QB Braxton Miller cleared for practice

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Braxton Miller's Heisman Trophy campaign and bid to lead Ohio State to an undefeated season appears set to resume after a one-quarter interruption.

The Buckeyes quarterback passed all medical examinations for a concussion on Saturday and has been cleared to resume practicing this week.

Despite surviving on Saturday against Purdue and staging a comeback while he was being transported to the hospital, an offense that relies on Miller's multipurpose athleticism will welcome its star back to the starting lineup with open arms ahead of a tough test for the Buckeyes on the road against surging Penn State on Saturday.

"Braxton Miller, I went over to see him at the hospital, and all the test results came out negative, which is positive," Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said. "We expect him to practice tomorrow (Tuesday)."

Meyer indicated the sophomore is dealing with a sore neck, but all tests on his head, neck and shoulders were passed after a 37-yard carry ended with Miller getting jammed to the turf.

"His neck, he got like a whiplash," Meyer said. "Just rattled, and once he settled down he seemed to be fine. He made a comment to me that he'd never really been hurt -- maybe as far as a bruise or contusion or sprained ankle, but never been like kind of rattled like that.

"We were very concerned. He's our best player. ... I think we are trying to balance (how to use Miller). We won't go crazy with him running the ball, and I think we're trying to balance that a bit. But at some point you've got to try to move the ball a little bit, too."

Backup Kenny Guiton came off the bench to stage a dramatic rally in the closing seconds and continues to have the full support of Meyer moving forward should he be needed off the bench. Guiton's been needed briefly in three straight games before playing a full quarter and overtime in the 29-22 win over the Boilermakers. And while Guiton is a dual-threat weapon in his own right, the Buckeyes are obviously at their most dangerous when Miller is healthy and in control.

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Austin Ward | email

Reporter, BuckeyeNation

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• Reporter for BuckeyeNation
• Covers Ohio State sports and recruiting
• Joined ESPN in 2012