Cal vs. Ohio State: Urban Meyer's Game Plan Turns Braxton Miller Loose

Braxton Miller proved that not only can he spread the ball around, but he can also take the game over when the Buckeyes need him to.

Ohio State didn't look perfect this Saturday, but the Buckeyes' record remained spotless as they escaped California's upset bid. The defense has plenty to fix, but if you're looking at the offense, you should know one thing: Braxton Miller is "the man" for Ohio State.

A week after Miller ran 27 times for the Buckeyes, it was clear Urban Meyer wanted the sophomore to spread the love—and spread it he did.

Miller hit Devin Smith, Jake Stoneburner, Corey "Philly" Brown, Nick Vannett, Jeff Heuerman and a couple of other players throughout the game. He handed the zone-read off to Jordan Hall instead of keeping it early in the game.

In short, Braxton Miller showed he could do more than just be a one-man show when it comes to running the offense.

Still, in the fourth quarter the Buckeyes defense let California back in the game. Not just once, but twice. First Cal took the lead on a Zach Maynard quarterback run. Then the Bears got the game all knotted up on a Brendon Bigelow rush. 

In the fourth quarter, we saw the Buckeyes offense change drastically. Instead of Braxton Miller looking to share the football, it turned into The Braxton Miller Show. The sophomore did not carry the ball every play—he engineered a couple drives that got his team the lead back (and, ultimately, for good).

Miller ran in the fourth quarter. He threw in the fourth quarter. He also made smart decisions on the option in the fourth quarter. Two of his five completions were for touchdowns in the final period.

Simply put, Miller took over the game.

After doing everything he could to get other folks involved, the fourth quarter belonged to Miller. He ran, he threw and he made the decisions to put the Buckeyes over the top. Urban Meyer's team isn't where they want to be, but they have the quarterback to take them there.