Will Howard has Ohio State positioned to reach every goal​

Moments after punching in the exclamation touchdown against fifth-ranked Indiana on Saturday, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard found the Buckeyes' team camera on the sideline and simulated typing on a keyboard.

"Google that!" said Howard, who turned around and pantomimed stomping out a cigarette to complete the double troll of Indiana coach Curt Cignetti.

The No. 2 Buckeyes delivered a message to Indiana in a 38-15 rout. Even the Ohio Stadium jumbotron read "Buckeyes win??? Google it!" as Cignetti and the Hoosiers walked off the field.

Ohio State also sent a message to the rest of college football.

With this month's pair of victories against top-five foes, the Buckeyes have rounded into elite form leading up to a revenge bout this weekend against rival Michigan in Columbus, a possible rematch with top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten championship game then the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, for which Ohio State is beginning to look like the title favorite.

Even after falling to the Ducks by a point in Eugene last month, the Buckeyes seem primed to make a run at all the lofty goals that have escaped the program in recent years, which prompted key veterans such as wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, offensive lineman Donovan Jackson and pass rushers JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer to put off the NFL for a final college season.

Those goals start with ending That Team up North's three-game winning streak in the series.

"I want this for [the veterans] so bad. ... I want it for Coach [Ryan] Day, to shut up the haters," Howard said. "I'm a part of it now, and I want this for me too. But I want this for those guys."

Howard's play in his lone season with the Buckeyes after transferring in from Kansas State is one reason Ohio State is now two wins away from securing the No. 1 seed in the playoff.

On Saturday, he completed his first 14 passes and finished with 201 yards and three touchdowns in total. After connecting with wideout Carnell Tate on consecutive throws for a total of 49 yards -- on third-and-35 then fourth-and-10 -- to convert a first down in the first quarter, an emotional Howard pumped up the Ohio Stadium crowd during an Indiana timeout.

Howard now ranks fourth nationally with a QBR of 85.4.

"Buckeye nation is now seeing, after 11 games, that this guy is a winner," Day said. "He's tough. He cares about his teammates. He's a leader.

"He's the heart and soul of our team."
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buckeyemania11 said:

Leave it to a below sub par WR who has contributed about nothing meaningful to run his mouth.

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Dude.....he's got over 100 yards on the year and more than 0 TDs.

cincibuck said:

So, if ND beats USC, they could end up with a bye week because they don’t have a CCG, and then a second Bye because they’re the top independent and ranked in the top four.

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Uh, no, they can't be in the Top 4--ever--because they aren't in a conference and the Top 4 are reserved for conference champions.

brodybuck21 said:

In almost six full seasons as Ohio State’s head coach, Day has a winning percentage of .880 (66-9). That is the best winning percentage among active head coaches, with the next-best being Georgia’s Kirby Smart’s .851 (103-18). Day is 46-0 against unranked teams and 20-9 against ranked teams during his tenure. He may have losses to national-championship-winning teams like Alabama, Georgia and Michigan, but he doesn’t have losses to barely bowl-eligible teams like Oklahoma, Florida and Auburn. I think that deserves some credit! Certainly more credit than he often gets.

Oh, and while I’m here, Day has two top-five wins since people told me he couldn’t win top-five matchups after the Oregon game. As Cignetti said before the game on Saturday, people can stick that narrative up their you know what.

Skull Session: Will Howard Understands What The Game Means to Ohio State and Its Fans, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes Put an “Exclamation Point” on Indiana Win With A Late Touchdown

While some of his predecessors missed the mark, Will Howard understands The Game is more than just a game — it defines a season, a career and legacies in Columbus.

www.elevenwarriors.com

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When they vacate a couple of those tCun wins in The Game, that won’t improve Day’s record. Vacated games still stupidly count as a loss for the other team.

Jaxbuck said:

I can't get shit done today.

It's like the week before Christmas when you were a little kid*

*Not sure if the marketing industry had turned baby Jesus into Santa Claus yet when BB73 was a kid, but for the rest of us...it's like that

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The guy named Sinterklaas was just getting talked about, but I was old enough to know that was just St. Nicholas.

ORD_Buckeye said:

I think it will be an easy win. We'll go up 30-something to 10 in the middle of the third. Then, as much as he'd like to hang a hundred, Day will take his foot off the gas and get the starters out because he knows tcun will start getting chippy, start provoking fights and even trying to injure. It's who they are.

It's not like they'll ever be held accountable for even the worst behavior. Sherrone won't do anything, and the university President runs around their locker room wearing a jersey.

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And knee pads.

LovelandBuckeye said:

Almost like we fucking told you so.

College Football Playoff's credibility taking a hit as race is littered with mediocre contenders down stretch

Maybe ballooning the field to 12 teams went a little overboard ... at least for this season

www.cbssports.com

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Most of the time it felt like there weren't even 4 teams worthy of being in the 4 team playoff. Hilarious anyone thought the 12 teamer wasnt going to draw it's share of mediocrity.

Bama is a couple of teams choking away from limping in backwards with 3 losses.

