Fresh off a triumphant victory over Michigan State and now in the thick of the College Football Playoff race, it's a good time to be a part of the Ohio State football program.
If you're Urban Meyer, however, it also means you have quite the decision awaiting you in a few months when quarterback Braxton Miller is healthy again. Why is it such an issue? Well, because of the terrific play of redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett, who has been setting school records left and right this season after taking over for Miller behind center.
Meyer had been insistent that Miller would be the starter in 2015 for the Buckeyes earlier this year but that stance seems to have softened the past few weeks thanks to Barrett's progress as a passer.
What is a coach to do? NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks once again suggests the team move Miller to running back next season as a way to help the team and increase the senior's value to NFL clubs.
"(Barrett) is a better passer. He's a better quarterback," Brooks said on the CFB 24/7 podcast. "Braxton Miller should move to running back. He can rotate in behind Ezekiel Elliott and all those other guys they have. I think that would be the best thing for him. I don't think he's a wide receiver and he's not a quarterback."
This isn't the first time Brooks has brought up the move, but he does make good points. Miller was a Heisman Trophy front-runner coming into the season before his injury and was coming off back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Year awards. There's little question, however, that Miller, a career 59 percent passer, is a fringe NFL prospect at quarterback but could provide value based on his ability to run after turning in a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons as a sophomore and junior.
"I don't think Urban Meyer can look at his team and say we're going to go back to Braxton," Brooks added. "Barrett is a more complete player in that offense, and he can run and throw and do all those things. Braxton is a runner far more than he is a thrower."
Fellow analyst Daniel Jeremiah is on board with the suggestion and even thinks Meyer can pull out the blueprint from his days at Florida when he used Tim Tebow to spell Chris Leak, who was the better passer of the two.
Either way, Meyer will have a bit of a conundrum on his hands after the season. At least in this case for the Buckeyes, it might actually be a good situation to have two quarterbacks ready to play.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
