Will Howard will be remembered as an Ohio State legend and National Champion, despite only playing one season in Columbus.

The Transfer Quarterback Saved His Best For Last In Ohio State’s Title Run

When Will Howard announced he was leaving Kansas State for Columbus, Ohio, many Buckeyes fans were skeptical whether or not he had what it takes to lead the team to their first national championship in a decade. While some thought Ohio State could’ve done better, many were pleased with the addition and confident in the coaches and players around him.

Not only did he quiet any doubters throughout the season especially late in the year, he was an unsung hero and leader of this team. He seemed to get better as the season went on and clearly wasn’t healthy in the second of two losses on the season when the Buckeyes fell to TTUN.

Many wrote the team, Coach Day, and Will Howard off after the TTUN loss, which knocked the Buckeyes out of a trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship. Howard responded as well as anyone when the Buckeyes hosted the Tennessee Volunteers the following game to open the new-look College Football Playoff.

Dicing up the Volunteers and the Ducks

Will Howard was known as more of a dual-threat quarterback most of his collegiate career at Kansas State, but a lot of that was him running for his life and trying to improvise. At Ohio State, the weapons and offensive line were much better for Howard, and he had the time to make defenses pay.

After the stunning rivalry loss, the Buckeyes and Howard rallied around each other and destroyed the Tennessee Volunteers 42-17. Howard had his third-highest completion percentage of the season completing 82.8 percent of his passes. He also had his third-highest passing yards mark with 311 passing yards and threw two passing touchdowns with one interception that wasn’t necessarily his fault. Earlier in the year he was scrambling more and scoring with his legs, but in the playoffs, he was dropping dimes to his talented receivers and running backs. He did have 37 yards on the ground on five carries which kept the defense honest throughout the game.

He followed up a great first-round performance with an even better one in the Rose Bowl against the No.1-seeded Oregon Ducks. Howard had a great game the first time they met and followed it up with another stellar showing. He had 319 passing yards, his second-highest of the season only behind the first time he played Oregon. Howard threw three passing touchdowns with no interceptions and was instrumental in the dismantling of the team many considered the best in college football.

Will Howard vs #1 Oregon

319 Passing Yards
3 TDs
0 INTs pic.twitter.com/nAC7z4v3hl

— Mr. Ohio (@MrOH1O) January 2, 2025

Racing Across The Finish Line

After two huge wins in the first two rounds of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes now found themselves in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas against the Texas Longhorns. It was a much different contest than the previous two, with the game never being out of reach and Howard needing to improvise more with his legs and utilize shorter throws.

He completed 24 of 33 passes for 289 passing yards with one passing touchdown and one interception. Howard kept the Buckeyes offense chugging along against a talented Longhorns defense and converted some huge plays down the stretch. As a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve, he did a great job playing with heart while also staying level-headed.

The win against Texas set up a date with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Atlanta for all the marbles. Howard set a playoff-record completing his first 13 passes of the game, and finished 17 of 21 for 231 passing yards. He threw two touchdowns but also added 57 yards on the ground. Going up against another top defense, Howard converted a handful of plays that the Buckeyes often seemed not to convert just a season ago en route to winning MVP of his final collegiate game.

With many great quarterbacks over the past decade, Will Howard submitted himself as one of the greats and won over the hearts of Buckeye Nation in the process. He is one of the most likable players in recent memory, and seeing him progress and learn throughout the season was a treat. Not only did the Buckeyes take a chance on him, he took a chance on Ohio State, and helped boost his NFL draft stock tremendously in the process. You would have thought he had played in Columbus his whole career with how passionate and honored he was to abe  Buckeye. On behalf of the entire fanbase, thank you, Will Howard.