STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Stephen Obeng-Agyapong sees the play everywhere. He can't forget.

Third quarter. Third-and-goal from the 1. Oct. 27, 2012. Braxton Miller fakes a handoff from the shotgun, while a diving Sean Stanley mistakenly takes out the decoy. Gerald Hodges spots the football and sprints over to Miller as the quarterback steps backward to avoid the diving tackle. Then, from the 5-yard line, Miller runs forward -- leaping in the air from the 2-yard line, between two defenders, to grab one of the Big Ten's most-impressive 1-yard TD runs.

Obeng-Agyapong doesn't go out of his way to see that play, a score that handed the Buckeyes a 21-10 lead. It's just hard to miss.

"I see that play all the time. … It just happens to be there," he said. "I don't actually look; it just pops up there. You're just trying to play this game and not let things like that happen again."

Those kinds of plays have highlighted Miller's career and have helped dictate the Buckeyes' success since he lined up under center as a true freshman. Since that time, Ohio State is 14-1 when the dual-threat reaches the 200-yard mark in total yards. When he's held to less than 200 yards? His team's just 7-5.

Talk to Penn State's defensive linemen, linebackers or DBs. Talk to the coaches. It doesn't matter. They're all going to echo the exact same thing: Stopping Miller, who reportedly runs in the 4.4s, is absolutely key.

"It's a very difficult challenge playing a guy like Braxton Miller -- in my opinion one of the top five players in the country," coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's improved immensely since being in the system."

Miller leads the conference in quarterback rating (160.0) and completion rate (69.6). He reminds Obeng-Agyapong of Michigan's Devin Gardner, who rushed for 121 yards and threw for another 240 against PSU.

But the OSU quarterback is more experienced, more refined, and -- in O'Brien's estimation -- certainly better. Penn State's head coach didn't heap that kind of praise ("One of the top five players in the country") upon Gardner.

But, against Miller, Penn State knows its backs are up against a wall that stands 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. He accounted for three-quarters of the OSU offense when playing the blue jerseys last season. He can make plays outside of the pocket. He can mix up his passes to Philly Brown (33 catches, 453 yards, 6 TDs) and Devin Smith (30 catches, 434 yards, 6 TDs).

Every team is aware of him on every play. PSU linebacker Glenn Carson swore he'd spend "well over 10 hours" reclining in the film room and watching tape of just Ohio State's quarterback.

"Definitely," he said, "containing Braxton is one of the emphases of this week."

Miller dominated PSU inside the intimidating confines of Beaver Stadium last season. Now, the dual-threat QB will perform in front of a friendly scarlet-and-gray crowd that numbers in the six figures.

The challenge Saturday night won't be any easier for this defense. But, for Obeng-Agyapong and the rest of his teammates, they're hoping they don't see anymore repeats of that 1-yard run. They want to atone for it -- and give OSU something to think about over the next year.