Braxton Miller's touchdowns at Ohio State tell the story of an incredible career

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I suppose you can say this about any great player, but it rings true for Braxton Miller at Ohio State especially: The story of his career is best told through all his touchdowns. Over five years and four seasons, Miller accounted for 88 scores. Whether it was as a passer (52), runner (33), or receiver (3), he was a true threat to score every time he had the ball in his hands from the moment he stepped on campus as a raw quarterback, to when he left as a playmaking receiver.

The plan for Miller was never to start as a freshman in 2011. He was supposed to watch and learn as quarterback Terrelle Pryor and an experienced group operated what should've been the most wide-open offense of the Jim Tressel era. Instead, the tattoo "scandal" happened, Tressel resigned, Pyror withdrew from the university after receiving a suspension, while other key members of the offense received lengthy suspensions of their own. What was initially viewed as a season with legitimate national-title hopes became Miller and an extremely green group of young players around him learning on the job under interim head coach Luke Fickell.

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Ohio State's offense predictably floundered. Miller went back and forth with former Pittsburgh Pirates minor league pitcher Joe Bauserman as the starting QB early in the year. His throws wobbled, and he was too quick to leave the pocket. His playmaking and potential were too tantalizing to not recognize, though. On his first touchdown pass, ESPN analyst Urban Meyer let it be known how excited he was about Miller's future:

(I'd say, "Little did we know how big a role Meyer would play in shaping Miller's future at Ohio State," but the moment Tressel left I think we all knew who the next head coach would be.)

Realizing that continuing to play Bauserman essentially meant throwing the season –and possibly his coaching career– in the garbage, Fickell threw Miller into the fire. He suffered a few injuries and ugly moments along the way, but he also showcased everything that made the growing pains worth it. In a 17-7 upset of No. 16 Illinois –one of the worst games in college football history– Miller completed just one pass. Fortunately, it happened to be the game-sealing touchdown:

The next week, he engineered an even larger upset. With eventual Big Ten Champion Wisconsin visiting on Halloween weekend, Miller juked a Badgers defender out of his cleats, then lobbed a game-winning prayer into the arms of receiver Devin Smith with just 20 seconds left to play:

When the passing game didn't work –which was often– Miller could also just take it to the house himself at any moment:

The Buckeyes finished 6-7, yet optimism was high heading into 2012. Not only had Miller and the young team around him survived their trial by fire, but now they had the perfect coach to lead them in Urban Meyer. Just like he had months prior in the broadcast booth, Meyer made no secret of how excited he was to coach Miller - or how much he loved his huge ass:

It didn't take long for Miller to show what he could do under Meyer's direction:

Miller was a revelation as a sophomore, throwing for 2,039 yards and 15 TD, while adding 1,271 yards and 13 scores on the ground. His much-improved passing numbers weren't just a product of quick, easy throws, either. Miller's progress as a true QB was undeniable. One of my favorite plays from his career is this 63-yard dime to Devin Smith that ended up as the game-winning TD in a crucial road win at Michigan State:

Miller's numbers, Ohio State's 12-0 record, and spectacular plays like this ankle-breaking TD run against Cal were good enough to earn him a fifth-place finish in 2012 Heisman voting:

Everything was on the table for Miller and the Buckeyes as they entered 2013. He was an established star and a Heisman favorite. The team –free from their one-year bowl/postseason ban– was now fully Meyer's, had just signed a loaded recruiting class, and was poised to compete for a national title with a No. 2 preseason ranking. Another bomb to Smith for the first score of 2013 set the tone that he and the offense were about to take the next step:

Miller again earned top-ten Heisman status (9th) thanks to big numbers both passing (2,094, 24 TD), and rushing (1,068, 12 TD) - plus another undefeated regular season. As is tradition with Ohio State, though, he and the team's performance (and Miller's availability) throughout caused some angst among the fanbase.

Miller was never shy about playing physically, even as a quarterback. He took some brutal punishment along the way, and it caused him to miss plays, drives, and even full games throughout his career. He was injured in the second game of 2013, forcing him to sit the next two. In his place, backup Kenny Guiton generated 491 passing yards, ten touchdowns, and 107 total points in wins over Cal and Florida A&M. There were definitely whispers about whether the offense would be more well-rounded in Guitton's hands as opposed to Miller.

Returning against No. 23 Wisconsin, Miller seemingly quelled any doubts about his status as the starter with a four-touchdown performance - which included two laser beam throws for scores:

The previous whispers about Guitton potentially taking the job turned into yells the next week, however. Miller struggled on a national TV stage in a grinding 40-30 win at No. 16 Northwestern. He turned the ball over three times, leading Meyer to admit that he was "real close" to pulling him for Guitton. Miller was his guy, though, and Meyer stuck with him for the rest of the season. He rewarded his coach's faith by leading the Buckeyes to 49.5 points per game over their final six, capped with a dramatic win at rival Michigan where Miller accounted for five total TD:

He added three more the next week, but the Buckeyes' national championship hopes –and 24-game unbeaten streak under Meyer– were dashed in a 34-24 Big Ten Championship loss to Michigan State. Left with an Orange Bowl date against Clemson, the trajectory of both Miller's career and Ohio State's future were about to take a dramatic turn. He partially tore the labrum in his right shoulder on their first possession, then proceeded to take a beating the rest of the night. In true Miller fashion, he gutted it out. A 14-yard TD pass to Carlos Hyde gave Ohio State the lead early in the fourth quarter, but Miller got smoked after he let it go. His face after the hit says it all:

He played the final two series', but the Buckeyes couldn't match a subsequent Clemson score in a 40-35 loss. It'd be the last time Miller played at quarterback for Ohio State, and he wouldn't see the field for an actual game for the next 20 months - something no one thought was a possibility at the time. Miller underwent off-season shoulder surgery that was deemed successful, and even came back for Spring practice, albeit with no contact. Then, he hurt the shoulder again just weeks before the 2014 season, and was officially ruled out for the year.

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You know the story from there. Behind freshman JT Barrett –and later Cardale Jones– Ohio State rallied and won the first national championship of the playoff era. Miller was present throughout the whole run, and vowed to be back in 2015. With Barrett and Jones both returning after the title, chatter about Miller's future started to bubble. Rumors of him potentially transferring to LSU surfaced online. Baton Rouge outlets reported on it, and ESPN even asked Les Miles about it after everything played out. Meyer went to bat for his guy again, and Miller stayed, though not as a quarterback.

With the Buckeyes opening the season at Virginia Tech on Labor Day, Miller reminded everyone who he was, even if it wasn't as a quarterback. He scored twice - once on a 54-yard reception, and then on a jaw-dropping 53-yard run as a wildcat QB that left the country abuzz:

It still pisses me off that Ohio State never found a way to truly utilize Miller's skillset after that game. He only scored twice more in the 12 following games, and had 601 total yards (260 rushing, 341 receiving) for an offense that was out of sync all year, besides when they handed off to Ezekiel Elliott. It was a frustrating finish to one of the best Ohio State careers of all-time, matching a frustrating season that Buckeyes fans look back on as a major "what if?" That said, Miller deserves a ton of praise for how he handled it all.

Coming back from multiple shoulder injuries in the first place is a testament to how bad he wanted it. That he would even accept a move to receiver was a testament to how bad he wanted to finish his career in Columbus. I don't blame any player who transfers, and I wouldn't have blamed Miller for doing so after everything he gave to Ohio State. He didn't, though, and that as much as all the touchdowns he scored are exactly why he'll always be one of my favorite players. Enjoy the video of every TD he scored in his illustrious career: