Ohio State Blasts Miami U., West Virginia Rolls Marshall: Braxton Miller and Geno Smith Flourish

Urban Meyer’s debut at Ohio State got off to a slow start, but when the Buckeyes started clicking against Miami U. they did not disappoint. The same can’t be said for West Virginia, which failed against Marshall to match its Orange Bowl output. C’mon Dana Holgorsen, 69 points? Your team scored 70 against Clemson.

In all seriousness, both offenses were operating with dizzying quickness and mid-season efficiency for much of their routs. Quarterbacks Braxton Miller and Geno Smith were particularly impressive for different reasons. Meyer’s hire elicited immediate excitement for Miller’s future. Meyer has a proven track record of developing quarterbacks, including facilitating Tim Tebow’s historically productive college career. Meyer helped make Tebow a legend, utilizing his rushing ability and devising schemes that played to his passing strengths.

Miller is another dual threat quarterback, and exhibited just how much so in going for a combined 370 — 207 passing, 163 rushing — in Saturday’s win. His accuracy still rated a meh, but when you’re breaking off 10-freakin-‘-yards a rush, 56 percent completions is easily forgiven.

Smith is also in a system that accents his strengths, and he certainly flexed his muscles with an absurd 32-36, 323-yard, four-touchdown performance. Smith also broke off eight yards per carry for 64 yards and another score. Adding a capably rushing quarterback to the already dangerous air raid spread is basically the same as equipping a black mamba with a grenade launcher.

Evaluations of what these win mean in a larger context should be tempered — Ohio State beat a 4-8 finisher from the MAC, and in-state counterpart Marshall has never beaten West Virginia in 12 meetings over the last century. To mention a certain H-word in reference to either quarterback’s performance — Heisman — would be exercising another H-word — hyperbole.

What would not be hyperbolic is to say few plays are going to match Miller’s first touchdown pass, which Devin Smith hauled in via the early clubhouse leader for Play of the Year (video via Big Ten Network).