Joey Johnston

Hail to the Victors: The Ohio State Buckeyes.

On Wednesday — the specially designed National Signing Day for one suspense-minded player (Pennsylvania high-school quarterback Terrelle Pryor) — it was a great time to be a Buckeye.

And it was a miserable time to be Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez.

Michigan may have changed directions, but wouldn’t you know it? The Wolverines still can’t beat Ohio State when it really matters. This time, the action wasn’t at the Big House or the Horseshoe.

It came from Jeannette, Pa., during what would normally be a typical day at the high school. But as we have learned, nothing is typical when it comes to Terrelle Pryor.

On Wednesday afternoon, as Pryor approached the microphone, the ground trembled and angels wept.

OK, not really.

But at the very least, passionate followers of Big Ten Conference football delayed their lunch hour while scrambling for a television, Web cast, blog, news crawl or maybe a smoke signal.

The Word was coming.

Pryor, a five-star, dual-threat quarterback recruit, finally ended the drama.

Ohio State, he said.

National Signing Day, six weeks late for Pryor, had been punctuated by an exclamation point.

Ohio State!

He’s going to Ohio State.

Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel did it again.

Rodriguez has yet to exhale.

He needed this quarterback. Did he ever.

Had Pryor stayed in his home state to play for Penn State’s Joe Paterno, the Wolverines would have been wounded.

With Pryor going to Ohio State, the perception will be disastrous. Before his first game, Rodriguez has tasted a defeat that might linger.

Ohio State might have a larger version of 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, the quarterback who made the Michigan defense into his personal play-toy.

Michigan hoped for a feel-good result. Now it’s still being trailed by the lawsuits and bad blood emanating from spitting-mad West Virginia, the state that feels spurned by Rodriguez’s departure.

Rodriguez may well bring to Michigan a space-age offense that drags the Big Ten into college football’s 21^st century. The spread option, the hot attack that we see nearly everywhere, pretty much originated on Rodriguez’s chalkboard.

But the next big thing is headed to Columbus.

So what’s the big deal here?

Tressel has his 6-foot-6, 235-pound wingman, a prep quarterback that had recruiting analysts speaking in tongues.

You want balance?

Pryor’s career rushing yards: 4,250.

Pryor's career passing yards: 4,249.

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As a senior, he rushed for 1,899 yards and 36 touchdowns and passed for 1,889 yards and 23 touchdowns.

In Western Pennsylvania’s cradle of quarterbacks, Pryor already has been placed alongside Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana and Dan Marino.

Premature?

You bet.

But that’s the allure — and the downside — of recruiting. It means everything. Sometimes, it means nothing.

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Recruiting is why LSU has twice finished No. 1 in the past five seasons. Recruiting is why USC has returned to dynastic standards. Recruiting is why Florida has risen back in the post-Spurrier era. Recruiting is why Tressel has built consistent Big Ten success at Ohio State.

College football is controlled by the multi-million-dollar contracts of coaches. But the sport is about players.

Get some, and you’ve got a shot.

Strike out, and you get fired.

When you think about it logically, it’s a madcap existence, staking your career and reputation on the whims of an 18-year-old. Rodriguez, by nearly everyone’s measure, will be just fine in Ann Arbor.

But that’s for the fall. Today, we’re talking about another game. Players become teenage celebrities heading into their junior season — of high school. Highlight tapes are on the Internet for public consumption. The thirst for information is crazy.

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