The next step in Ohio State football’s redemption journey is a familiar opponent for Will Howard
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The next step in Ohio State football’s redemption journey is a familiar opponent for Will Howard

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

PASADENA, Calif. – Will Howard’s hands gripped his helmet as he left the field for the final time against Oregon.

This time he held his fists in the air.

His face showed a look of disbelief after the defeat in mid-October.

This time it wore a smile.

He was surrounded by a sea of ​​green and yellow fans as he made his way to the away dressing room.

This time, he fought through scarlet and gray confetti as he struggled to find a spot on the stage for the Rose Bowl trophy presentation.

Ohio State football’s two meetings against Oregon this season resulted in polarizing postgame reactions from the starting quarterback.

When the Buckeyes left Autzen Stadium in October with a 32-31 loss, Howard was on the floor. His scramble and resulting fumble occurred as time expired, sealing Ohio State’s first loss of the season.

He became a meme, flooding social media with constant reminders of his late-game mistake.

On Wednesday, he was the face of victory against the backdrop of college football’s most picturesque venue.

Howard was the quarterback who threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a commanding 41-21 win over the top-ranked Ducks.

“That was a lot of fun,” Howard said after the game. “When you can get a win like that, it’s something special after what we experienced last time.”

The win against Oregon was the second step in a postseason redemption tour led largely by the former Kansas State transfer.

Ohio State ended its regular season with an ugly loss to Michigan – a loss in which Howard played perhaps his worst game of the season.

OSU responded with a dominant win over Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The second phase, a trip to Pasadena for the quarterfinals, gave the Buckeyes a chance to avenge an earlier loss to the Ducks. They took advantage of Howard’s strong evening.

The semifinals give Ohio State a chance to continue its redemption journey toward a national championship. But for Howard it is also connected to a personal mission.

“There was one team I never beat in the Big 12 and that was Texas,” Howard told Big Ten Network. “So I’m really looking forward to this game.”

Howard saw Kansas State lose to Texas four times in his four seasons there. He took part in three of these competitions (2020, 2021, 2023). The final overtime loss was heartbreaking.

In his final college season, Howard will get another boost at Texas.

This time he has a squad with equal talent on his side.

“I love Will more than anything,” receiver Jeremiah Smith said. “I would do anything for him.”

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