COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has no doubt Terrelle Pryor is the best quarterback to lead the Buckeyes.

Not all his players agree.

Tight end Jake Ballard said it could help the Buckeyes' struggling offense to turn back to former starter Todd Boeckman and have him share the job with Pryor. The freshman has shown flashes of skill, but is still a work in progress.

"The senior leadership that Todd brings to the table and just how he commands the huddle would definitely help us out," Ballard said. "And he could make some big throws for us. ... I don't think a two-quarterback system would be a bad idea."

No. 12 Ohio State (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) will be facing one of its biggest tests of the season Saturday when it plays at No. 20 Michigan State.

The Buckeyes are last in the Big Ten in passing and next to last in total offense.

But Tressel clearly is committed to Pryor going it alone, though he said today he wants to play Boeckman. The senior has not played either of the last two games, both Ohio State victories.

"(I) haven't determined that that was the right moment (or) situation," Tressel said tersely.

Boeckman led Ohio State to a Big Ten title and a spot in the BCS national championship game last season. This season, he had the job for three games before Pryor, who was playing high school ball in Jeannette, Pa., a year ago, was promoted.

The Buckeyes have won all four of Pryor's starts, but the offense has sputtered.

A unit that returned nine starters stands 94th in total offense in major college football, including 108th in passing.

"If an apology is what you'd like, we can all go to lunch," he cracked. "I apologize. And we'll try to get better."

But at the same time, he knows it's no laughing matter. The Buckeyes have totaled 18 touchdowns in their first seven games; a year ago at this point, they had 31.

Buckeyes fans on radio call-in shows and Web sites are calling the offense unimaginative and predictable. Several Southern California players said they knew what the Buckeyes were going to do on almost every snap after USC pounded Ohio State 35-3 in Boeckman's last start.

Even Tressel seemed to question his own approach on Tuesday.

"You always have to start by being troubled by the plan, because there's got to be some reasons why you're not executing," he said.

A porous offensive line might be Ohio State's biggest problem. The Buckeyes are 106th in the nation in sacks allowed.

Tressel has taken an increasing interest in the line in recent weeks, even dubbing himself the "assistant offensive line coach." Usually reserved on and off the field, Tressel has strained his voice yelling at the linemen to be quicker and hold their blocks longer.

But the sacks aren't all the lines' fault.

Pryor is dangerous runner — able to dodge or outrun onrushing defenders. Yet he sometimes doesn't know when to throw a ball away to avoid trouble. He was sacked three times on Saturday in a 16-3 victory over Purdue, a game in which the Buckeyes' didn't score an offensive touchdown.

"He can make big plays with his feet but he has to realize it's not high school, he can't make big plays every single time for 20 yards or more," Ballard said. "He's not always going to get big plays."

He said the Buckeyes cannot continue playing the way they have been.

"It's frustrating. Everybody thinks it's frustrating," he said. "But we're not worried about it as much as maybe others are because we know it's things that we can change, to turn around the way the season is going right now."