What transpires at Ohio Stadium on Saturday might be long forgotten when the Buckeyes kick off the 2010 regular season under the lights against Marshall on Sept. 2.
 

Still, there are several things to watch for during Ohio State’s Spring Game:

1. Terrelle Pryor’s legs
Pryor suffered a partial tear in his knee late in the regular season, shrugged it off during media week at the Rose Bowl, then underwent surgery in February. Though Pryor maintains he’s near 100 percent, coaches have restricted his running during spring practices. If he’s let loose on Saturday, it will be interesting to note exactly how healthy or rusty he is.

2. Terrelle Pryor’s arm
The best pass by an OSU player last year might not have been by the team’s quarterback. Receiver DeVier Posey whipped a 39-yard touchdown pass into the hands of Dane Sanzenbacher in the back of the end zone on a trick play against New Mexico State on Oct. 31. The pass had perfect touch and surprisingly perfect accuracy. On deep, downfield passes last season, Pryor had mixed results. He hit Posey and Sanzenbacher in stride on a number of throws, but also had his share of accuracy issues. With his legs limited during the spring, Pryor has had more of a chance to work on his passing, although he completed fewer than 40 percent of his tosses in last Saturday’s jersey scrimmage.

3. Running back committee
Coach Jim Tressel typically allots playing time to every running back on the roster during the Spring Game. However, only three or four backs usually see extended playing time during the season. This year could be different. In addition to the one-two punch of Daniel “Boom” Herron and Brandon “Zoom” Saine, the Buckeyes’ group of backs is bolstered by Jordan Hall, Jaamal Berry, Carlos Hyde and Jermil Martin, who will all aim to make their cases on Saturday.

4. Filling in defensive holes
Replacing a handful of defensive starters could be the Buckeyes’ most daunting challenge entering the season. Senior Kurt Coleman, Anderson Russell, Austin Spitler and Doug Worthington departed, and defensive end Thaddeus Gibson left early for the NFL Draft. The performance of players such as Jermale Hines, John Simon, Nathan Williams, Etienne Sabino and Orhian Johnson could go a long way in determining OSU’s success in 2010.

5. Attendance
With temperatures pushing 90 degrees and the university emphasizing Beach Day at the stadium last April, OSU set a national attendance record for a spring game by drawing 95,722 Buckeye nuts to the ‘Shoe. This year, with temperatures hovering in the 60s and a chance of rain in the forecast, it will be intriguing to see how many fans care enough about their Buckeyes to sit through three hours of exhibition football.