There are going to be a lot of eyes on the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2012.
Check that, there are going to be more eyes than usual on the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2012.
It will be the first season of a new era. Urban Meyer was brought in to be the team's new head coach in November, and he immediately made his presence known by hitting the recruiting trail and showing the competition how things are done. By the time he was finished, he had a recruiting class that Rivals.com deemed to be the fourth-best class in the country.
But the key player in Meyer's plans for 2012 is not a 2012 recruit. He's a 2011 recruit, and his name is Braxton Miller.
I'm assuming you know the name. He was the top-ranked quarterback in the country in 2011, and he was ultimately pressed into full-time duty in the latter half of his freshman season in Columbus. Given his lack of experience and the dark clouds swirling over Ohio State last season, Miller performed admirably.
Meyer didn't hold back his excitement over the idea of working with Miller after he was hired (Brian Bennett of ESPN.com collected the key quotes). He's not alone in that regard, as Buckeyes fans across the land are also excited to see what Miller is going to do in his sophomore season.
A lot of them are going to be on hand to see Miller play live and in person at Ohio State's spring game on Saturday. According to CBSSports.com, over 40,000 tickets for the spring game have already been sold.
What exactly are these tens of thousands of fans going to see when Miller sets foot on the field?
For their sake, I hope Buckeyes fans are treated to a showcase of all the things that make Miller a special talent.
But Buckeyes fans won't be the only ones watching closely. Everyone can rest assured that head honchos from around the Big Ten will take an interest in Miller's spring performance, whether they'll be watching live or later on tape.
It's no secret why the competition will be tuning in. The Buckeyes are the Big Ten's biggest wild card as far as the 2012 season is concerned. They're either going to meander along as Meyer works out the kinks in his first season, or they're going to go boom and recapture their old Big Ten dominance.
Miller's play will be the linchpin. Ohio State will be able to win more games than it will lose if Miller is just OK as the team's quarterback, but the only way the Buckeyes are having a big season is if Miller has a big season.
In order to have said big season, Miller will have to be comfortable in Meyer's offense, and he'll have to be able to routinely complete passes while routinely racking up rushing yards. You know, basic wow-he's-good dual-threat quarterback stuff.
Miller will show glimpses of what's in store during Ohio State's spring game. If he's throwing the ball with poise from the pocket and putting the ball right on the money to his receivers, it will be hard not to get excited. Even if it is just a spring game.
If Miller comes out and looks like he needs more work, well, he'll need more work. In that event, all bets will be off in terms of what kind of season Miller and the Buckeyes are going to have, and head honchos from around the Big Ten will freely breathe sighs of relief.
The simple breakdown is as follows. If Miller looks like a legit quarterback, the Big Ten will know to fear the Buckeyes. If he doesn't look like a legit quarterback, nobody in the Big Ten is going to panic.
It's just a spring game, but there's a little more at stake in Ohio State's spring game than there is in others.
Marcel Goc Jamie Lundmark Nick Spaling Pikka Rinne Mathieu Carle Lars Eller
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