Ohio State Buckeyes QB Speaks Out About Rematch Against Oregon

Ohio State Buckeyes QB Speaks Out About Rematch Against Oregon

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard spoke out about the rematch against Oregon.

 

The Ohio State Buckeyes came out and made a major statement last night against the Tennessee Volunteers. Not only did they win the game to open up their College Football Playoff run, they dominated Tennessee from start to finish.

 

Will Howard made a statement personally. After being heavily criticized following the loss to Michigan, he put together a big-time performance.

 

Against the Volunteers, Howard ended up completing 24 of his 29 pass attempts for 311 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also picked up 37 yards on five carries.

 

Those were elite numbers and playing at that level will be needed in Ohio State’s next game against the Oregon Ducks.

 

Earlier this season, the Buckeyes suffered a heartbreaking loss to Oregon. They came up just short on what would have been a game-winning drive in the final series of the game. That loss has stuck with Ohio State.

 

Following the win over Tennessee, Howard spoke out about the rematch against the Ducks. It’s clear that he wants revenge for the loss earlier this season.

 

“I’m excited, it’s going to be a heck of an opportunity for all of us. I think we’ve all been looking forward to this one and for another crack at these guys,” Howard said. “The way that last one ended doesn’t sit right with me and still doesn’t. It still bugs me.”

 

Howard also spoke out about being thankful for having a second chance to beat the No. 1 team in the nation.

 

I’m just thankful for the opportunity you know that we get another crack at them. In life, you don’t get a lot of second chances,” Howard said. “The fact we’re getting a 2nd chance here is a blessing from the Lord, and we’re going to go out there and have some fun and let it rip.”

 

In order to beat Oregon, the Buckeyes are going to need to play a full game. They will need to disrupt the lethal Ducks’ offense on the defensive side of the ball and the offense has to take care of the football and make sure that their playmkers get consistent touches.

 

If Howard can have the kind of game that he did against the Volunteers, Ohio State will have a shot.

 

All of that being said, the stage has been set for the Buckeyes. They will have a second crack at Oregon on New Years Day.

 

Hopefully, this matchup will go different than the first time around. Ohio State has certainly shown that they can play at a national championship level and they should have a lot of confidence heading into the rematch.

 

Jury is Still Out on Ohio State Buckeyes’ Will Howard

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard is facing monumental pressure heading into the Rose Bowl against the Oregon Ducks.

 

The Ohio State Buckeyes hammered the Tennessee Volunteers by a score of 42-17 in their first-round College Football Playoff game on Saturday night, demonstrating that they do, in fact, have a second gear.

 

In the process, Will Howard played what some may consider to be his best game as a Buckeye, going 24-for-29 with 311 yards, a couple of touchdowns and an interception.

 

There was a whole lot of good for Howard against Tennessee. He twice found Jeremiah Smith for touchdowns. He threw a 40-yard dart to Emeka Egbuka, setting up a key first-quarter touchdown.

 

For the most part, he was incredibly efficient and made the right reads.

 

Again, for the most part.

 

There was the instance in the second quarter, where Ohio State was leading 21-0 and Howard attempted to force feed Smith in the end zone.

 

The poor throw resulted in an interception and actually provided the Volunteers with some momentum, as they reeled off 10 straight points to trim the Buckeyes’ lead to 21-10 heading into the half.

 

Was there a missed pass interference call on the play? Sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that Howard shouldn’t have made the throw.

 

While Howard has actually performed better in 2024 than many expected, we have still seen those types of decisions from the former Kansas State quarterback a bit too much for anyone’s liking.

 

On Saturday, he got away with it. After all, Ohio State was already up by three touchdowns when it happened. It was also painfully obvious that the Buckeyes were the better team.

 

Try that against the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl, and Howard could end up costing Ohio State the game.

 

Look: all signal-callers make mistakes. Even the best of the best throw interceptions sometimes. But Howard has already had his fair share of detractors and non-believers to begin with. He doesn’t need to add more fuel to the fire.

 

Heading into the season, Ryan Day took a heck of a long time to name the team’s starting quarterback. Howard was always the consensus choice, but the fact that Day delayed the decision so much had many wondering if Howard was really made for Columbus.

 

The fact of the matter is that we still really don’t know for sure.

 

Ohio State’s goal was never to beat Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Its goal was to beat Michigan, which it didn’t, and to win a national championship, which it is still yet to do.

 

Howard looked lost against the Wolverines earlier in the month. He also made a horrible decision at the end of the Buckeyes’ loss to Oregon back in Week 7, where he accidentally ran out the clock (that smeared a pretty great performance by Howard, too).

 

We’ve seen him struggle—or at least falter—in pressure-packed situations before.

 

Well, he probably won’t face a tougher test all year than he will in the rematch with the Ducks on New Year’s Day.

 

If Howard can pull out another terrific showing against Oregon, then perhaps we can all acknowledge that he really does have what it takes to lead Ohio State to the promised land.

 

But until then, moments like that interception against the Volunteers will still make you wonder.