  Leader Develops A Focus
December 6, 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch - Braxton Miller and Ohio State are streaking, no doubt.
Headed into the Big Ten championship game tonight against Michigan State, the Buckeyes have won 24 straight games, extending a school record, with Miller starting 22 of those. They’ve beaten Michigan two straight times, they’ve taken the Leaders Division title for a second straight year, and Miller this week became the first to be named Big Ten offensive player of the year two years in a row since the award was established in 1990.
So yes, Miller and the Buckeyes are on a run. But teams and quarterbacks ultimately make the leap to greatness based on championships won. With Ohio State on the cusp of a league crown and spot in the final Bowl Championship Series national title game on Jan. 6 — if it can knock off the Spartans — the question is whether Miller has what it takes to lead the Buckeyes through the tape.
“The answer is yes,” said offensive coordinator Tom Herman, who has tutored the junior quarterback the past 23 months. “I think Braxton has the qualities and the traits it would take to win a championship.”
Miller also got a vote of confidence from Rex Kern, who led OSU to three straight Big Ten titles and the 1968 national championship
“There are a ton of those (leadership) qualities in Braxton,” Kern said. “He is such a tremendous athlete, (and) his passing has gotten better and better. We already knew about his athletic ability as a runner — he looks like he could be a tailback who would give Carlos Hyde a run for the job.
“But Braxton makes the big play when it is needed, and he provides the leadership to keep everybody involved in the game. I think that translates into being a great leader.”
Before the season started, Kern said he had been quizzed about Miller by a reporter who asserted that the relatively quiet, unassuming quarterback didn’t appear to have the qualities needed to take his team to the heights, even though OSU was coming off just the sixth unbeaten, untied season in school history.
“I said, ‘Wait a minute. Leaders come in all kinds of ways,’” said Kern, the starter of record in the school’s previous longest winning streak of 22 games. “‘You guys in the media are trying to make out that just because his demeanor is not as demonstrative as some red-headed guys (like Kern and Craig Krenzel, the past two OSU national championship quarterbacks), or someone else, that he’s not a leader.’
“I told the guy, ‘Don’t pigeonhole him. He leads differently. And as his teammates get to know him, they follow him.’”
Herman has watched it up close and has seen Miller fulfill what he thinks are the two most important traits of a championship quarterback.
“Leadership and competitiveness,” Herman said. “I think there are a lot of talented guys who have played that position and have never won a championship. You certainly have to have the pieces around you to win championships, too. Football is the ultimate team sport. …
“Once the pieces are around you, you’ve got to be extremely, extremely competitive. You’ve got to make the people around you better. And you’ve got to demonstrate great leadership qualities.”
OSU coach Urban Meyer wants to see that competitive spirit first and foremost, something that former California coach Jeff Tedford taught him long ago to look for in quarterbacks.
“That’s what I see out of (Miller),” Meyer said. “He is an extreme competitor right now. I think he’s always been a good competitor, (but) I think he’s crossed that threshold. He’s an extreme competitor right now.”
Krenzel pushed OSU to the 2002 national championship, and he guided the Buckeyes on a 19-game winning streak that extended into 2003. He has three primary criteria that he thinks set championship quarterbacks apart.
“Toughness, a guy who can grind it out,” Krenzel said. “And by that, I mean not just physical toughness but also mental toughness, a guy who is going to be that steady leader, physically, mentally, emotionally, through all situations up, down, thick and thin.
“Intelligence. You’ve got to know what’s going on and you’ve got to be the field general when you’re out there. Any team that wins and makes a run at it, their quarterback knows the offense inside out, knows the defense they’re facing and has the ability to put his team in the right position.
“Accuracy. You’ve got to have the physical ability to play the position, the physical skill set to run your offense. You can have the smartest, toughest guy in the world, but if he can’t throw the ball 5 yards, he can’t play quarterback.”
