There have been some knocks on Clark, as expected with the high-profile job of Penn State starting quarterback.

Most notably, some critics or columnists will point out that Clark has faltered in some big games. Arguably his two worst performances of his career have come in losses to Iowa in September and last season.

He threw two picks in the final three minutes of the Rose Bowl loss last season against Southern California as Penn State tried to rally from a back from a 24-point deficit.

Clark was mostly ineffective before being knocked out in the third quarter of last season’s win at Ohio State because of a concussion. Devlin ran for the go-ahead touchdown in relief.

Recruiting-wise though, Clark’s emergence and Devlin’s transfer last year seems to have made it easier for Penn State to land dual-threat prospects, said Mike Farrell, an analyst with Rivals.com. Touted freshman Kevin Newsome is now Clark’s backup, and Penn State has verbal commitments from two prized recruits in next year’s class.

Depending on how those prospects pan out, “losing Pryor might not hurt them at all,” Farrell said.

Instead of tutoring Pryor as a teammate, Clark will be facing him Saturday.

Pryor, a sophomore, would like nothing better than to atone for his fourth-quarter fumble last season against the Nittany Lions that set up Devlin’s score. A good outing could placate critics who blame Pryor for Ohio State’s struggles, as well as silence Penn State fans expected to shower him with taunts.

“I’m sure they’re going to be giving me a lot of stuff, saying a lot of things, but I won’t hear any of it,” Pryor said last weekend after a 45-0 rout of New Mexico State.

Clark, a senior, would like to play well in his last game against his home-state rivals, and get his team back to the BCS. His proud father will be in the stands to root him on.

“People in this area, us being from Ohio, a lot of people that know us and our family, they want the Buckeyes to win,” Clark’s father said, ’but they want Daryll to do well.”

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