Updated: August 19, 2014, 11:13 PM ET

Ohio State's Plan B and how Miller's injury impacts the Big Ten

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A painful reminder for the Buckeyes; Georgia's defense finds its strength

By Ivan Maisel | ESPN.com

1. Ohio State's sudden loss of senior quarterback Braxton Miller for the season reminds me of Oklahoma in 2009, when junior quarterback Sam Bradford, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, suffered a shoulder injury in the first game and played little the rest of the year. Oklahoma, the preseason No. 3, finished 8-5, averaging 12.4 points per game in the losses. Given the Buckeyes' inexperience -- only four offensive starters from last season remain, only one of them on the line -- there are some uncomfortable parallels.

2. Middle linebacker Ramik Wilson led the SEC in tackles last season, but the strength of Georgia's 3-4 defense this season is its outside linebackers, where sophomore Leonard Floyd is poised to become a national star. Junior Jordan Jenkins lends a veteran presence, and freshman Lorenzo Carter will contribute quickly. That wealth of talent is becoming a luxury. Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt said Tuesday it's getting tougher to recruit outside linebackers, because high school players who line up with a hand in the dirt are reluctant converts to taking on pass coverage.

3. There's nothing like changing conferences to jack up ticket demand. Rutgers' prices on the ticket resale market have nearly doubled over last year, while the price of tickets for Maryland and Louisville has increased by a third, according to TiqIQ, the resale ticket/data company. Of the five biggest revenue-producing conferences, SEC ticket resale prices are the highest, at an average of $129, while the ACC comes in fifth at $83.37. You have to hope that athletic directors understand the strain of making a Saturday afternoon as expensive as seeing a Broadway show.

Terrance Kelly's Legacy Lives On


DANVILLE, Calif. -- As he stood outside a movie theater in an affluent East Bay Area suburb on Sunday, Landrin Kelly fought back tears.

He's used to it now. Ten years have not completely quelled the pain he was left with following the murder of his son, Terrance, just days before he was set to begin a promising college football career at Oregon. No amount of time will.

A couple hundred others also gathered at the theater to see an early screening of "When the Game Stands Tall," a movie that chronicles the story of Terrance's death and the ensuing impact it had on the famed football program at Concord's De La Salle High. Based on the book by author Neil Hayes, the movie is set to hit theaters nationwide on Friday. For Landrin, the emotions were bittersweet.

"I've been to a lot of events [that remember Terrance]," he said. "The exciting part is that the story is being told of my son."

To continue reading Kyle Bonagura's story, click here.

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