2014 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State

Ohio State Overview: After running, passing and leading the Buckeyes to a 12-0 season in 2012 with a school-record 3,310 yards of total offense and a fifth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting, Braxton Miller enters the 2013 season as a significant player to watch on the national scene … a finalist for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award (along with Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel and Kansas State’s Collin Klein) and the Manning Award (one of 10) last year, Miller threw for 2,039 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for a school-quarterback record (and second-most in Big Ten history) 1,271 yards and 13 touchdowns … he was named by the Chicago Tribune as the Big Ten Conference MVP and awarded its Silver Football … he also was named the Big Ten’s Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, joining Eddie George, Orlando Pace, Joe Germaine and Troy Smith as Ohio State honorees and he was awarded the conference’s Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year award as well … he ranked second in the Big Ten in 2012 in total offense (275.8 ypg), fourth in rushing (and 24th nationally at 105.9 ypg) and fourth in passing efficiency … Miller’s fine sophomore campaign has positioned him among Ohio State’s all-time greats in a number of categories, including passing (11th with 3,198 yards), rushing (22nd with 1,986 yards), total offense (10th with 5,184 yards) and touchdowns responsible for (7th with 48) … Miller has a high game of 249 yards passing (vs. Cal in 2012) and he has nine 100-yard rushing games with highs of 186 yards vs. Nebraska (2012), 161 yards vs. Miami (2012) and 149 vs. Indiana (2012) … he also has six games with 300-or-more yards of total offense (including a school-record tying five in 2012), topped by his 390-yard effort vs. Cal in 2012 … Miller enters 2013 with 26 rushes of 20-or-more yards, including five over 50 yards (81/TD vs. Indiana in 2011; 72 vs. Nebraska in 2012; 67/TD vs. Indiana in 2012; 65/TD vs. Miami in 2012; 55/TD vs. Cal in 2012) … perhaps the best Braxton Miller note is this, though: during Ohio State’s 12-0 campaign he led the team to a touchdown EVERY TIME the Buckeyes needed one most:

1. After 10-win Central Florida tied the score at 10-all, Miller scored from the 6 with 15 seconds to play in the first half of a game the Buckeyes would win, 31-16;
2. Miller rallied the Buckeyes twice vs. Cal; after trailing, 21-20, in the fourth quarter (TD pass to Jake Stoneburner) and again after Cal tied the score at 28-all, hitting Devin Smith with a 72-yard score with 3:26 left to play;
3. He drove Ohio State for scores after Alabama-Birmingham took a 9-0 lead and again after UAB led 12-7; Miller’s 12-yard TD run gave Ohio State the lead for good, 14-12, in the 29-15 win;
4. Miller found Devin Smith in stride for a 63-yard touchdown moments after 20th-ranked Michigan State went up 13-10 late in the third quarter;
5. After 20th-ranked Nebraska went up 17-7 in the second quarter, Miller exploded on a 72-yard rush to the Cornhusker 3 that set up a Carlos Hyde score, the first of four consecutive OSU TDs;
6. He burst 67 yards for a touchdown after Indiana had closed to within 24-17, and he led a TD drive after IU came to within 31-24 in the third quarter;
7. After Purdue led, 6-0, Miller scored on an 8-yard run, and after Purdue led, 13-7, he directed an 80-yard TD drive;
8. After Penn State led, 7-0, late in the first half, Miller’s 33-yard gain set OSU up first-and goal and the team converted, and after PSU closed to within 14-10, Miller scored on a highlight-reel touchdown from the 1 to give OSU a 21-10 lead on the way to a 35-23 win on the road in front of more than 107,000;
9. Miller rushed for 12 of the 25 yards during the overtime drive for a TD against Wisconsin; and
10. Two series after Michigan took a 14-10 lead, Miller connected with Corey Brown on an 18-yard touchdown pass play to put the Buckeyes up 17-14 in a game the Buckeyes would win, 26-21.

Miller has started 22 consecutive games for the Buckeyes (16-6 W/L record) … he took over the starting quarterback duties in the fourth game of the 2011 season and quickly became the team’s outstanding offensive player … he threw for 1,159 yards and 13 touchdowns (with only four interceptions) as a freshman and he led the team in rushing with 715 yards and seven touchdowns, statistics that enabled him to earn the Big Ten Conference’s Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year award … he was named by the Ohio State coaches as the team’s Archie Griffin outstanding offensive player (an honor he also won in 2012), and he was awarded the team’s outstanding first-year offensive player award as well … his fourth major honor that season was being named 2011 National Freshman Performer of the Year by the College FB Performance Awards, an honor previously won by South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore and Oregon’s LaMichael James … Miller became increasingly dangerous as a runner as the season progressed with 100-yard games in three of the last four regular season games … he set a school record for a quarterback with an 81-yard touchdown run vs. Indiana … his team-best three 100-yard rushing games included 105 yards against Indiana and Penn State, respectively, and 100 vs. Michigan … he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice: the first time after the dramatic win over Wisconsin when he completed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith with 40 seconds to play and rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns … he also won the Big Ten’s weekly frosh award after his 335 yards of total offense vs. Michigan … in addition to the Wisconsin effort, his late-game heroics included leading the Buckeyes to a game-tying touchdown with 55 seconds left to play against Purdue … on fourth-and-13 he found Jordan Hall in the end zone for the dramatic score that led to overtime against the Boilermakers … he also led the Buckeyes on a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter to help the team close the score to 37-34 against Michigan.