Rose Bowl - Ohio State v Oregon

Terrelle Pryor is a beloved figure in Ohio. But is he beloved enough to outweigh the sins of former Golden Boy LeBron James?

That's the question on everybody's mind after Pryor publicly pleaded with Buckeye fans on Wednesday not to jeer LeBron at Saturday's Ohio State-Miami game, which LeBron has said he will attend.

"If LeBron does come, just treat him with respect and respect his decision," Pryor said in a report by The Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Please, no name calling or booing or anything like that. Please. That's my mentor, and I've got a lot of respect for him and a lot of love for him."

Pryor said he and LeBron have been trading text messages this week and added that, although LeBron ditched his home state for the comforts of Florida this summer, "[LeBron is] a Buckeye."

That's strange, considering I've never even seen LeBron don the famous red and white, but what's even stranger is the matchup LeBron chose as his venue for supporting Pryor: Ohio State plays Miami on Saturday.

Given LeBron's history of wearing enemy sports apparel, I wouldn't be surprised to see him show up to the game head-to-toe in green and orange with Warren Sapp and Michael Irvin in tow blasting "It's All About the U" from a gigantic set of speakers balanced precariously on his shoulder. Talk about a slap in the face.

In the event that happens, I fully expect Jim Tressel to take Pryor aside and give him the "never go against the family" speech Michael gives Fredo in The Godfather. At which point, Pryor will break down crying.

Hopefully ESPN has them both mic'd up for the game.

To reach editor Patrick Crawley, click here.

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