COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -This was supposed to be Ohio State's foray into a high-tech spread offense and away from it's staked-to-the-ground past.
So far, it's been a dud.
"Offensively we didn't get near as much done as we're going to need to get done," coach Jim Tressel said after Saturday's punchless 16-3 victory over Purdue.
The combination of sprinter-quarterback Terrelle Pryor and burly, shifty tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells has had trouble getting off the ground in the three games they've been together.
The still-No. 12 Buckeyes have won all three, but not so much because of anything the offense is doing.
In the Purdue game, special teams blocked a punt resulting in the only touchdown. The ledger proved how ineffective the Buckeyes' attack was.
Pryor looked tentative at times and made bad decisions at others. He completed 10 of 14 passes for just 97 yards. He missed one wide-open receiver at the goal line when he threw a pass behind him. Another time he overthrew open wide receiver Brian Robiskie in the end zone.
He was sacked three times for 19 yards in losses and ended up adding only 27 yards on 14 carries with his legs.
"We've really got to execute," Pryor said later. "It's frustrating for us that we didn't click today. We just looked bad. That's the only way to put it."
Wells missed practice with the flu but still mustered 94 yards on 22 attempts.
Still, with both in the lineup the Buckeyes twice failed to score a touchdown after getting a first down inside the Purdue 10.
"It's frustrating in the red zone," Wells said. "It's been frustrating all year. It's about not executing."
The Buckeyes punted six times in their 11 possessions. They also missed a field goal.
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