Is Loyalty Braxton Miller's Best Asset in Ohio State Quarterback Battle?
COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Ohio State's contingent of players hits the red carpet for Wednesday night's ESPYS award show in Los Angeles, the presence of three of its players will need no explanation.
There will be Best Breakthrough Athlete nominee Cardale Jones, the quarterback for the final three games of the Buckeyes' national championship run.
Alongside Jones will be running back Ezekiel Elliott, the MVP of both the Sugar Bowl and national title game, who will be the subject of an ESPN E:60 feature this August, according to his father, Stacy Elliott.
And representing the Ohio State defense will be Joshua Perry, the Buckeyes' leading tackler in 2014, who is a lock to be a captain and de facto spokesman for the team in 2014.
But for the fourth ESPYS representative from Ohio State—which is nominated in the "Best Team" category on Wednesday night—his attendance isn't as clear-cut as Jones', Elliott's or Perry's. Especially considering that Braxton Miller didn't play a single snap in the Buckeyes' national championship season.
Nevertheless, there will be Miller, strolling the red carpet outside the Microsoft Theater while simultaneously reclaiming his status as one of the faces of college football. “It feels great,” Miller said on Tuesday, just prior to departing the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for his flight to Los Angeles. “It’s an honor. I respect the guys for bringing me out there with them."
None of the Buckeyes making the trip to Los Angeles said they know how they were selected to attend the ESPYS, but Jones, Elliott and Perry each said that Miller was a deserving candidate, even as on-field contributors such as quarterback J.T. Barrett and defensive end Joey Bosa are left behind. One could argue that Miller, the Big Ten MVP in 2012 and 2013, played the biggest role in Ohio State's seamless transition into the Urban Meyer era, as he helped quarterback the Buckeyes to a 24-2 record in Meyer's first two seasons in Columbus.
"Braxton is a big reason we are where we are now," Elliott said."Braxton was a very important part of the team the two years before last year, and this team wouldn’t be where we are without his leadership. I think it’s important that he’s there.”
Whether Miller truly deserves to be representing Ohio State at the ESPYS is a conversation for a different day, and quite frankly, a point not worth arguing without knowing how the selection process took place. But on the eve of an unprecedented quarterback competition, it's hard not to read into Miller's inclusion on the trip, especially after he recently reaffirmed his commitment to the Buckeyes for the 2015 season.
“I'm a Buckeye, man,” Miller said on Tuesday. “I've got (an Ohio State) tat on my shoulder. My son is going to come here one day.”
After months of speculation that the Huber Heights, Ohio, native would take advantage of his ability as a graduate transfer, there's now no doubt left as to where Miller will be spending the final season of his college career.
But while Miller will now undoubtedly remain a Buckeye in 2015, how he'll be spending the season still remains unclear. Because even though he has the most extensive resume of the three, Miller could very well be the odd man out in an Ohio State quarterback competition featuring three overqualified candidates with legitimate claims to the Buckeyes' starting job.
Despite stating that he's nearly fully recovered from the torn labrum in his throwing shoulder that brought his 2014 season to an end before it started, Miller still hasn't played an actual down of football in 19 months, which opened the door for Barrett to break records and Jones to lead the Buckeyes to the college football crown in his absence. From a pure passing standpoint, both Barrett and Jones appeared more well-equipped to run Meyer's spread offense than Miller, who at times—albeit often by necessity—resembled a one-man show with his propensity for relying on his legs.
If Meyer bases his quarterback competition on preseason statistics, as he insists he will, it's hard to imagine either Jones or Barrett not being named Ohio State's starter.
But even with Meyer's insistence to the contrary, Miller's primary advantage over Jones and Barrett heading into fall camp appears to be Meyer's allegiance to the player who arguably laid the foundation for the Buckeyes' national title season, despite not officially participating in it. In an interview with Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch, the fourth-year Ohio State head coach indicated as much when he spoke of his "obligation" to both Miller and his family.
“I feel a tremendous obligation—me personally as the head coach at Ohio State—to Braxton Miller and his family. Absolutely,” Meyer said. “Now, what does that mean? That’s to be determined. But is there an obligation to Braxton? About as obligated as I’ve ever been to any player for what he has gone through and what he has meant to this team.”
While Meyer went on to state that he also has an obligation to Jones and Barrett, he appears to feel a stronger one to Miller for sticking with the Buckeyes when he could have transferred anywhere in the country and played immediately—despite Jones' bypassing the 2015 NFL draft.
Perhaps that explains Miller's presence in Los Angeles, as Meyer proves that the 6'2", 215-pounder is still very much a part of the Ohio State program and is a legitimate contender in the upcoming quarterback derby. Or perhaps it's simply a lifetime achievement award, a thank-you to the player most responsible for re-elevating the Buckeyes to national championship contenders in the wake of the sanctions that stemmed from Jim Tressel's messy departure in 2011.
Or maybe it's something in-between. Or maybe it's neither at all.
Either way, it's hard to see the decision to send Miller to the ESPYS and not try to figure what it means for Ohio State's highly anticipated quarterback battle. We'll know the ultimate outcome to the competition soon enough, but if loyalty is indeed a factor, Miller just may have an edge.
“It's going to be fun,” Miller said. “We'll get the opportunity to push one another, and it will be fun.”
Whether that sentiment will hold up for Miller—or Jones or Barrett—remains to be seen.
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.
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
