Ohio State Football: Why Braxton Miller Must Play Against Miami for OSU to Win

Among the storylines from Ohio State's 27-22 escape against Toledo is the fact that quarterback Braxton Miller did not take a single snap.

Head coach Luke Fickell has said that he wanted to keep Braxton off the field because he was a little banged up. The Buckeyes could have used him Saturday, as Joe Bauserman's performance against Toledo (16-for-30, 189 yards, one touchdown) inspired little confidence, especially going into a big OOC matchup this Saturday.

Sound familiar?

The only difference this time around is Miami is nowhere near as good as USC was three years ago when Ohio State was manhandled yet again on national television.

This time around, these two teams are about even talent-wise, but the 'Canes do have an edge with more experience in their skill positions going into this game. 

To make up for that, Fickell will need to throw Miller to the fire and see how he does in certain situations on Saturday.

He won't be starting that game for sure, but he does have the ability to have a huge impact.

As a freshman, Miller has shown to be a better passer than Terrelle Pryor even when Pryor was a sophomore.

He throws a crisp ball and is a much more decisive runner than Pryor at this stage of his career.

The one thing he doesn't have is Pryor's freakish size and speed ratio.

However, that doesn't mean he shouldn't get a chance on Saturday.

Against a good team like Miami, especially if Brown can't go because of his ankle injury, Ohio State will need as much help as it can get as far as threats offensively.

Having Hall back helps. A healthy Jaamal Berry doesn't hurt either, as his homecoming is another big story of this game. However, the offense, like a chemical reaction, needs a catalyst, a dose of No. 5 to get things cranked up.

That's not to say Bauserman won't possibly bounce back from Toledo, but he has pretty much hit his ceiling.

He can be a solid safety net if Miller gets into trouble assuming he will take the reins of the starting job soon.

The Miami game can certainly be a coming out party for the young man who has had to fill some big shoes before. He started his freshman year at Wayne High School in Ohio in Division I, where few freshman, if any, get to play at the big level. And he finished the year 8-2.

That alone shows he isn't afraid of a challenge.

However, will the coaches be ready to let him loose and put him on the biggest stage of his young life?

In small doses, yes. 

He shouldn't play the entire game, but they will need his change-of-pace, dual-threat ability to help Ohio State get to 3-0.

Those type of skills are what makes a good QB potentially a special player. 

And for Braxton Miller, his chance to shine is just a few days away.

If he can help OSU win the game, and there is no doubt he will have to make some kind of an impact to help the Buckeyes, which can go a long way to getting Ohio State's future moving in the right direction.

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