The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio, Rob Oller column

Source: The Columbus Dispatch, OhioAug.迷你倉沙田 20--Ohio State backup quarterback Kenny Guiton gets it. He realizes he is an insurance policy in case starter Braxton Miller goes down. Need a protection plan? Kenny Geico, at your service. And he's OK with it.And he's OK with it."My mentality is whenever I get a shot, I want to come out on top. I want to go out and keep the offense's tempo up and keep it going," Guiton said yesterday.Just as important, the Buckeyes are more than just OK with Guiton. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman called Guiton the best backup quarterback in the nation, saying yesterday that the senior could start for "half the teams, at least."Such high praise should calm the nerves of Ohio State fans who wonder what will happen if -- when? -- Miller misses a game, or more significant time.It is the rare starting quarterback who makes it through an entire season without sitting at least a series or two because of injury. Miller might be one tough hombre, but his medical history has its share of "gulp" moments. He missed nine games his first three seasons at Huber Heights Wayne before leading the Warriors to the Division I state championship game as a senior. As a freshman at Ohio State in 2011, Miller left the Nebraska game because of a sprained ankle in the third quarter and watched from the sideline as the Cornhuskers rallied from a 21-point deficit to win.Then came last season, when Miller was transported by ambulance to OSU's Wexner Medical Center after getting thumped by Purdue cornerback Josh Johnson on a long run late in the third quarter.Enter Kenny Geico. Trailing by eight points with 47 seconds and no timeouts, Guiton led the Buckeyes on a 61-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Chris Fields with three seconds left. Guiton then found tight end Jeff Heuerman for the tying two-point conversion before Ohio State won in overtime to preserve its perfect season.Guiton instantly became a Buckeyes trivia answer, even though his accomplishment was more than trivial."Everyone tells me I have history here now," he s迷你倉價錢id, smiling. "It hasn't sunk in yet, and I want to add to it."Guiton said he expects to get "some time" this season, including in crucial moments."I hope so," he said.At first glance, that might sound alarming; for Guiton to factor into a game's outcome likely would mean Miller is missing from the field. That was not Guiton's intent. It is more a case of Guiton speaking as a competitor who "wants to play."It cannot be easy playing second fiddle to a virtuoso such as Miller, a junior who will take the most important snaps, assuming he remains healthy. Considering Miller's penchant to run sets him up for hard hits and rough landings, Guiton needs to be ready if the Buckeyes are to reach their goal of playing for a national championship.Making it more difficult for Guiton is knowing that he is capable of making beautiful music. To know you could start for half the teams in the nation, but instead must find satisfaction in pushing Miller to improve? Guiton would not be human if he did not wonder what might have been."It's tough, but ... I always try to stay ready," he said. "Sometimes it comes up in my head, 'What if I did this or that?' But I'm happy I'm here."So are the Buckeyes."His velocity might hinder his ability, but those intangibles you can't overlook," Herman said, explaining that Guiton's leadership and ability to anticipate and read defenses mitigate his physical shortcomings. "We're blessed to have him. I've been to a lot of places in my career where we would have been doing jumping jacks and cartwheels down the hallway if he was our starting quarterback."The Buckeyes' actual starting quarterback also has great respect for Guiton, a senior whom he calls his "big brother.""When I went down (against Purdue), he said, 'I got you, man,'" Miller said.Good thing the Buckeyes have Guiton, too.Rob Oller is a sports reporter for The Dispatch.roller@dispatch.com@rollerCDCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) Visit The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) at .dispatch.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉庫