Joey Elliott led Purdue to its biggest upset in years
throwing for 281 yards and two touchdowns as the Boilermakers stunned No. 7 Ohio
State 26-18 on Saturday.
It was another ugly day for the Buckeyes' offense. But
unlike last week when the defense and special teams provided enough points for
Ohio State (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) to beat Wisconsin, the struggles of quarterback
Terrelle Pryor and Co. were too much for the Buckeyes to overcome.
"Yeah, it hurts," said Pryor, who threw two
interceptions and lost two fumbles. "Right now, we've just got to be worried
about the Big Ten because the national championship is gone."
In the Buckeyes' two losses, Pryor has almost as many
turnovers as he has in Ohio State's five wins combined. Ohio State has rushed
for over 190 yards per game in their five wins. Saturday, the Buckeyes ran for a
season-low 66 yards.
The Buckeyes have won at least a share of the last four
Big Ten crowns and played in four consecutive BCS games. If they don't get their
offense in order soon, those streaks could come to an end this season.
The Buckeyes lost to an unranked team for the first time
since Illinois upset Ohio State at home in 2007. But that Illinois team went on
to play in the Rose Bowl. This Purdue team had lost five straight coming in and
will have to scramble to become bowl eligible.
"They did the things you need to do to win a good Big
Ten ballgame," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "Obviously, we were
disappointed. We felt we could play better than we did, but the true test of a
team is how you handle difficult situations."
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