This isn't basketball, it's going to be very rare to see some Cinderella turn the bracket upside down.

I think a lot of the bitching from media honks this year though is going to be because the SEC didn't get the mass number of teams they were hoping for.

Zurp said:

Login to view embedded media Who is the guy who starts talking about 3:23 in? He basically says that Ohio State wasn't impressive - Indiana was just bad. Indiana didn't protect the quarterback and didn't stop a punt returned for a touchdown. Quarterback was under pressure all game long. Heh. Maybe because Ohio State put pressure on him? They couldn't get anything going on offense. Oh yeah.. because Ohio State played defense, maybe?
What a goober.

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I bet that same guy is still very impressed with Bama and Ole Miss.

Captain Buckeye said:

Oh I don’t care how we score. I’m not saying throw 40+ yard passes at all.

I’m saying just be aggressive. That means throwing on first down, running screens, running the QB etc.

Running on first and second down (provided first down doesn’t net much) isn’t a great strategy with a team like this.

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Exactly.

There's zero reason not to be aggressive against scUMs secondary. Even if Johnson is out there he wasn't even playing well before he got hurt he was getting beat his fair share of times too.

If Day goes into the BS simple run run run with some screen passes sprinkled in shell this game will be closer than it should be. scUMs defense has zero depth and they are liable to get gassed as the game goes on, but their starting DL when fresh is good enough to stop the basic runs still. We need go out and get up early not let it drag into halftime at like 10-3 or something like that. The later in the game it gets if the score is still close the less room for error we have considering they might be able to nuke the clock at 3-4 YPC.

Just win!

BuckeyeNation27 said:

Upon further inspection.....that is Semaj Morgan, and it was posted after our game last year. One of the many they cheated to win. 18 is Marv. 6 is McCord.

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Leave it to a below sub par WR who has contributed about nothing meaningful to run his mouth.

LovelandBuckeye said:

Login to view embedded media

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Upon further inspection.....that is Semaj Morgan, and it was posted after our game last year. One of the many they cheated to win. 18 is Marv. 6 is McCord.

Honor&Glory said:

This smells like some Dick Rod/Fat Garbage Man type shit. Good. Very good.

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1000%. That video that Thump posted showed a bunch of their staged fake tough guy moves. Barking in the tunnel, intentionally bumping into players walking up the ramp, the Marcus Hall stuff. All of it staged. All of it fake. All of it while they were getting beat year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year.....

At what point, if you're the leader of the team, do you tell whoever it is that's instructing you to "go out there and crowd around the kick returner and try to start a fight" to shut the fuck up with these dumbshit wannabe toughguy plans and just focus on winning. The answer....never. Because it's institutionalized.

Buckeneye said:

The issue I find with your strategy is that this offense is hit and miss pressing the ball vertically without disproportionate margins of turnover worthy throws.

I'm all for calculated shots. But asking Howard to come right out with firepower (Brent Musberger style) isn't something I'd feel good about. Barring seeing one hell of a week of practice and game prep from him, which obviously I don't have access to.

Would I love a fast start? Of course, every Buckeye would. But I'd also be ok with 17-7, 14-3 Bucks at the half as well with no turnovers and no 3 & outs.

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Oh I don’t care how we score. I’m not saying throw 40+ yard passes at all.

I’m saying just be aggressive. That means throwing on first down, running screens, running the QB etc.

Running on first and second down (provided first down doesn’t net much) isn’t a great strategy with a team like this.

Almost like we fucking told you so.

Rangy kid. Saw him live. Good pickup for LSU.

JS needs 101 yards for a 1k season....

Captain Buckeye said:

IMO that’s the last thing you do vs a team like this who struggles to move the ball. You don’t want a nail biting war of attrition.

Come out and smack them in the damned face. Go up on them early 14-0 and they’ll force things which will lead to mistakes and then it’s downhill from there.

They’re the 70+ ranked defense against the pass so we have got to attack them down the field. They’re a good defense but we have matchups everywhere against them at the skill vs their back 7 (especially if Johnson doesn’t play which I have a hunch he will).

As long as we play a clean game with no turnovers and no cheap stupid penalties this shouldn’t be a game by the time the third quarter rolls around. The longer they’re in the game the worse it is for the buckeyes.

Start fast and force TCUN to do things they don’t want to do.

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The issue I find with your strategy is that this offense is hit and miss pressing the ball vertically without disproportionate margins of turnover worthy throws.

I'm all for calculated shots. But asking Howard to come right out with firepower (Brent Musberger style) isn't something I'd feel good about. Barring seeing one hell of a week of practice and game prep from him, which obviously I don't have access to.

Would I love a fast start? Of course, every Buckeye would. But I'd also be ok with 17-7, 14-3 Bucks at the half as well with no turnovers and no 3 & outs.

I'd take that bracket right now to be honest.

Home game vs Arizona State then Boise then Oregon/GA/Tennessee for a spot in the NC game.

Only thing I don't like about that is playing anyone in Glandale AZ. It's fucking cursed.

The other side of this bracket is a joke depending on how you view Texas.