Will Howard wanted to get on stage after the Rose Bowl, but a bowl employee denied him.
The fifth-year quarterback wasn’t allowed because there was a weight limit, and about a dozen of his teammates, coach Ryan Day, ESPN’s Rece Davis and others were already on stage. But Howard didn’t let that stop him. He went to the other side to sneak on and join his teammates. Once there, he passed out roses out to the crowd with a smile that couldn’t be faked.
“I’m still in shock that a kid from Downingtown, Pa., who just wanted to play football is at the Rose Bowl and won,” Howard said after the win. “It’s humbling. I’m in shock and lucky.”
The same kid who used to throw the football in his front yard at midnight while everybody else was asleep is the one thousands of fans will watch in an Ohio State uniform in Friday’s Cotton Bowl against Texas.
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From the good moments, like beating Indiana and celebrating by motioning to stomp out a cigarette on the sideline, to the frustrating ones, like the loss to Michigan and coming to the news conference confident Ohio State would turn it around, Howard has always been himself. That’s all he knows.
He’s not going to change anything for anybody. And that’s exactly who Ohio State needs as it continues its preparations for the College Football Playoff semifinals.
“I’m unapologetically myself and I don’t know if that rubs some people the wrong way sometimes, but I’m me,” Howard said. “I’m going to try and have fun and keep things light at times, but also be super intense. I’m one competitive son of a gun, so I’m going to make sure that we’re making every opportunity we can to go out there and compete.”
Ohio State needs a competitive and fiery leader who doesn’t care how the country perceives him.
Sometimes the pressure of the Playoff can force people to press in big moments, but Howard hasn’t done that. And if he has the urge in the Cotton Bowl on Friday, he’ll fall back on what offensive coordinator Chip Kelly told him.
“I think something profound that Coach Kelly told me pretty early on in my career here was don’t make things happen, just let it happen,” Howard said. “Just let the game come to you.”
Will Howard has thrown for more than 300 yards in each of Ohio State’s two Playoff games. (Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today via Imagn Images)
Howard won’t come up in the discussion as one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
He wasn’t a Heisman finalist. He wasn’t in the top 10 of Heisman voting and won’t be one of the first quarterbacks selected in the April NFL Draft. In fact, some media members believe Howard is the worst quarterback left in the Playoff.
“Ohio State has the worst quarterback remaining in Will Howard,” Fox Sports’ Emmanuel Acho said on “The Facility” Sunday. “My concern is the quarterback. Riley Leonard, at Notre Dame, he’s been in college forever but you saw him put a team on his back.”
Though every athlete wants to say they block it out, Howard hears some of the criticism about him, but it doesn’t bother him because he knows the statistics tell a different story.
Yes, he has the best supporting cast in the country. No other quarterback has future first-round pick Jeremiah Smith, a likely 2025 first-rounder in Emeka Egbuka, another five-star receiver in Carnell Tate as his third option, two NFL running backs and a wealth of talent at tight end. It’s an embarrassment of riches that Howard can throw to. He understands that.
Still, Howard has to deliver the ball accurately and on time if Ohio State wants to win.
Of the four remaining Playoff quarterbacks, Howard has the second-most attempts and leads them all in passing yards (630) and touchdowns (five) through the last two games. He is the lone quarterback with a plus-70 percent competition percentage in the Playoff.
That’s not to say Howard is the best quarterback in the group. Penn State’s Drew Allar has the highest ceiling and is expected to be the better NFL Draft prospect. But Howard deserves credit for his growth this postseason. Ohio State wouldn’t be in this position without him.
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The postseason has shown the best of Howard. He’s thrown for 300-plus yards in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. And he made it look easy in the process.
Part of that is because of his focus on his improved footwork. It’s been a talking point all season, but when Howard’s feet are synced up and on time, he’s productive.
Day is seeing the difference right now.
“When his footwork is on time, and he’s able to time some things up in terms of his play-actions and drop-back passes, you’re seeing him play really good football,” Day said. “He’s making good decisions, and throwing the ball accurately.”
But Howard also isn’t doing too much when the ball is in his hands.
Much like Ohio State reengineered its defense after the Oct. 12 loss to Oregon, it did the same with its offense after the loss to Michigan. It’s passing first to open up the run and Howard knows his biggest strength is to be himself and get the ball where it needs to go, as opposed to trying to win the game all on his own.
“I like to think about myself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Howard said. “When I have guys around me doing what I’m doing I don’t have to do much.”
That wasn’t always Howard’s mindset.
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Though he had success at Kansas State, there were times when Howard didn’t utilize the checkdowns. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the players around him, he just hadn’t grown into the quarterback who knows it’s sometimes better to live to see another down.
That’s something Kelly instilled in him when he got to Ohio State.
“If I knew that at K-State I would’ve been better,” Howard said. “I’ve gotten better at taking checkdowns and taking completions here and letting the game come to me. I have gotten better at that.”
That mentality will be crucial against Texas. Unlike Oregon and Tennessee, the Longhorns have a strong defensive line and are elite in the secondary. Jim Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron leads the group, but it’s a defense that can confuse quarterbacks with its zone looks and baits throws well.
Texas has given up just eight touchdowns this season, second-lowest in the country to Ohio State. But unlike Ohio State, the Longhorns have forced 21 interceptions, recording at least one in 13 of their 15 games.
Howard is familiar with the Longhorns. He played them four times at Kansas State and lost each game. His 2023 performance was his best — 327 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception — but the Kansas State defense couldn’t get a stop in the 33-30 loss.
Texas is the only former Big 12 team that Howard hasn’t beaten, which will give him a bit more motivation going into Friday’s game.
Howard has always been able to find a way to motivate himself. He loves the underdog role, but at Ohio State, that’s not the case. The Buckeyes are 5.5-point favorites on Friday and have the highest odds to win the national championship, according to The Athletic’s Austin Mock.
To do that, Howard will focus on being himself, because as much as he needs to do that to stay focused, Ohio State needs him even more.
“He runs this whole team and he knows that,” receiver Brandon Inniss said. “We’ll go as far as he goes.”
(Top photo: Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today via Imagn Images)
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