Ohio State reserve quarterback Jack Miller suspended after OVI
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Ohio State depth chart will be thinner at quarterback after the suspension of Jack Miller.
The redshirt freshman was arrested and charged by Ohio State Highway Patrol officers for operating a vehicle under the influence on Friday morning, the Schoo confirmed in a statement. Miller was promptly disciplined by the Buckeyes, who won’t have him available for the Big Ten road trip to Nebraska following the incident.
Miller is the third-string option for Ohio State behind starter C.J. Stroud and backup Kyle McCord, and the former four-star has played sparingly off the bench. But his knowledge of the offensive playbook made him an asset on the sideline, and he possessed the passing ability and athleticism to potentially help the Buckeyes in an emergency situation.
An Ohio State spokesman confirmed the Jack Miller suspension on Friday afternoon. The availability report and travel roster will not be made public until Saturday morning before kickoff against Nebraska, but Ohio State would likely bring veteran J.P. Andrade and potentially true freshman Quinn Ewers to help fill out the roster at the most important position on the field.
“So these guys [Jack Miller and Kyle McCord] have both got reps with the ones, we split them pretty good across the board during the week,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day last month before the Akron game. “And they both pick up the game plan. … We’ll just keep looking at it. The good thing is, I think that we have some guys who are excited about getting getting some reps under their belt in.
“And I think that’s exciting for our entire team to see those guys play.”
That outing wound up leading to McCord solidifying his spot as the second guy in line for the Buckeyes, pushing Miller more into the background as the offense prepared for the stretch run with Stroud leading the way.
But Ohio State has consistently stressed the need for having three quality arms ready at quarterback, similar to the famed 2014 national-title run. At least for one week, Jack Miller won’t be part of that mix.
