Monday Skull Session

It's a Monday in mid-December, so today is as good as any day to officially kick off transfer season for the Buckeyes.

As first reported by the Dispatch's Tim May late last night, sophomore wide receiver Verlon Reed has left the football program:

A third-year sophomore, Reed could not be reached for comment about possible transfer plans. The spokesman said coach Urban Meyer called it a mutual parting.

A local product from Marion-Franklin, Reed redshirted as a freshman in 2010, but cracked the lineup as a wide receiver, starting the first five games of 2011. He was on his way to a decent season – relative to the funk that was 2011, at least – collecting 9 catches for 132 yards, good enough to rank second on the team in each category before a tearing his ACL on a kickoff at the end of the Michigan State game.

Reed returned from his injury, but saw action in just seven games, primarily on special teams, and recorded one lonely catch in 2012 as he struggled to find a fit within Urban Meyer's offense.

While Reed is the first to depart this offseason, expect others as players recruited under Jim Tressel come to terms with their roles at Meyer's Ohio State. Since last summer, Ricquan Southward and Ty Williams, both receivers, have also left the program.

While you never like to see a player leave, Ohio State is in a good position to absorb the departure of Reed. The Buckeyes lose just two of the team's 10 leading receivers from the 2012 season: Jake Stoneburner and fullback-turned-linebacker Zach Boren.

Best of luck to you, Mr. Reed, wherever you end up.

TPEEZY MAKES HIS (BRIEF) DEBUT. After teasing it for several weeks, Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen finally pulled the trigger, handing Terrelle Pryor the first regular season action of his NFL career:

The much-anticipated 2012 debut of quarterback Terrelle Pryor drew cheers from a paid crowd of 51,446 at O.co Coliseum on Sunday as he trotted on to the field.

In less than two minutes, it was over.

It amounted to a three-and-out, not including a false start, and starter Carson Palmer returned and finished the game, a 15-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

If the Raiders had plans to put Pryor in position to either run or pass, it never happened because they punted so quickly. After the false start, Pryor lined up behind center, handed off twice to Darren McFadden and threw incomplete intended for Darrius Heyward-Bey on third-and-7.

It was quick, but Pryor finally saw the field.

And that's that.

Pryor called it a "steppingstone" and said he "enjoyed the four plays" even if it was just three plays, but hey, counting beyond two is tricky.

Although he did look good handing the ball off, Pryor will want to work on his 39.6 quarterback rating.

HELLO DOG, THIS IS BARRY ALVAREZ. When Barry Alvarez vowed to take control of the Badgers for the Rose Bowl, I think there was a feeling that Wisconsin would have a wise, proven coach leading the team against Stanford. Now, I'm not so sure.

After taking some justified heat for the $118,000 he'll receive (on top of his salary as athletic director) for coaching the game, Alvarez's latest problem, beyond finding a replacement for Bret Bielema, is entering the Rose Bowl with a fragmented and distracted staff.

Yesterday, news broke that co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Charlie Partridge would join his old boss at Arkansas, bringing the total to five assistants from the Badgers' 2012 staff that will be working elsewhere next season.

Meanwhile, a report surfaced linking former Badger and current Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker to the top job, indicating he interviewed for the position last week. Due to state laws requiring the job posting to stay open through the end of business Wednesday, don't expect anything firm until later this week.

CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES & GENTLEMEN. Hats off to the 33 current and former Ohio State student-athletes that picked up degrees Sunday at the Schottenstein Center. Among the graduates:

• Evan Ravenel (Family Resource Management)
• Jake Stoneburner (Family Resource Management)
• Jamie Wood (Communication)

It's always gratifying to see those taking advantage of their free education. Nicely done.

ETC. BTN.com's top 10 videos of the week is basically a Sam Thompson highlight reel... Would Ohio State make the cut for the BCS Championship if they weren't on probation? Interesting thought exercise... Michigan punter Will Hagerup has now been suspended three times. Punters are not supposed to be this gangsta... Great read on Amber Stokes, daughter of legendary Buckeye Ron Stokes... Through two games, we have co-leaders in the 11W Bowl Challenge... This is going up in my living room as soon as the print arrives.