Ohio State Football 2011: Could Braxton Miller See Significant Playing Time?

Spring practices haven't even began yet, and there is already a buzz around the campus of the Ohio State University.

While the basketball team works diligently—and not totally quietly—toward its best season since the early 1960s, football is still the topic du jour around Columbus, Ohio.

Fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes have good reason to be excited for this coming season, even with four of its offensive starters having to sit out the first five games of the season.  The Buckeyes have landed one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, and figure to be among the preseason favorites to repeat as Big Ten Champions in 2011.

This class is led by quarterback Braxton Miller, of Huber Heights (Wayne) high school, who has drawn many comparisons to another qb already in the stable, mainly, starter Terrelle Pryor.  While Miller, at 6-2 and 195 pounds is not as physically imposing as Pryor, he has had his fair share of big game experience.  Miller was thrust into the limelight as a freshman qb at Wayne, where he would go on to shine for four years, culminating in a state finals appearance against Lakewood St. Edward last season.

With so much hype surrounding Braxton Miller, there is no way he should see playing time next season.

Or is there?

The suspension of starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor for the first five games (possibly less upon a successful appeal) has opened the door for someone else to come in and start right away. Right now many believe that Joe Bauserman, the senior who has been the backup to Pryor the last to seasons, has a leg up on his competitors(including Miller, Ken Guiton, and Taylor Graham, son of former OSU QB Kent Graham).

But Bauserman has failed to impress when he was inserted into the lineup in the past, and there is another contingent who believe that Tressel needs to start someone with a skill set similar to Pryor, if only to maintain continuity in the offense when TP finally returns from suspension.

Enter Braxton Miller.

Miller's elusiveness makes him a dual threat like Pryor, and it has been said that he is more of a polished passer at this point in his career than Terrelle was.  Should Miller get the starting nod he probably wouldn't be asked to do too much in the beginning anyway, as Jim Tressel likes to bring his young qbs along at a slow pace so as to not overwhelm them.

If Miller does start, the next question is: "What happens when Terrelle Pryor returns from suspension?"

More than likely Pryor will return to his starting role, as Tressel knows that Pryor understands the playbook far better than any of the other guys.  Yet that does not mean Miller will no longer be part of the game plan.  He could see a return to the lineup in certain situations, as Miller would possibly add a third dimension to Tressel's playbook.

Ohio State is not about to hand over the job to Braxton Miller, and he knows it.  Yet something about this guy says that he will work his hardest to ensure he is on the field during the season opener.  He has already enrolled in classes this winter to help himself get better acquainted with his teammates.  Even if he doesn't start at all next season, he should be fun to watch in the coming years.