COLLEGE FOOTBALL LOOK AHEAD

Buckeyes face quick turnaround for home opener

The Sports Xchange

September 09, 2015 at 1:29 am.

Sep 7, 2015; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones (12) rushes the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Ronny Vandyke (37) and linebacker Deon Clarke (40) at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Sep 7, 2015; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones (12) rushes the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Ronny Vandyke (37) and linebacker Deon Clarke (40) at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

COLUMBUS — For all the talk about the preseason battle between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett, almost lost in the conversation was the quarterback who dropped out of the competition.

That would be Braxton Miller, who last played during the 2013 season before a shoulder injury sidelined him in 2014. Miller decided during the summer to move to the H-back/wide receiver position rather than risk reinsuring his right shoulder, and the fifth-year senior reminded everyone on Monday night just how talented he is.

Miller’s 54-yard touchdown reception on which he tight-roped the sideline to start the second half in the opener against Virginia Tech put Ohio State back in front after trailing at halftime. Later in the half, Miller lined up behind center, took a snap from center and took off on a 53-yard scoring run that that featured a dazzling spin move straight out of a video game.

“People were tweeting me and telling me it’s been 613 days since I touched the field,” Miller said. “The time came today, God put every effort into me, and it showed on the field.”

The final stats showed Miller with two receptions for 78 yards and six rushes for 62 yards and the two touchdowns. Not bad for a guy who never played the position until preseason camp began.

As for the quarterbacks, Jones was on point, completing 9-of-18 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the Buckeyes’ 42-24 victory at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. He added a career-best 99 yards rushing on 13 carries.

When Barrett entered late in the game, he completed his only pass for a 26-yard touchdown and ran one time for 26 yards.

All the speculation about which quarterback would win the job was answered Monday night.

“It was real close,” Meyer said. “Cardale finished the (2014) season as the starter and I started thinking, for him to not take the first snap, he had to get beat out. And he wasn’t beat out.”

Meyer remains open to playing both talented quarterbacks, but it sounds as if it’s Jones’ job to lose now.

“This journey is going to be interesting,” Meyer said. “We’ve got to make sure I’m not screwing it up.”

That journey continues in the home opener on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network) in Ohio Stadium against Hawaii, which opened last week with a 28-20 win over Colorado in Honolulu.

The Buckeyes face a quick turnaround with a Saturday game after their Monday Night Labor Day feature. Playing before a home crowd should help them overcome the short week to prepare.

This week, the Buckeyes welcome back All-American defensive end Joey Bosa and wide receivers Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson and Corey Smith. All four were suspended for the opener after violating team rules. Their return should make Ohio State even more dangerous.

NOTES, QUOTES

PLAYERS TO WATCH

–QB Cardale Jones most likely will be a handful for the Hawaii defense on Saturday. He played with the same poise in the opening win over Virginia Tech that he showed last year in helping Ohio State win the College Football Playoff national championship. Jones passed for 186 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a career-high 99 yards and a touchdown in the Buckeyes’ 42-24 victory. Jones said he didn’t know for sure until just before kickoff that he would start the opener after a preseason battle with J.T. Barrett. But he continues to display a powerful arm with which he can thread the ball into receivers and the elusiveness and strength to escape the pass rush.

–RB Ezekiel Elliott, an early Heisman Trophy favorite, carried only 11 times in the opener on Monday night but rushed for 122 yards and ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Depending on how much the Buckeyes want to use him against Hawaii, he should be primed for a big game. It makes sense for the Buckeyes to use Elliott judiciously against lesser opponents to save his body for the big tests later in the season.

–H-back Braxton Miller reminded everyone in the opener of his ridiculous talent. After sitting out last year with a shoulder injury, Miller made an impressive return to game action at a new position. Playing H-back for the first time in his career, Miller did a little of everything — catching a touchdown pass and running for one with a 360-degree spin that resembled a video-game move. Ohio State moved him around the field to utilize his gifts in open space.

–DE Joey Bosa is expected to make his first start of the season after serving a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules. The talented junior should be rarin’ to go after missing the opener, eager to make his presence felt coming off a Big Ten-best 13 1/2-sack season for Ohio State in 2014 that vaulted him to the top of the draft prospect charts and made him an All-American. His power and speed will be a difficult matchup for Hawaii’s offensive line.

SERIES HISTORY: This is the first meeting between Ohio State and Hawaii.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “Tears running down my eyes. I couldn’t really talk. My eyes got super red. (My teammates) believed in me, they raised me up when I got injured.” — WR/H-back Braxton Miller after Ohio State’s win over Virginia Tech.

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