Miller’s toughness was called into question last year when he had to leave a game against Purdue and was taken to the hospital for what turned out to be the equivalent of getting roughed up on a play; he started the next week. Some this year questioned the amount of time it took him to return from a slight knee sprain he suffered in the first series of the second game against San Diego State, which kept him out for two more games. Kenny Guiton saved the winning streak during those absences, at California and home against Florida A&M.
But Miller not only has been tough since his return, he also is one of the more improved players in the Big Ten, even coming off a season in which he won offensive player of the year and Silver Football awards. After being somewhat scatter-armed in 2012, Miller leads the Big Ten in passing efficiency, having completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 1,759 yards and 21 touchdowns with just five interceptions.
He is the eighth-leading rusher in the conference at 89.1 yards per game, scoring eight TDs, and is on the threshold of a second straight 1,000-yard rushing season. And that’s in an offense that sports the league’s top runner in Carlos Hyde (143.3-yard average and 14 TDs in just nine games).
As for clutch, Hyde scored the go-ahead touchdown after Michigan had tied the score at 35 last Saturday, but it was Miller who ignited the game-winning drive with a 32-yard keeper.
“If he can prove anything to me, I want to see him do it consistently,” Krenzel said. “We’ve seen a handful of games this year where he has distributed the ball, threw it around the field and was accurate, and was solid in his decision-making. We’ve seen him run amazingly. He’s one of the most dynamic, exciting players in the country. I don’t think there is any question about that.
“Everybody talks about Braxton coming back for next year — should he? Will he? I think he needs to, just for the sole purpose (that) I believe the people at the next level need to see a Braxton Miller that has all the tools of a quarterback who can do it consistently, week in, week out, because we’ve haven’t seen that.”
Miller has certainly made his mark in the Big Ten. He already has won more of the league’s major awards — six — than anyone before him. The only thing missing is a conference championship trophy.
“Braxton Miller is a great football player,” Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said. “I am very, very impressed with his development. He’s becoming a complete quarterback.
“He’s not only a tremendous athlete, but he’s got a very good arm and he’s making a lot of great decisions. … That’s why they are who they are. He has really done a great job.”
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 Ohio State spotlight: LB Ryan Shazier
December 6, 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch - Ryan Shazier probably won’t say it publicly, but he was gunning to win Big Ten linebacker of the year, only to see Wisconsin’s Chris Borland gain the award announced this past week.
As good as Shazier has been this season, however, the Ohio State defense has been inconsistent. So he will take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Saturday night with the intention of helping right some of the defense’s wrongs, rather than leaving his personal mark as the Buckeyes take on Michigan State for the Big Ten championship.
“I’m not surprised that people have questions about our defense,” Shazier said. “That’s because the last game we just played (42-41 win over Michigan that went down to the wire) we gave up 600-something yards of total offense. And if you want to be a great defense, you can’t be doing that.”
Whatever problems the OSU defense has, Shazier, still a first-team all-Big Ten honoree. And he made an impression on Spartans coach Mark Dantonio, whose defense sports two of the Big Ten’s all-star linebackers: first-teamer Max Bullough and second-teamer Denicos Allen.
“Explosive player,” is how Dantonio summarized Shazier.
The junior outside linebacker led the Big Ten in tackles with 122 and in tackles for loss (21). He is a finalist for the Butkus Award, which goes annually to the nation’s top linebacker, and OSU coach Urban Meyer has called him one of the elite blitzers in the nation.
“He’s a big-play guy; he has the ability to beat pass protection,” Dantonio said. “But he’s a big-play guy all over the football field. He runs extremely well, he rolls up on you and hits with power.”
And tonight, Shazier said the OSU defense will have a chip on its shoulder.
