2011 Sugar Bowl, Ohio State Vs. Arkansas: Terrell Pyror, Ryan Mallett Set For A Showdown

If you haven’t heard by now, Ohio State had a little controversy ahead of their date with the Arkansas Razorbacks. A few star athletes, including Terrell Pyror, made a quick buck selling memorabilia this season, using some of that money for tattoos. The horror! No matter, Pyror and the other five Ohio State players that ran afoul of the NCAA are ready to go for the Sugar Bowl.

With everything Pryor has done at Ohio State, wowing fans with his athleticism, is it possible he’s still an underachiever? SB Nation’s Arkansas Expats asked the question in a Q&A with Ohio State writer Ken Gordon.

That’s a complex issue, and the bottom line is that short of winning a national championship, Pryor will be viewed as underachieving UNLESS he can deliver two more stellar performances in big-time bowl games, against Arkansas and again in 2011 (assuming he returns, which I think he will).

The Rose Bowl game last year was a tour de force for Pryor, no doubt. Ohio State is the last team to beat Oregon, keep in mind, and Pryor was the star. So if he can duplicate that on Jan. 4, then sit out however many games next year and come back and have a very good ending to the season, most fans will appreciate his tenure here.

Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett began the year with plenty of buzz, even having his name throw about in the Heisman conversation. That buzz has faded, but Mallett still possesses the raw skills to tear the Buckeye defense apart. SB Nation’s Along the Olentangy examines Mallett ahead of Ohio State’s Sugar Bowl date with the talented quarterback.

Mallett’s greatest attribute is his arm strength, but his accuracy is not too shabby, either. He improved his completion percentage by eleven points-- to 66.5%-- from his sophomore season and threw for 3,582 yards and 30 touchdowns. He does have a tendency to force throws, though, and has 11 interceptions to prove it. Almost all of his interceptions are a result of trusting his arm strength too much, and it gets him into trouble against strong competition. Against the two best defenses he played this year, Alabama and LSU, Mallett threw multiple picks, with a number of other throws closely contested by defenders

Watch these two great college quarterbacks square-off in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4 at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream right up through game time, as we review key unit matchups, odds, bowl history and more, and connect with Ohio State fans at SB Nation’s Along The Olentangy (and Big Ten fans at Off Tackle Empire) and Arkansas fans at Arkansas Expats (and SEC fans at Team Speed Kills). For a complete list of bowl games, browse our 2010 college football postseason schedule.