COLUMBUS, Ohio – While he was away, his coach worried. How couldn’t it? When Braxton Miller came back, would he be ready, would he be sharp, would he be a quarterback ready for the next step?

Would nearly three whole games on the sideline with a knee sprain set him back?

“I was certainly worried,” Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman said this week. “I don't know that it did. Maybe a little bit mentally, just seeing the game over and over again and seeing coverages live and all those things. From a physical standpoint, it didn't and from a preparation standpoint, it didn't.

“I don't think he's been set back as much as I was worried that he would be.”

After returning with a four-touchdown performance against Wisconsin on Saturday, Miller looked relaxed and confident after practice Wednesday while talking with reporters. With the No. 4 Buckeyes playing at No. 16 Northwestern on Saturday, the quarterback questions are done.

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller threw four touchdown passes against Wisconsin and thinks the Buckeyes have good plays to attack the Northwestern defense on Saturday.

Miller has played barely more than two games, while the Buckeyes are ready for game six. And he doesn't feel it has hurt him at all.

He did admit he thought a bit about his Heisman chances taking a hit. Those are games and chances at piling up stats that he'll never get back.

“(It was ) on my mind a little bit,” Miller said. “Just little things that you think about while you’re sitting out. But the big games always count, I feel like.”

This is a big one. And he’s ready - knee, arm and mind.

Herman thought it was the mental side of Miller’s game that maybe showed the most rust against the Badgers, when he read the defense incorrectly a few times.

“There's only so much you can do in drills and in the film room, where the live bullets are necessary to gain that experience,” Herman said. “Maybe that's part of the reason he did have a few misreads that I felt shouldn't have been, (that) were too easy to miss is a better way to put it.”

The quarterback didn’t have any doubts about his head, though. He said he stayed sharp while he was out by doing the same things that backup Kenny Guiton usually does behind him, taking shadow reps and thinking through the game.

“I felt pretty good,” Miller said. “I didn’t miss a beat. Every practice I was out there with the guys and going over the coverages. Even though I wasn’t practicing, I made sure I still got my mental reps.”

Five weeks into the season, the Buckeyes have reached this conclusion about their No. 5 – after a preseason filled with praise for his passing, and a nonconference schedule short-circuited by his sprained left MCL, Ohio State is fine. Miller is fine. And maybe he’s even a little fresher at the start of October than he normally would be.

“Man, after the game I was really sore,” Miller said with a smile. “I just feel comfortable where I’m at, coming back off the knee injury and going out there with the guys.”

He believes he and he guys can attack a Northwestern defense that ranks 117th in the nation in pass defense, Miller’s eyes lighting up a bit while mentioning the Wildcats’ coverage.

“We’ve got good plays for it,” Miller said.

And the fact that the Wildcats have 10 interceptions?

“Who?” Miller asked.

Northwestern – 10 interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns.

“Really? It doesn’t matter,” Miller said, confident that going against the Buckeyes defense in practice will have him ready.

After one week back, the quarterback has no doubts.

Urban Meyer likes where Miller is now, too. But he liked where the quarterback was while just getting ready for the game a week ago.

“I thought his preparation for the game was one of the best he's had,” Meyer said. “His practice was one of the best he's had as far as Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday. And I thought his accuracy on the deep ball was outstanding. … I thought he did well.”

Miller sounds like a guy ready to do even more.