For Will Howard, winning a national championship with Ohio State was a dream come true. But there’s still one thing he just can’t get over—losing to Michigan.
Even with the Buckeyes capping off the season by winning games against Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame on their way to a national title,, that rivalry game still stings. Howard recently opened up about it on The Ryen Russillo Podcast, making it clear that the loss hasn’t left his mind.
"It wasn't fun, man. You come to Ohio State to beat those guys. For me, it hurt. You get one chance at The Game," Howard said. "Obviously, I got knocked up in the half, and I probably wasn't 100%. But, shoot, only God himself would've taken me out of that game. You only get one chance to play That Team Up North. And it was just a bad day. And you can't have that."
Ohio State fans don’t take losses to Michigan lightly, and Howard said he knew exactly what he was walking into when he transferred to Columbus.
"I knew what I was stepping into... Ohio State fans can turn nasty if they don't like you," he said. "I grew up an Eagles fan, it's the same deal... they want to see their Buckeyes win."
With the loss, Ohio State and Ryan Day lost their fourth-straight to the Wolverines.
Howard ended the season throwing for over 4,000 yards, completed 73.1% of his passes, and 35 passing touchdowns. While he won't be known as the quarterback who ended the streak against Michigan in The Game, he will be known as the quarterback who bounced back and led the Buckeyes on an improbable run to a national championship.
It may be the easiest thing to swallow — losing to your rival — but Howard still ended up cementing his legacy in Columbus, no doubt.
Now, it will be interesting to see where he's selected when the 2025 NFL Draft takes place in a month.