Ballyhooed freshman Terrelle Pryor, who chose Ohio State over Michigan and Penn State, will compete with incumbent starter Todd Boeckman this week, coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday.
No decision has been made on who will start Saturday against Troy, and Tressel said the snaps will likely be split 50-50.
Pryor will see about 65 percent of the snaps in practice this week as the coach sorts through the quarterback's capabilities, Tressel said.
The Jeannette prep standout completed 7-of-9 passes for 52 yards and ran for 40 yards in Saturday's 35-3 loss to USC.
"Terrelle has shown he's got an unusual moxie about him," Tressel said. "He didn't seem to be out of place in that football game. He seemed to have a good presence about him."
Boeckman, for his part, struggled against the top-ranked Trojans. He completed 14-of-21 passes, but those completions went for a combined 82 yards. Two more passes were intercepted, and USC linebacker Rey Maulauga returned one pick 48 yards to give his team a 21-3 lead.
"The thing Todd will tell you first and foremost is he can't throw the ball to the other team," Tressel said, "especially when the team is as good as USC. ... We'll have some good, lively competition."
Tressel used Boeckman and Pryor much like Florida coach Urban Meyer used Chris Leak and Tim Tebow at the start of the 2006 season. Boeckman started the opener against Youngstown State, while Pryor came in for 15 touches. Boeckman played almost exclusively in the second week as the Buckeyes struggled against Ohio, but Pryor's playing time increased Saturday at the Coliseum.
Also, Tressel said running back Beanie Wells is doubtful this weekend with a toe injury suffered against Ohio. He missed the USC game with lingering soreness but practiced Tuesday. His playing time against Troy will be determined by how the toe responds to drills.
Wells rushed for 1,609 yards last season and is the centerpiece of Ohio State's offense.
"His cutting work and push-off and more football-oriented stuff will begin again [Tuesday]," Tressel said. "If he can handle that, we can upgrade him from questionable to probable. If he can't, we'll leave him right where he is. He didn't respond well last week from cutting."
