It's Time to Believe Urban Meyer: Braxton Miller Will Return to Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Friday didn't mark the first time Urban Meyer stated Braxton Miller would be back at Ohio State for the 2015 season.

But it did mark the first time the Buckeyes head coach did so adamantly, without attaching a qualifier to his proclamation.

Ever since J.T. Barrett emerged—and Cardale Jones after him—in Miller's absence during Ohio State's run to the national championship, rumors have swirled that Miller would use his ability as a graduate transfer to spend the final season of his college career somewhere else. During a press conference promoting OSU's "Real Life Wednesdays" program Friday, Meyer took his biggest step toward squashing the speculation.

"He's playing for Ohio State next fall," Meyer said of Miller. "I don't know where that comes from."

Those rumors—some legitimate, some unfounded—have stemmed from the uncertainty surrounding Miller's health following a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, the presence of the two other qualified and younger quarterbacks on the Buckeyes depth chart and Miller's reluctance to speak to the media or publicly comment on his future. Even when Meyer was asked about the subject on previous occasions, he never seemed to be fully confident Miller would be back in Columbus this fall.

Such was the case in January, when Miller vaguely indicated at Ohio State's national title celebration that he'd be joining the Buckeyes on their championship defense in the fall. Speaking to reporters in the moments following, Meyer said the situation wasn't that simple.

"That's what he said," Meyer said when Miller's comments of "We've got another year to do it" at the celebration were relayed to him. "I don't know. We've been talking all along. It's a unique situation, which we'll cover that later."

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In multiple media appearances throughout the spring, Meyer said he was under the impression Miller would be returning to Ohio State, but he would also always throw in a caveat such as, "Young people or anyone is allowed to change their mind," as he did during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show in April.

With Miller refusing to meet with the media, Barrett became the most vocal that his teammate would be back in Columbus, stating: "Being that I do talk to [Miller] every day, I think that would be something me and you both [would] be shocked, if he was to leave."

But now that Meyer has joined Barrett in taking a strong stance on Miller as a Buckeye come fall, it's time to start viewing that idea as closer to fact than wishful thinking. There's still time for the Ohio State quarterback to back out—Russell Wilson didn't transfer from North Carolina State to Wisconsin until late June in 2011—but Meyer wouldn't be making this type of de facto guarantee unless he was confident.

Whether something changed to move Meyer's attitude on the subject from seemingly cautious to definitive remains unclear, but there was more to the speculation surrounding Miller than mere message board fodder. The reality is Miller's uncertain health status left him unsure of what his best option for his senior season was, with staying at Ohio State in the meantime giving him the ability to keep all his options on the table.

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But with Miller progressing toward full strength—Meyer said on Friday he's now throwing the ball up to 35 yards and is in the "best shape he's ever been in of his life"—it appears as though the two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year will be betting on himself in a highly touted three-way quarterback competition against Barrett and Jones. Meyer said he hasn't even considered a position change for the dual-threat signal-caller, but he also hasn't ruled one out.

"The objective is to get him healthy," Meyer said. "And to get him healthy to play quarterback for Ohio State."

Who will start for the Buckeyes this fall and what position Miller will wind up playing will ultimately be decided down the line, with Ohio State's season opener still more than three months away. But Meyer's statement on Friday gave us our clearest indication that decisions will indeed have to be made in what's shaping up to be an unprecedented offseason for college football's defending national champion.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.