“I feel like at the end of the day, we still take care of business like we need to,” Shazier said. “So we’re just going to keep taking care of business and just try to get a ‘W’ any way we can.” |
 On the edge: Ohio State vs. Michigan State
December 6, 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch -
When Buckeyes run . . . Edge – Michigan State
Carlos Hyde leads the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (143.3), having pushed his season total to 1,290 in nine games with 226 last week, an OSU record against rival Michigan. QB Braxton Miller (891) is knocking on the door of a second straight 1,000-yard season. With a senior-laden line, OSU has the nation’s No. 2 rushing offense (321.2) that has scored 40 TDs. Michigan State has the nation’s No.1 rushing defense (64.8), led by linebackers Max Bullough and Denicos Allen, which has given up just five TDs.
When Buckeyes pass . . . Edge – Ohio State
Braxton Miller leads Big Ten starting quarterbacks in passing efficiency. From game to game, he has spread the ball to wide receivers (Corey Brown, 50 catches) tight ends (Jeff Heuerman, TD catch last week) and running backs (Hyde and Dontre Wilson). Because of MSU’s run defense, the Buckeyes are expected to throw it more, but the Spartans also are No.1 in pass defense efficiency.
When Spartans run . . . Edge – Ohio State
The Buckeyes are yielding only 100 yards per game on the ground, fifth nationally. They have allowed opponents to average only 3.0 yards per carry. Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford emerged in the second half of the season to give the Spartans a consistent running threat. He has run for at least 109 yards in every Big Ten game except the first one against Iowa and has 1,210 for the season.
When Spartans pass . . . Edge – Michigan State
Ohio State’s pass defense has been shaky at times and is coming off a dreadful game in which it surrendered 451 yards. . Overall, Ohio State ranks 98th in passing yards allowed per game (255.8) and is 73rd in pass efficiency defense. Michigan State has a balanced receiving corps. Tony Lippett, Macgarrett Kings Jr. and Bennie Fowler have between 35 and 31 receptions. QB Connor Cook has steadily improved after taking hold of the job early in the year.
Special teams . . . Edge – Ohio State
Ohio State punter Cameron Johnston has continually pinned opponents inside the 20, and Michigan State’s Mike Sadler (42.4-yard average) is solid. Spartans kicker Michael Geiger and Ohio State’s Drew Basil have missed only one field goal apiece. Kings and Andre Sims Jr. have split punt-return duties for Michigan State. Kings has the slightly higher average return (10.6). |
 Play of The Week: Pistol Y, skinny post
December 6, 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch - It will be interesting to see whether Michigan State forgets that Ohio State has a viable pass-catching threat at tight end Saturday night when the teams meet for the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis.
The Michigan defense overlooked Jeff Heuerman a couple of times last week, and Braxton Miller made the Wolverines pay with precision passes to his wide-open tight end down the seam. As the Wolverines became increasingly preoccupied with trying to stop running back Carlos Hyde and a running Miller, it set the table for Heuerman.
That was especially true on this play — let’s call it “Pistol Y, skinny post.” He and Miller used it to hook up on a 22-yard touchdown pass that pushed OSU ahead 35-21.
What made it click was the run threat. The Buckeyes sent two wide receivers left of Heuerman, then brought one of them back in motion to the right, prompting Michigan to roll its defense decidedly to the offense’s right. Heuerman, who had been used more as a blocker than a receiver during The Game, became the forgotten man.
It was something Miller noticed before the snap. When the cornerback to Miller’s left blitzed, the safety to that side moved to cover the wide receiver, and the safety to the other side stayed on the hash mark. Miller then faked a handoff to Hyde as Heuerman took off on a skinny post up the middle. Miller hit him in stride for the easy TD.
Michigan State has the No. 1 run defense in the nation, and it also is known to be one of the more sound and mistake-free units. But MSU also likes to roll its safeties forward to help stop the run.
OSU might use this play or something similar early tonight in an attempt to make the Spartans wary about selling out to limit the running game.
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 Bullough is ‘computer on the field’ for Spartans
December 6, 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch - EAST LANSING, Mich. — There will be a football helmet on Max Bullough’s head tonight, but it might as well be a headset like the ones worn by coaches on the sideline.
