Will Howard Says Ohio State Never Withered From Michigan Loss
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The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is one of the biggest in college football.
Its prominence was illustrated in the Buckeyes' ugly 13-10 loss in the regular season finale, marking Ohio State's fourth straight loss to its Ann Arbor rivals. Quarterback Will Howard had his worst game as a Buckeye, going 19-of-33 for just 175 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
The 19.5-point favorites falling short to their rivals - again - made many question their legitimacy in the postseason.
Luckily, Howard and the Buckeyes learned from this moment, and didn't lose another game the rest of the season.
"That was what we clung to," Howard said on the Gruden QB Class web series. "We still had s*** to play for. In that moment, it didn't feel like it. It felt like the world's kinda collapsing around you, and everybody's hating you. The reason you come to Ohio State is to beat that team up North, man. It was tough, and we had a players-only meeting that next week, basically saying that we still have the national championship. Obviously, it didn't end the way we wanted it to and it was just f****** brutal. But as much as this game hurt, the only thing we could stay together for a common purpose."
Howard and Ohio State won their first title since 2015, with the former Kansas State Wildcat elevating his Draft stock after a dominant postseason.
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
Jayden is a journalism school graduate of Howard University. He was the 2024 recipient of the Terez Paylor scholarship award. He previously worked at the Orlando Sentinel.
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