Once upon a time, life without star quarterback Braxton Miller was an uncomfortable, unpleasant, and unwelcome trial period that couldn’t end soon enough for Ohio State.
Of course, after J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones helped guide the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff berth and Big Ten Championship, such a time feels like an ancient memory.
But it really wasn’t that long ago when it seemed like they might be doomed if they lost Miller, who was a three-year starter and a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year. Just rewind 10 months ago.
As he recovered from shoulder surgery in February, spring camp devolved into a duel between Barrett and Jones for the right to be Miller's primary backup when he would triumphantly return to the field in August.
And when the two floundered and completed a combined 29 percent of their passes (18-of-62) in the annual Spring Game, such dismal performances gave way to a belief the Buckeyes couldn’t afford a scenario where they’d actually have to do without Miller when it mattered.
So when Ohio State lost Miller for the year after he reinjured himself 12 days before the season opener, a worst nightmare of sorts turned into a reality. A panic over Columbus set in and it only got worse after a loss to Virginia Tech in Week Two.
Three months later, though, the Buckeyes are preparing for a game against No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. It’s an improbable story made possible by an unlikely pair of heroes who helped guide Ohio State to this pinnacle.
For as uncertain, as the team’s backup quarterback situation appeared in the months of March and April, position coach and co-offensive coordinator Tom Herman has molded the unit into a strength.
"Tom Herman is an excellent coach. His unit the first year was very average ... Now it's one of the strongest units on the team. He's done a marvelous job," Meyer said.
First, it was Barrett — the quiet, mild-mannered youngster from Wichita Falls, Texas — charged with taking over the Buckeyes. Upon losing Miller for the season, the redshirt freshman was tossed into the fray alongside an offensive line replacing four starters and a cast of inexperienced and immature skill players.
Over time, though, the Buckeyes grew into a contender on the national stage. “Early in the season, we were not a good team … This is the most improved team that I’ve been a part of,” head coach Urban Meyer said after toppling Michigan State in early November.
And Barrett, who combined for a school-record 45 touchdowns, grew into a Heisman contender and someone who commanded respect.
When he broke his ankle in the regular-season finale against Michigan, the Buckeyes turned to third-string quarterback Cardale Jones, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound gunslinger with little meaningful experience. "Next man up," they said.
"It’s his show,” Meyer said. "He’s got the keys to the car."
But skepticism lingered over what kind of driver Jones would be in his first-career start on such a gargantuan stage.
Still, Ohio State’s coaching staff and players remained confident in Jones during this trial by fire.
"The quarterback doesn’t have to win games for us, the quarterback has to manage games and distribute the football and lead. We’ve seen that throughout this season. As long as he’s mentally prepared and he’s got a ton of physical tools … I have nothing but the utmost confidence in him because of what we’ve got around him.”
It echoed a sentiment offered by Meyer time and again this year.
"I made (the statement) at least a couple hundred times since the beginning of the week," he said before playing Wisconsin last weekend, "that the quarterback is a product of those around him."
But, to be fair, a team is only as good as its quarterback, too. Ohio State, apparently, has at least three who can get the job done.
Because of that, the Buckeyes are a game away from playing in the national championship in a season where Braxton Miller played exactly zero snaps of football.
