Ohio State Football: Why Braxton Miller Will Be an Impact Player

The role of Terrelle Pryor's successor will likely be given to the hands of a true freshman.

Braxton Miller, the 6'2", 200-pound quarterback from Huber Heights Wayne high school in Dayton, Ohio, was the No. 1 ranked QB in the nation for the class of 2011 (according to Yahoo! Sports).

And with all the chaos and turmoil (trying to stay positive) that has plagued Columbus throughout the last few months, he looks to be the go-to-guy.

Five Buckeye starters were suspended for the first five games of 2011 before last season's Sugar Bowl. This included DeVier Posey, Dan "Boom" Herron and star QB Terrelle Pryor.

Head coach Jim Tressell, who was under massive amounts of criticism and scrutiny for holding back important information about these ineligible players from the university and NCAA, resigned on May 31.

The final collapse to this avalanche of madness for Ohio State's football program was when Terrelle Pryor announced he would be leaving the school for the NFL's supplementary draft. He later publicly apologized to his fans, his school, and most importantly (and most emphasized) Jim Tressell.

It isn't for certain just yet, but it seems that Braxton Miller is in the lead for the starting role over senior Joe Bauserman, sophomore Kenny Guiton and sophomore Justin Siems. It may be in Luke Fickell's best interests to start the true freshman in Week 1.

Braxton Miller's Talents

Braxton Miller is an extremely versatile athlete. He can (and will) thrash through opposing defenses by passing or running the ball, and his dual-threat abilities gives him great similarity to former Buckeyes' Heisman Trophy Winner Troy Smith (with much better size).

Miller was timed at a 4.45 40-yard dash and has superior arm strength, although he isn't always consistent with his accuracy.

During his senior season, Miller passed for 2,167 yards and 17 touchdowns, while scrambling for 658 yards and 17 scores. He won 31 games to just seven losses throughout his high school career.

The 18-year-old graduated early and enrolled into Ohio State in January, where he immediately began working out with the team.

And he's workin' hard.

Expectations for 2011

The talented QB has already acknowledged that improvement with his technique and game will be required.

But the coaches know that Ohio State's offensive scheme is one Miller can thrive in.

Miller proved he can play with the big boys, showing signs of excellence during the Buckeyes' spring game. He finished 7-of-12 from the air for 73 yards, including a beautiful touchdown pass to Corey Brown (look for this to reoccur more than once). Miller escaped a collapsing pocket with ease plenty of times and added 19 yards rushing on four carries. His Scarlet squad defeated Gray 59-27.

But how will this translate into the real thing?

Speculation and educated guessing is really the only thing we can do now. But looking ahead, even with the mess OSU has found itself in, Miller may end up having a breakout season.

Heck, he could even find himself winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.

In four of the five games that finished within two scores last year, Pryor led the team in both passing and rushing, averaging 176.2 yards through the air and 93.2 on the ground. This proves that Miller can find success against tough opponents, as he plays with the same type of style.

Ohio State's schedule contains four teams with losing campaigns in 2010, two of them being in the first four scheduled games. The Buckeyes' suspended players return in Week 6 at Nebraska, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Miller will be more-than happy to have them back.

The mobile athlete has a lot to carry on his shoulders. A frequent phrase used about the Bucks' football program is, "Ohio State doesn't rebuild, it reloads." Assuming Miller takes the QB responsibilities, he will be expected by the fanbase to carry on the expression.

“When I look at Braxton Miller, I just see a guy trying to get better every day,” said suspended Ohio State tailback Dan Herron, according to SportingNews. “A guy who really wants to win, who wants to make something happen this year.”

And winning is exactly what Braxton Miller plans to do.