How Ohio State’s Offense Will Change with JT Barrett Instead of Braxton Miller

Speaking about his plans to minimize Braxton Miller’s rushing attempts this season, Ohio State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tom Herman conceded that the two-time Big Ten MVP’s legs would always be a part of the Buckeyes’ arsenal.

“Whatever it takes to win,” Herman said of Miller’s designed runs. “We know that they’ll always be there in our back pocket.”

That, however, is no longer the case in Columbus, as Herman and head coach Urban Meyer find themselves searching for new plays to fill their pockets. Out is Miller, who will miss the entirety of the 2014 season with a reported torn labrum, and in is redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett, who brings a different skill set to Ohio State’s quarterback position.

Just how much will the OSU offense change with Barrett behind center for the Buckeyes? We won’t know for sure until Aug. 30. But we’ve seen enough in select practices and picked up as many clues from coaches to know to expect a different approach from the Ohio State offense when it takes the field for its season opener against Navy in 10 days.

More Runs From The Runners, Less Designed Runs

When Miller’s status was still unclear a week ago, Meyer admitted that the Buckeyes would need to rely on their run game more if their star signal-caller wasn’t yet full-go. And with a quarterback who’s yet to take a single snap in his college career, one would imagine that mindset won’t change, as Ohio State’s passing game is anything but proven at this…

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