CHICAGO — Braxton Miller's said over and over that he was put on this Earth to play quarterback. It's all he's known how to do ever since he was young.
According to his head coach, however, those thoughts starting changing roughly a month and a half ago.
"On record, I’m not sure the exact date," Ohio State's Urban Meyer said Thursday at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place at Big Ten Media Days. "He said ‘Can I talk to you?’ I said, ‘Sure.’ He said, ‘Just a Plan B, coach, you always talk about Plan B.’ Which I do with our players. He said, ‘I want to talk about Plan B. In case this shoulder …’ I said, ‘OK, what are your thoughts?’ He started telling me and he’s been working at punt return, he’s been working everything. So he really pushed it and we just want to make sure when he says, ‘Let’s do it,’ he’s prepared to go do it."
Meyer admitted at the podium a few minutes earlier that he thinks Miller "will play receiver" for the Buckeyes this fall, but he also still believes Plan A and quarterback is a possibility for the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year.
"I think so. We haven’t talked much about that," Meyer said. "He’s been focused at wide receiver with me, because the quarterback stuff we’re not there. They’re doing the throwing on their own. He’s doing a lot of the receiver stuff."
Having a weapon like Miller in the slot at H-back or even out wide in Meyer's spread offense is a nice toy for any coach, especially with Ohio State dishing out suspensions for three of their best at the position Thursday morning.
The difference between guys like Jalin Marshall, Corey Smith and Dontre Wilson and Miller, however, is the former three don't have three years of collegiate experience at quarterback.
That cracks open the door for possibilities with Miller and an already electric offense and Meyer at the helm — another arm on the field (provided his shoulder fully heals) who can throw.
"Pretty intriguing," Meyer said. "For a guy that sits and doodles all day long like a child, it’s pretty exciting."
