Pryor leads Buckeyes' rout

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Terrelle Pryor became the first player to tell Ohio State coach Jim Tressel to bench him if he didn't produce.

Then, the Buckeyes' quarterback made the request moot against Michigan State.

Pryor turned some of his potential into production, running for a score and throwing for another in the first quarter to help the 12th-ranked Buckeyes build a 4-touchdown lead en route to a 45-7 win Saturday over the 20th-ranked Spartans (6-2, 3-1 Big Ten).

"He stopped in my office right before we left Friday and said, 'If I don't move the ball down the field, you should bench me,' " Tressel recalled. "That's just the way he is."

The freshman finished 7 of 11 for 116 yards and a TD and had 72 yards rushing on 12 carries, including an 18-yarder for a score early in the game.

Pryor showed poise and touch when he threw before sitting on the big lead with handoffs.

When he ran, Pryor displayed speed and power by running past defenders and stiff-arming some to the ground.

"It's just like high school," said Pryor, who became a YouTube sensation as a prep star in Pennsylvania.

The Buckeyes (7-1, 4-0) stayed in first place atop the conference as did Penn State, setting up a marquee matchup Saturday night at Ohio Stadium.