Three things to know
1/2/2014THREE THINGS TO KNOW
■ OSU quarterback Braxton Miller plans to announce his stay-or-go decision within a week of Friday’s Orange Bowl, but he remains coy on his intentions. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman wouldn’t throw reporters a bone, either. "Probably not the right time for me to talk about that," he said. "We've had talks, and we'll continue to have those talks." Juniors have until Jan. 15 to enter the NFL draft.
■ Among the visitors to OSU’s practice were Nick Bosa, the younger — and possibly even more touted — brother of five-star freshman defensive end Joey Bosa and one of his high school’s assistant coaches. You might have heard of him. Hall of Fame receiver and former Buckeyes star Cris Carter helps when he can at Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the nation’s top prep powerhouses. "I can’t say it because Joey will get mad, but the little brother might be better than Joey," Carter said. "He’s the best player on our team and he’s a sophomore." The boys’ father, John Bosa, an All-American defensive end at Boston College and a first-round pick by the Dolphins in 1987, said earlier this year Joey "thinks his brother will follow his footsteps" at OSU. As for whether Carter will steer Nick to Columbus, he laughed and asked the inquisitor, "What, are you with the NCAA?"
■ Clemson’s last trip to the Orange Bowl became known as the "Mugging in Miami" — a 70-33 loss to West Virginia in 2012 that got then-defensive coordinator Kevin Steele shown the door. Needless to say, the Tigers are searching for a better ending this time. "It was definitely disappointing a couple of years ago," linebacker Spencer Shuey said. "But I feel like this is a completely different team. We're definitely looking forward to getting the opportunity to redeem ourselves in the Orange Bowl."
— David Briggs