Oregon Football Needs Braxton Miller If They Hope To Compete Next Season

The Oregon Ducks once again came painfully close to winning their first National Championship, only to have it slip through their fingers. If they want a chance to compete in the College Football Playoffs next season, they can’t rely on backup quarterback Jeff Lockie — they need to convince Braxton Miller to leave the team that just beat them for the National Championship, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and come play football next season in Eugene.

As a graduate student, Miller is eligible to transfer to another school and be immediately eligible to play. With the log-jam of quarterbacks the Buckeyes have, Miller would be wise to transfer. J.T. Barrett is likely to start next season coming off a fifth place finish in the Heisman voting this season, and waiting in the wings behind him is the quarterback who led Ohio State to their first championship since 2002, Cardale Jones. This leaves Miller as the odd man out, and while he might have school pride and not want to leave the Buckeyes, his NFL future depends on it.

The offense of the Ducks would be a perfect fit for Miller. Oregon’s offense framework is based off of a dual threat quarterback who can make throws downfield, but is also a threat in the read-option running attack. Lockie doesn’t fit this mold. He only ran for 341 yards over his last two years of high school and projects as more of a dropback quarterback. Miller, on the other hand, has proven his rushing prowess, as he has rushed for more yards over his first three seasons (3,054) than outgoing Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota did in his time in Eugene (2,237). Like Mariota, Miller also doesn’t turn the ball over much, throwing only 17 interceptions and losing only 13 fumbles in his three seasons at Ohio State.

With Jeff Lockie at quarterback, the Ducks’ chances to make the College Football Playoffs are slim to none. With the Ducks replacing three starters along the offensive line, including two-time All-American center Hroniss Grasu, the Ducks need a mobile quarterback who can get outside the pocket and keep plays alive if their pass protection breaks down, and Lockie is not the answer. They need an athletic, dual-threat quarterback who fits their system, and Miller is the player they should focus on bringing to Eugene if they want their best chance to remain competitive next season.

Phillip Jacques is a Pac-12 Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google