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Associated Press 9:00 PM Wednesday, September 1, 2010

CINCINNATI — Some people are said to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Braxton Miller has his tattooed on his left shoulder.

The Wayne High School senior quarterback has the famous Ohio State block “O” permanently inked on his shoulder, further indication of the passion that led to his verbal commitment in June to the Buckeyes.

“I just wanted to get it out of the way — get it off my chest, get the pressure out of the way,” the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder right-hander told the Dayton Daily News. “The recruiting process was real nice, but I just wanted to settle down and be committed to my school.”

Ohio State, led by the versatile Terrelle Pryor, is No. 2 in the Top 25 preseason poll. Miller, on The Associated Press East Region 25 list of top recruits, is a dual threat considered to be among the nation’s top two senior quarterbacks.

Since coach Jay Minton installed him as the Warriors’ starter as a freshman, he has completed 225-of-408 passes for 2,628 yards and 22 touchdowns with 20 interceptions — half of those in his first season.

He also has gained 938 yards and scored 28 touchdowns on 246 carries, despite playing only six games as a sophomore before a season-ending broken leg.

Minton had no hesitation about putting a freshman in charge of his perennial Division I playoff contender. That confidence has paid off. Wayne has gone 20-5 in games in which Miller has played, 3-5 when he’s been out.

“Braxton had this unique way that he handled himself, to go along with his unbelievable athletic ability,” Minton said. “After seeing him in action for a short time, we knew that he had that ‘it’ factor.

“It has been interesting to watch his progress. As a freshman, Braxton was a complementary guy that ran the offense, but seemed to be in the back seat. We saw him transition into this young man that received a great deal of attention and thought he had to meet and exceed all expectations. Now, with his maturity, he is really enjoying the game again and realizes that he will always give his best and is very blessed to be given the talent he has. I really have never seen him nervous.”