go, so it's up to me now to lead and get ready to go."
