Could Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett Make a 2-QB System Work at Ohio State?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Even as he continues to recover from a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder that ended his senior season before it ever started, Braxton Miller appears to have no shortage of options when it comes to his future.

The two-time Big Ten MVP could take his talents to the NFL draft, where he'd likely be a late-round pick, or take advantage of college football's graduate transfer rule and immediately receive eligibility at another school.

But those in Columbus maintain that Miller's plan is to return to Ohio State for a second try at a senior season in 2015. That sentiment was backed up by a report from NFL Media's Albert Breer on Wednesday, via Chase Goodbread of NFL.com.

"Speculation is swelling that Miller is considering a post-graduate transfer," Goodbread writes. "Two sources close to Miller, however, say the quarterback's plan for now is to remain at Ohio State and lead the Buckeyes in 2015, according to NFL Media's Albert Breer."

While head coach Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes staff would certainly welcome Miller back with open arms, the emergence of redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett complicates matters.

After all, the assumption in August was that Miller would regain OSU's starting quarterback job based on his previous merits, but Barrett's accomplishments may ultimately trump those. The Heisman Trophy contender has the Buckeyes on the cusp of a Big Ten championship and potential appearance in the College Football Playoff.

A lot, of course, can change between now and the end of the season, but Barrett's progress to this point makes it awfully hard to imagine that he'll find himself back on the bench when the 2015 season kicks off.

In just 10 games, the Wichita Falls, Texas, native has broken Ohio State's single-season record for touchdowns accounted for (38) and is only four scores away from tying Drew Brees' Big Ten record of 42 total touchdowns in a single season.

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

Those numbers certainly speak for themselves, as it becomes clearer each week that Barrett will be the Buckeyes' starting quarterback in 2015. But where would that leave Miller?

After all, when healthy, there may not be a more dynamic quarterback in the country, one more capable of single-handedly keeping his team in any game, than Miller. He has finished in the top 10 in Heisman voting in each of the past two seasons.

While rumors that Miller could potentially change positions in the Ohio State offense have only been further fueled by the success that former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson has found as a running back with the Jacksonville Jaguars, it's unlikely that Miller would opt to learn a new spot in college and not the pros.

Despite his injury, Miller has already put enough footage on film to prove that he'd be worth a late-round investment for any NFL team looking to add another potential playmaker to its offense.

But if Miller really is hellbent on returning to Ohio State, one seldom discussed option for the Buckeyes would be to run a two-quarterback system.

That would present questions of its own, given the alpha dog nature of the quarterback position, but Meyer has insisted that such a setup could be successful if both signal-callers possess the right attitude.

"It all depends on the makeup of the individual," Meyer said when asked about Wisconsin's quarterback situation on Nov. 11. "If they're egoless and team-first guys, it will be no problem."

Meyer is no stranger to multi-quarterback systems, his most famous coming in 2006 when Chris Leak and Tim Tebow helped lead Florida to a BCS national championship. That might actually provide an intriguing blueprint for the Buckeyes, with Barrett playing the primary quarterback role that Leak did and Miller serving as the situational back with a unique skill set a la Tebow.

Such a setup would be dependent on Miller accepting a secondary role, which would undoubtedly be humbling for a player who has accomplished as much he already has in his college career.

But if the Huber Heights, Ohio, native was willing to move from starting quarterback to situational weapon, the Ohio State offense would be the most versatile in the nation with Barrett, Miller, H-back Jalin Marshall and 4-star prospect Torrance Gibson all capable of both carrying the ball and attempting passes.

Although a two-quarterback system featuring both Barrett and Miller could make one of the best offenses in the country all the more dangerous, Meyer also knows that there's a reason why championship contenders often stick with just one signal-caller.

In 2010, Meyer again opted to use multiple quarterbacks in the same offense, with John Brantley, Jordan Reed and Trey Burton splitting reps for the Gators.

Brantley, Reed and Burton never found the same chemistry that Leak and Tebow did four years prior, with Florida ultimately tallying an 8-5 record in Meyer's final season in Gainesville.

"It's actually very hard," Meyer said of multi-quarterback systems. "It's risky. We had some issues with it."

As Meyer alluded to, it all comes down to the mindsets of the players participating in it, and there's no reason to believe that either Barrett or Miller would be averse to splitting reps with one another. In fact, Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman said that Miller has still been active in the Buckeyes' quarterback room despite his inability to play this season.

"He's in meetings, he's engaged with our guys when he's not in the training room," Herman said. "He's doing good."

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

As for a potential two-quarterback system or quarterback controversy, Meyer has recently declined to commit to anything after initially giving Miller his endorsement in late September. But of all the problems for a head coach to have, Meyer insists that this is a good one.

"Competition brings out the best," Meyer said on Nov. 10. "And I'm really excited to have two really good quarterbacks next year, if that's the plan."

According to NFL.com, it is the plan. And that could make the Buckeyes' options—like Miller's—limitless.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com and recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.