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Ohio State football QB Jack Miller reinstated to team after pleading guilty to minor misdemeanor
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- Ohio State football QB Jack Miller reinstated to team after pleading guilty to minor misdemeanor
Ohio State quarterback Jack Miller, who was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while impaired two weeks ago, has pleaded guilty to an amended minor misdemeanor charge of reckless operation.
According to online records, Miller entered his plea in Franklin County Municipal Court on Thursday morning and was ordered to pay a $150 fine and $102 in court costs.
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Joe Gibson, the chief prosecutor for the Columbus city attorney's office, said it was going to be difficult to prove the OVI charge after reviewing the evidence. Miller completed a series of field sobriety tests after the traffic stop but declined to take a breathalyzer test when Ohio State Highway Patrol officers stopped him early Nov. 5 while he was driving a pickup truck in the University District.
The redshirt freshman's suspension from the team, which was imposed following his arrest, was lifted later Thursday.
Miller had been the Buckeyes' third-string quarterback prior to his suspension, behind C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord.
In Miller's two-game absence, freshman Quinn Ewers was elevated to third-string , but he did not take a snap.
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Appearing late in four games over September and October, Miller completed seven of 14 passes for 101 yards.
Backfield rotation for Miyan Williams
Running back Miyan Williams said he is feeling "good" after missing a pair of games against Maryland and Rutgers last month with an undisclosed injury.
Williams rushed for 117 yards on 14 carries in last Saturday's win over Purdue, his most since making his return.
He had seen a more limited workload in previous weeks with only one carry at Nebraska and three against Penn State.
He acknowledged his absence was difficult.
"It was definitely an obstacle I had to get over," he said. "But I just stayed the course, kept faith."
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Not only does Williams' availability afford the Buckeyes some depth in the backfield, but he also offers a complement to star freshman TreVeyon Henderson.
"Miyan brings in really good vision," Day said, "he's strong, he's powerful. You saw him finish some runs off where he was turning those runs into more than they were, running on contact. He's really good at that. He's built low to the ground, so he's strong when he runs. I think TreVeyon is a little bit more of a home-run hitter."
Potential mismatch with Michigan State
Michigan State's pass defense, which ranks last in the FBS, might be vulnerable against the Buckeyes' receiving trio of Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson.
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But Olave said he was "surprised" to see the Spartans' lowly ranking earlier this week, noting Michigan State often has a good defense.
"We're not going to downplay them," he said. "It's a great team over there, and we're excited for the challenge."
The Spartans give up 329 yards per game, one of only two teams allowing more than 300 yards per contest.
Awards watch for TreVeyon Henderson, Nicholas Petit-Frere
Henderson and left tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere are in contention for a pair of awards.
Henderson is one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the nation's best running back, and Petit-Frere is among six for the Outland Trophy, which recognizes the top offensive or defensive interior lineman.
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Dispatch reporter John Futty contributed to this report.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman .
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jack Miller's suspension from Ohio State football over
