Ohio State Quarterback Will Howard Reveals Oregon Ducks' Autzen Stadium Loudest Ever

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard reveals that Autzen Stadium, home of the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, is the loudest stadium he's ever played in. The Buckeyes are College Football Playoff National Champions but lost to coach Dan Lanning's Ducks in Big Ten regular season.

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) runs the ball during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks season came to and end in a 41-21 loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State went on to win their next two games, including the National Championship against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 

Oregon beat Ohio State in the regular season at Autzen Stadium, but the Buckeyes got their revenge when it mattered most in the College Football Playoff. 

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard went on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday to speak about the Buckeyes run through the College Football Playoff.

Will Howard: “The Way That First Oregon Game Ended Didn’t Sit Right With Any Of Us”

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) walks off the field after losing 32-31 to Oregon Ducks during the NCAA football game at Autzen Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

 Oregon and Ohio State had a thrilling game in October that the Ducks won 32-31. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard talked about the game and the atmosphere in Autzen Stadium on the Pat McAfee show.

“The way that Oregon game ended, it just didn’t sit right with really any of us,” Howard said.

When Ohio State went up to Eugene, they had a chance to steal the game late with a potential game winning field goal or touchdown. The Buckeyes were driving down the field and had a timeout in their pocket. On the final play of the game, Will Howard ran down inside the Oregon 30-yard line and slid down trying to call timeout as the clock struck zero, ending the game. If he had gone down just a second earlier, Ohio State would have had a chance to kick a game winning field goal. 

Ohio State was very fortunate that the College Football Playoff expanded from four to 12 teams as they wouldn’t have been in otherwise after their loss to Michigan to end the season 10-2 and ranked out of the top four. They got into the playoff as the No. 8 seed and hosted Tennessee in the first round. 

“That was an unbelievable game (Tennessee game). We played lights out, really on both sides of the ball,” Howard said. “It gave us a lot of confidence going into that next Oregon game.”

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Will Howard: “(Autzen Stadium) Loudest Stadium I Ever Played In”

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) throws the ball against the Oregon Ducks defense in the second half during the NCAA football game at Autzen Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Autzen Stadium is known as one of the most hostile environment in all of college football. After playing there as a road opponent, Howard concurs. 

“That was the loudest stadium I've ever played in,” Howard said. “I played at Texas, Oklahoma….No question, Oregon, 65 thousand that was…I don’t know if they were pumping in crowd noise.”

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