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QB1 Will Howard (Official Thread)

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billmac91 said:
Howard has underperformed my expectations to be honest….a bit too turnover prone, not as explosive in run game as I was hoping for, and his arm talent lacks.

That said…..it’s obvious OSU is protecting him at nearly every cost to keep him healthy. An injury to Will ruins the season bc we do not have a backup that can take us to a Natty. No knock on any of the depth behind him, but it’s the truth.

I think Will is playing from an 80% deck of cards and they only give him 100% in the most critical moments.

I think OSU is a little hamstrung in the run game when Will is no threat to expose his body….its kinda why I’d like to see OSU incorporate a direct snap approach to Judkins or Henderson and let them run “zone read” (I wouldn’t actually have them read backside DE) but it takes the stress off of injury to the QB.

Howard is definitely a college upgrade over McCord but I actually think McCord probably lasts longer in NFL as a 2nd/3rd stringer just based on arm talent. I think OSU can win a Natty with Will but there’s also huge limitations based on his deep ball and arm strength….the problem is, the way to open up the deep ball is to make him consistent threat in the run game, but we can’t afford to lose him so OSU plays it safe 98% of the time…as they should…..
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two of the deep balls were mistakes by Smith though. Yes he’s missed a couple but he’s not getting help either. On throws over 25 yards he’s actually pretty good.

He’s just got to cool it with the turnovers somehow but for me he’s been as expected. Not less than expected but also not exceeding expectations either.

I expected him to run more but I also didn’t think he’d be as accurate either. To be honest the turnovers don’t bother me because I’d rather him take some chances instead of being ultra conservative. That said, he can’t fumble the ball going in for a touchdown either.
 
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jarv said:
He has 19 touchdowns to 5 Interceptions. Is that really considered turnover prone?
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Not necessarily, but his turnovers have had an outsized effect. For example, his pick-6 and fumble for a touchback last week on a big stage directly translated to 14 points. And I don't think any of his turnovers have been the fault of receivers missing a catch and propping up the ball for the defender (that is, where the interception is really the fault of the receiver). So if there was a weighted average, his turnovers would probably be more than just their numerical amount.
 
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He's Krenzel 2.0. He's not going to carry the team, but good enough not to hamstring it either. He has a weak arm - velocity and deep ball wise - average athleticism, and makes a couple bonehead decisions a game. But, he has top notch intangibles that McCord didn't. I think the offense and team knows he'll put his neck on the line for them. The NC hinges on the OL and DL, moreso than when we had elite talents like Fields and Stroud
 
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Howard is still third in the nation in passing efficiency, behind Dart of Ole Miss and Rourke of Indiana.

Among the P4, he‘s third in points responsible per game, behind Cam Ward and Jalen Milroe.

I mention those categories because they tend to be the most indicative of which QBs are Heisman contenders. I’m not saying Will should be a a Heisman finalist, but in important categories he’s in the same ballpark as the guys that will be. He’s ahead of Dillon Gabriel in both of those metrics.

I agree that he needs to be better at hitting deep throws to guys who are open; but that, and a couple of decisions in the last 30 seconds at Autzen, are what has kept him from being talked about like the contenders are.
 
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You know who else wasn't considered for the Heisman at this point in the season? Ezekial Elliot. And he finished the season with about 700 yards the last 3 games, against the Heisman runner up, the 2nd runner up, that season's Heisman winner, and the following season's Heisman winner.

My point isn't to compare Howard to Elliot, but to give an example that Heisman contention isn't a requirement.
 
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Zurp said:
You know who else wasn't considered for the Heisman at this point in the season? Ezekial Elliot. And he finished the season with about 700 yards the last 3 games, against the Heisman runner up, the 2nd runner up, that season's Heisman winner, and the following season's Heisman winner.

My point isn't to compare Howard to Elliot, but to give an example that Heisman contention isn't a requirement.
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Winning the Heisman isn’t really indicative of the talent of a player or their importance to the program.
 
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