Braxton Miller may have stepped over Ezekiel Elliott as Ohio State’s primary weapon
Braxton Miller, the former starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate from Ohio State, made his debut as a wide receiver and H-back in the 2015 opener against Virginia Tech, and he did more than just play well.
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All eyes were on two facets of the Ohio State offense when they took the field to defend their national championship against the last team who managed to beat them – the quarterback position, and running back Ezekiel Elliott.
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Elliott had been the man who, in many respects, carried the Buckeyes to the most important victories of the year in 2014. When starting quarterback J.T. Barrett went down with an injury just as Ohio State was about to face Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game, Urban Meyer knew he’d have to lean on his running back to take some pressure off of third string QB Cardale Jones (who did manage to make a little of his own magic).
But it was Zeke Elliott who really stole the show, running for 220 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ big 59-0 win over the Badgers.
Then in the college football playoff, Elliott had to go up against one of the most stout run defenses in the nation – Alabama. He responded with 230 yards and two touchdowns in the 42-35 upset over the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide.
It was Elliott once again who found the will to lead Ohio State to a national championship against the heavily favored Oregon Ducks when he carried the ball 36 times for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
Elliott’s totals for those three all-important games for the Buckeyes, 76 carries, 696 yards and eight touchdowns. The Buckeyes had themselves a stud.
Coming into 2015, no one was sure who was going to start at quarterback or how some of the holes on defense would be filled, but one thing we were all sure of is that Zeke Elliott was going to be the focal point of the Ohio State offense, and he was going to terrorize the Big Ten.
Jan 24, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) addresses the fans during the National Championship celebration at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Things certainly started off that was against Virginia Tech. The first time Elliott touched the ball, he broke through some Hokie arm tackles for an 80-yard touchdown run that put the Buckeyes up 14-0 in the first quarter. Man, this was going to be ugly.
But then something odd happened. The Hokies suddenly remembered that they were allowed to play defense and Urban Meyer forgot that Zeke Elliott was on his team. The bruising tailback only got three more carries in the first half, to give him 105 yards, 80 of which had come on that single play.
And although the Buckeyes would take control in the second half of the game after knocking out Virginia Tech starting quarterback Michael Brewer, Elliott’s night was basically done. He finished the game with 11 carries and 122 yards, and hardly broke a sweat in the process.
Now this wasn’t a game against some FCS creampuff or an FBS team who barely had enough players to avoid playing iron man football. This was Virginia Tech, one of the top-rated defensive teams in the nation and (as stated earlier) the last team to put the Buckeyes in the L column.
Elliott wasn’t being saved for rested for another game…he was being overshadowed by a guy who used to stick the ball in his gut – former starting quarterback, Braxton Miller.
Miller made the switch to playing wide receiver and H-back during the offseason, realizing that his chronic shoulder problems would keep him from really competing for a starting spot against Barrett and Jones. And as one of the finest pure athletes you’ll ever see, he caught on to the positions quickly and then made sure the world knew he was still Heisman material.
Against the Hokies, Miller ran the ball six times for 62 yards and a spin move on a 53-yard touchdown run that made every person who’s ever played Madden get twitchy thumbs.
That’s just wrong on so many levels.
But it wasn’t just that one play. Miller also caught two passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Total all-purpose yards for the former QB, eight touches, 140 yards and two touchdowns – not to mention the admiration of just about everyone on Twitter and a renewal of his name being mentioned as a Heisman hopeful.
As for Elliott, well…he did fumble the punt that helped get Virginia Tech back into the game in the first half (a position he would have never been put in had certain players not been suspended for this game).
So did Braxton Miller just step over Ezekiel Elliott as the Buckeyes’ bell cow? You won’t get an answer from Urban Meyer if you ask him that question. He’ll tell you that he’s loaded with offensive weapons (truth) and that he’ll go with whoever gives him the best shot at a win. But you just can’t help but think that there was a reason (other than the muffed punt return) that Meyer quit calling Elliott’s number.
With the Hokies being dispatched with all the efficiency of a Rolex watch, Ohio State’s schedule softens considerably now with Hawaii, Northern Illinois (trap game?), Western Michigan, Indiana and Maryland all sitting like ducks in a row for the Buckeyes to pick off one by one. You can’t think that any one player will feel a huge load in any of those games.
We’ll know more about who Urban Meyer wants to lean on when the Buckeyes welcome Penn State to the Horseshoe on October 17….that is if Braxton Miller hasn’t already wrapped up his overdue Heisman by that time.
Until then, we’ll just keep our eyes peeled for the first “Ezekiel Elliott seeking transfer” ridiculous rumor tweets.
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