Bullough is so plugged into the intricacies of Michigan State’s scheme, it’s as if the senior linebacker is an extension of coach Mark Dantonio and defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi.
“We wouldn’t be where we’re at without Max Bullough,” Dantonio said.
Narduzzi calls Bullough a computer on the field. Competitors know him as an all-Big Ten pick serving as the passionate engineer of the nation’s top-ranked defense.
“You can tell that to be as complicated as they are, they have to have a coach on the field,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. “It seems like he has been there forever.”
Bullough, a third-generation player at Michigan State, will make his 40th consecutive start tonight when the 10th-ranked Spartans (11-1) play No. 2 Ohio State (12-0) in the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
A photographic memory has helped Bullough compile a 3.8 grade-point average while majoring in finance. He also has had to put his mind into football since arriving on campus four years ago from his hometown of Traverse City, Mich.
“I was a punk when I got here,” Bullough said. “I didn’t know anything about football. Everyone thinks I knew about football, but I got here and I didn’t know anything. High-school football for me was just kind of running around. I don’t think I even had any pass responsibilities in high school.
“I’ve learned a lot. In terms of football, I’ve learned everything. I think I’ve come from knowing nothing to pretty dang near knowing everything about the defense, being able to conduct it efficiently and fast.”
That growth has allowed Bullough to pile up 296 career tackles, 30 of them for loss, and 71/2 sacks. Last season, he had 12 stops and forced a fumble in a 17-16 home loss to OSU.
At a chiseled 6 feet 3 and 245 pounds, the short-haired Bullough looks the part of a middle linebacker. He talks the talk, too. Dantonio has labeled him the team spokesman.
Bullough is a two-time captain and undisputed leader of an 18-member senior class that has won a school-record 40 games and can earn Michigan State its first Rose Bowl spot since 1988 with another victory tonight.
Two years ago, Bullough had six tackles and two quarterback hurries in the inaugural Big Ten championship game. Tonight, he seeks to atone for that bitter 42-39 loss to Wisconsin.
“I’m just excited to play in this game,” said Bullough, whose grandfather, Hank, father, Shane, and uncle, Chuck, all played for the Spartans. “We’ve been looking forward to this game all year. It’s the reason we came to Michigan State. Now all we have to do is finish.” |
 Michigan State spotlight: LB Denicos Allen
December 6, 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch - Denicos Allen can fly. He proved it against Ohio State back in 2011.
The Michigan State linebacker made a spectacular play when he came off the edge, leaped over would-be blocker Jordan Hall and landed on OSU quarterback Joe Bauserman for a sack.
Now, the Hamilton, Ohio, native, passed over by his home-state school in the recruiting process, is primed to do similar things Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis when the Spartans and Buckeyes collide for the Big Ten championship.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Allen said after the Spartans’ win over Minnesota last week. “It’s my last chance to get to play (OSU). It’s just a lot — it’s a lot that I’ve got building up for this game. I can’t wait to let it all out.”
MSU’s defense statistically is the nation’s best overall unit. Although middle linebacker Max Bullough gets much of the publicity (first team all-Big Ten), Allen (second team all-Big Ten) is a wild-card outside linebacker who shows up in the frame at the end of many plays.
“Denicos is the most productive player on our defense in terms of the production points we give for various things,” coach Mark Dantonio said. “He’s an outstanding blitzer. He’s all over the field.”
Allen, not Bullough, leads the team in tackles with 83. He also is first in tackles for loss (15) and is second in sacks (51/2), behind defensive end Shilique Calhoun (seven). Allen often is in the right place at the right time, and he arrives with an attitude, Dantonio said.
“He’s another guy who has played for us for four years; he started as a redshirt freshman,” Dantonio said. “He can run, he’s a 4.5 (-second 40-yard dash) guy. He’s very explosive, he’s a 400-plus (pounds) bench-press player.
“He has operated in this defense for a while, and he’s highly motivated to play.” |
 Dec 6, 2013 Source: Columbus Dispatch |
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