Ohio State Football: Will Braxton Miller Play Against the Miami Hurricanes?

Chants calling for true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller were echoed throughout the Horseshoe last Saturday when the Ohio State Buckeyes struggled to put away MAC opponent Toledo.

However, coach Luke Fickell modestly stood his ground, leaving Joe Bauserman under center the entire game, regardless of poor play.

The fifth-year senior started the opener against Akron and looked better than expected, but then struggled at times against the Rockets. He tended to overthrow receivers and failed to see open targets on multiple occasions.

The Buckeyes were in an unfamiliar position for a good portion of the game—playing catch-up.

Bauserman was forced to throw the ball 30 times due to a lack of ground support from fourth-string running back Carlos Hyde (3.8 yards per carry). The 25-year-old QB completed just 16 passes (53.3 percent) for 189 yards and a touchdown.

Although Bauserman did not look appealing to the fan's eye, he didn't make the big mistake, either. He did not throw an interception, which ultimately gives him an advantage over his counterpart.

Nevertheless, his average performance won't cut it against the Miami Hurricanes, especially if Jaamal Berry and Jordan Hall can't get things going on the ground.

Miller wasn't needed in Week 2. He could have been used, sure, and probably would have helped. But for whatever reason (it may be trust), the dual-threat quarterback wasn't employed at all in the matchup with Toledo.

And that's okay.

But when Ohio State travels down to South Beach and Fickell realizes that it is no longer playing the Mid-American Conference, he'll need to suck it up and play his versatile freshman alongside with Bauserman.

Comparisons say that Miller relates to Troy Smith with much better size. In Smith's first start as a quarterback, he threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 58.

You're probably saying, "That was at home against the Indiana Hoosiers, come on!" You're right, not impressive enough. But how about this?

In his first start on the road (two games later) against a tough Michigan State team, Smith went 13-of-21 for 138 yards and a touchdown sling. These aren't overwhelming stats by any means, but OSU won that game, 31-19—and a "W" is all that matters.

We must understand that Miller needs time to figure out the pace of the college level. But we also know that Miami is just flat-out faster than Ohio State.

Joe Bauserman can get us through the easy, low-pressured situations because he's smart with the ball, conservative and does a decent job of getting things done.

But when we need a spark on offense—a playmaker—Fickell will have to use the former No. 1 QB recruit in the country. Miller will be needed to match the speed of the Hurricanes' defense.

And according to The News-Herald, the Buckeyes intend on utilizing his talents this upcoming Saturday.