The Triumphant Return of Braxton Miller

BLACKSBURG, Va. — For all of the offseason talk of where he would wind up this fall, Braxton Miller found himself in perhaps the most familiar place possible as college football's opening weekend came to a close on Monday night: 

Standing in the end zone.

Yes, Miller was playing a new position—debuting as a wide receiver as Cardale Jones got the start at quarterback for Ohio State—and rocking a new jersey number as he traded in his familiar No. 5 for a more slimming No. 1.

But the most important aspect of the fifth-year senior's appearance on Monday night was that he was wearing a Buckeyes uniform, following an offseason full of rumors regarding his ability as a graduate transfer.

"I love Braxton Miller," Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said after the game. "I'm honored to coach him again."

And boy did Meyer and the Buckeyes need him, as a return to college football more than 18 months in the making saw Miller once again playing the role of hero when his team needed him most, as Ohio State left Blacksburg with a 42-24 season-opening win over Virginia Tech.

The defending national champion's victory over the Hokies, however, wasn't as one-sided as the final score would indicate, as many of the same problems that plagued the Buckeyes a season ago in their loss to Virginia Tech once again made an appearance on Monday night.

Scoring 17 consecutive second-quarter points, the Hokies took a 17-14 lead into halftime as Ohio State suffered from turnovers, inconsistent quarterback play and an inability to run the ball in the first half.

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But even as the Hokies seemed to once again figure out the Buckeyes, there was no answer to be found for Miller, who tallied 140 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in his non-quarterback debut.

"Making up for lost time, you could call it that," Miller said in a hallway outside the locker room after the game, a towel draped over his head and a bible in his hand. "I'm just out there enjoying what I love—being out there with my brothers."

Miller was about as big of an X-factor as there could have possibly been heading into Monday night's game, having already established himself as one of college football's most electric players, but still an unknown quantity as a wide receiver.

The two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year did his best to answer questions about his ability to track down balls in the first half, hauling in an impressive diving 24-yard catch from Jones on the Buckeyes' third series of the game.

Immediately jumping up and pointing to the sky after the catch, Miller officially announced his arrival at the new position.

"I'd say the third day of [fall] camp," Miller said, when asked when he first truly felt like a wide receiver. "Just getting the play from the sideline, getting lined up and figuring out what route you got."

It may have taken Miller three days to feel like a wideout, but it took him less than three quarters to find the end zone, as he scored his first touchdown as a wide receiver on a 54-yard pass from Jones on the opening drive of the third quarter, giving the Buckeyes a 21-17 lead.

That catch—while impressive—was nothing compared to Miller's second score of the night, a 53-yard rush on a third-quarter direct snap that featured a spin move so sick that it could only be recreated in a Madden video game.

By the time Ohio State had lined up for the ensuing kickoff, the play had already gone viral, serving as a reminder of the joystick-like ability that had been missing from the Buckeyes lineup for the past year. It also drew rave reviews from Miller's teammates, who were happy to see their partner and captain refind his footing on the field as quickly as he did.

"There he goes. That's Braxton," wide receiver Michael Thomas, one of Miller's closest friends on the team, said of his reaction to the play. "It was a blessing to see him be able to do that."

"I was at the wideout position. After he broke I was like, 'Wow, I'm not about to run down there with him,'" the 6'5", 250-pounds Jones said. "I saw him spin, and I was like, 'OK, he's back.'"

"I set them up," Miller said of his video-game-like spin. "I saw them out of the corner of my eye, and then I hit the circle button."

But Monday night was about more than highlight-reel plays and a star player finding his place in an offense where he once seemed to be the odd man out.

This was about a year-and-a-half of uncertainty, recovery and at times, controversy, all culminating with Miller breaking down in front of his teammates after a game where he once again carried the Buckeyes on his back—just as he did all those times as a quarterback in 2012 and 2013.

"He got real emotional," Meyer said. "The negative about football is that you don't see (under) their helmet and sometimes a visor, and you don't get to see what this kid's all about. And this kid's about all the right stuff."

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"Tears were running in my eyes, I couldn't really talk. My eyes got super red," Miller said. "I was just thanking God. I just love my teammates. They believed in me, and they raised me up since I was injured. I'm just happy to be out there."

And while Miller's journey back to the football field is finally complete, the best news for both him and the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes is that his transition to wide receiver—and occasional Wildcat quarterback—is still in its infancy.

The 6'2", 215-pounder still has plenty of room left for improvement and will only be made more versatile by fellow wideouts Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson and Corey Smith returning for Ohio State's matchup with Hawaii on Saturday.

But even with a short week ahead, Monday night presented the Buckeyes with plenty of cause for celebration—something they got used to doing in Miller's absence a season ago.

And with the way Miller looked in his reintroduction to college football, that might not be something that changes anytime soon.

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.