Braxton Miller to Start for Ohio State, and the Nation's Top QB Controversies

After watching his team get embarrassed by Miami in Week 3, Ohio State coach Luke Fickell knew it was time to shake things up.

Many Buckeyes fans have been begging and clamoring to see highly touted freshman sensation Braxton Miller get a shot at quarterback, and it looks like they’ll finally get their wish this week.

Miller has been tapped to start Ohio State’s game against Colorado on Saturday.

This comes on the heels of former starting quarterback Joe Bauserman’s miserable 2-for-14 performance down in Coral Gables last Saturday night.

While it remains to be seen if the young freshman can live up to the hype or not, surely he can do better than Bauserman, who has the makeup of a second-string lifer.

Ohio State isn’t the only recognizable program that’s had to endure some indecision at the quarterback position this year.

Here’s a look at a few notable quarterback battles from around college football.

Ohio State: Braxton Miller or Joe Bauserman

After getting pounded by Miami last Saturday night, Ohio State coach Luke Fickell has opted to go with freshman Braxton Miller for this weekend’s game against Colorado.

Miller replaced former starting quarterback Joe Bauserman midway through the Miami game after Bauserman managed to complete just two out of his 14 pass attempts.

The former five-star recruit is still very raw, but he’s much more physically gifted than Bauserman and even though he’s going to make his fair share of mistakes, Miller still gives the Buckeyes the best chance to win.

Penn State: Rob Bolden or Matt McGloin

If you watched the Penn State-Alabama game, you had to wonder to yourself if Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin were really the best that the Nittany Lions could do at quarterback.

Last weekend’s Penn State-Temple game only served to raise those concerns.

Neither Bolden nor McGloin can be considered steady passers, but since Bolden offers up a little more athleticism and mobility, he’s the team’s best option right now.

Auburn: Barrett Trotter or Kiehl Frazier

Gus Malzahn is slowly starting to integrate heralded freshman Keihl Frazier into the Auburn offense, but that whole process could speed up if current starter Barrett Trotter continues to pile up losses.

Trotter looked ineffective, completing less than 50 percent of his passes in the loss at Clemson last week and it might be smart to get Frazier, who is being hailed as the future of the program, some more reps early on in his career.

Texas: Case McCoy or David Ash

Thankfully, the Garrett Gilbert era has come to an end at Texas, but now the question is which new era are we ready for, Case McCoy’s or David Ash’s?

McCoy, the younger brother of former Longhorn great Colt McCoy, seems like he’s got a good grip on the starting job for now after putting up a big performance against UCLA last weekend.

Ash is no slouch, though.

The freshman is a tall pocket passer who knows how to sling the ball around the field.

South Carolina: Stephen Garcia or Connor Shaw

South Carolina has the talent to win the SEC East this year, but the Gamecocks are going to need to raise their consistency level if they actually want to reach that goal.

It all starts with quarterback Stephen Garcia, an almost permanent resident in coach Steve Spurrier’s dog house.

The senior signal-caller responded well to a demotion in the season-opener against East Carolina and he’s gone on to lead the team to three straight victories, but that hasn’t helped to shorten his leash. If Garcia slips up again, either on the field or off, we will see backup Connor Shaw take his place for good.

Alabama: A.J. McCarron or Phillip Sims

Alabama’s quarterback battle wasn’t settled coming out of camp but it looks like the Tide have finally found an offensive leader they can count on in A.J. McCarron.

While backup Phillip Sims has taken a few snaps in the Tide’s two blowouts, when push came to shove, coach Nick Saban felt most comfortable going with McCarron as the starter in a hostile road environment at Penn State.

It looks like Alabama will rely on McCarron, a talented former four-star recruit, to guide them to the promised land this season.