Braxton Miller’s Injury

Ohio State standout quarterback Braxton Miller left Monday’s practice with a shoulder injury on the same wing that was operated on after last year.  While the MRI hasn’t been reported yet, local sports reporter Tim May sited sources that Miller’s season may be in jeopardy**.  Last season Miller missed time but Kenny Guiton stepped up in impressive fashion.  Along with a ton of other offensive departures, Guiton was one of them.  So who is in the hot seat if this latest setback for Miller proves to be a long one?

J.T. Barrett – RS Freshman – 4 star recruit, 7 position, 152 nation.  Barrett was one of the top recruits in fertile Texas.  His duel-threat nature should help as OSU’s offensive line had a lot of turnover.

Cardale Jones – Sophomore – 3 star recruit, 33 position.  Jones was the third stringer last year and saw very little time.  Perhaps his biggest highlight in Columbus last season was his tweet “Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain’t come to play SCHOOL classes are POINTLESS.”

Jones is a local product going to his hometown school but Barrett was recruited to the future man.  It’s J.T’s job to lose.  The question immediately turns to what the result of the season will look like.  Obviously having an experienced, Hesiman candidate-level talent at quarterback had a lot of prognosticators (self included) bullish on the Buckeyes.  OSU will still be a very tough out without Braxton Miller but I think this puts them in a massive hole if Miller really is out for the entire year.  I have OSU losing to MSU but beating Michigan – if Miller is out the entire year and Barrett plays like you’d expect a freshman to play, then it’s likely thy lose both.  Of course, playing like a freshman may be a thing of the past thanks to Jameis Winston.  Without Miller Ohio State may be down, but they are far from out.  Count on it.

**Update – Multiple sources have reported that Miller will indeed miss the 2014 season and likely redshirt to have his final year in 2015.