Michael Cohen
College soccer and faculty basketball author
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — One by one, our bodies bounced and bounced off Will Howard, the Ohio State quarterback whose pores and skin was coated in sweat and grime and the grass-stained remnants of the smoothest slide he’d ever made, that that sealed a victory for a program he as soon as dreamed of representing. Seven days had handed since Howard, a former three-star prospect from Downington, Pennsylvania, a western suburb of Philadelphia, had boldly proclaimed how the upcoming conflict between the 2 Buckeyes and No. 3 Penn State meant to him, as he had grown up rooting for the Nittany Lions and I noticed this journey to Beaver Stadium as a homecoming. “They didn’t assume I used to be adequate,” Howard mentioned of the Penn State teaching workers throughout a postgame press convention in late October. “But I suppose we’ll see subsequent week if I used to be.”
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard slides for a primary right down to safe the Buckeyes’ 20-13 victory over Penn State. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
It was the form of remark that produced a second of surprised silence within the press field at Ohio Stadium, the location of a sloppy, error-filled victory over Nebraska that catalyzed every week of consternation each inside and out of doors the plan. The offensive and defensive strains have been vilified for his or her poor performances. Likewise, members of Ohio State’s teaching workers have been additionally most liable for these specific items, from offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and offensive line coach Justin Frye to line of defense coach Larry Johnson and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Finally, within the aftermath of Saturday’s recreation in opposition to Penn State, coach Ryan Day admitted that, behind closed doorways, the Buckeyes had talked about “being at a crossroads” following back-to-back troubling performances: a loss by some extent in opposition to Oregon by which Howard by accident let the clock run out, his leap to the turf took a second too lengthy, and a slim dwelling win over Nebraska by which Ohio State trailed within the fourth quarter regardless of being favored by over 25 factors.
So, as soon as Howard veered to the left facet of the offensive line for a 7-yard run and slide that secured his crew’s 20-13 victory over Penn State, and as soon as he accomplished the ultimate kneel that secured the the Buckeyes’ first highway win in opposition to a top-five opponent since 2006, the Kansas State switch was mobbed by representatives from all corners of this system. There have been teammates who hugged Howard and others who pushed him adoringly. There have been coaches who hugged him and others who grabbed him aggressively. “Are you kidding me?!” Howard yelled into the fray. And close by shouts from gamers each essential and pedestrian praised Ohio State for recovering from an early 10-point deficit. “This is the way you get well, darling!” edge rusher JT Tuimoloau shouted because the alma mater was sung. “Do you fucking find it irresistible?” a reserve offensive lineman yelled. “Yes, you fucking find it irresistible!” he answered his personal query.
“One of the issues we talked about this week is that in life you are going to have these alternatives the place you need to go together with your will to win,” Day mentioned. “You need to take one thing. You need to discover a technique to get that factor executed, which whether or not it is for your loved ones, to your profession or within the recreation of soccer. And our guys did that at present. And I’m actually completely satisfied for this crew, I’m completely satisfied for the seniors, and I feel that is going to assist us transfer ahead.”
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day talks to FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft following the Buckeyes’ win over Penn State. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
That Ohio State emerged unscathed from its cauldron of expectations revealed a spirit of resilience that many believed this system and, extra particularly, Day himself, sorely lacked. Not solely did Day enter the weekend with a sporadic 2-7 report in opposition to top-five opponents — a statistic that had been making the rounds because the Buckeyes misplaced, 32-31, to then-No. 3 Oregon in mid-October, however Saturday’s recreation additionally marked the primary time Penn State entered this rivalry because the highest-ranked crew since 2017, a mirrored image of the Nittany Lions’ beforehand spotless report. Not solely would Ohio State need to cope with the biggest crowd in Beaver Stadium historical past — the introduced attendance was 111,030 followers, solely a small proportion of whom sported scarlet and grey — however they might achieve this behind a makeshift offensive line for which Donovan Jackson kicked out to play left sort out, and final yr’s beginning heart, Carson Hinzman, reemerged for the primary time since logging three snaps in opposition to Iowa in Week 6 to fill Jackson’s conventional spot at left guard . Not solely have been the 2 main pre-game exhibits each broadcast dwell from Happy Valley to preview one of the anticipated matchups of the season – a recreation that would have critical implications for the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff in December – however there was additionally a procuring record. of greater than 20 NFL scouts and expertise evaluators on the credential record, together with 5 franchises that ought to have despatched extra representatives to State College: Washington Commanders (x4), New York Giants (x3), Baltimore Ravens (x2), the Carolinas Panthers (x2) and the Houston Texans (x2).
Many of these extremely educated eyes have been targeted on Howard, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound quarterback round whom the dichotomy between bodily traits and on-field efficiency is considerably jarring. Personnel from the Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals stood inside a number of ft of Howard throughout pre-game warmups, evaluating his body, mechanics and demeanor earlier than donning pads. One of them even captured cellphone video of Howard’s throwing movement that may be mentioned and analyzed for months forward of the 2025 NFL Draft — simply as scouts and basic managers will certainly talk about the mesmerizing pick-six he threw in opposition to Ohio State. first cross of the sport, the poor ball safety he displayed when he reached the pylon on a play that was in the end dominated each a fumble and a touchback, and the incorrect deep cross he threw to broad receiver Carnell Tate for that which ought to have been a landing however as a substitute drifted out of bounds.
“It wasn’t fairly,” mentioned Howard, who accomplished 16 of 24 passes for 182 yards and two scores, whereas additionally carrying the ball 12 occasions for twenty-four yards. “I most likely performed my worst recreation of the yr. (That’s what I’m considering) proper now, simply strolling off the sector. But man, I imply, we needed that recreation. We talked about it earlier within the week, man . We mentioned: “We must work exhausting to win this match. There’s no manner we will lose this factor.’ And that is how we performed, man.
“I can not give my teammates sufficient credit score. They saved me. To win a recreation like that, man, in my dwelling state, it is wonderful.”
Most of the saving got here from Ohio State’s protection, which surrendered simply 270 yards of whole offense and restricted the Nittany Lions to simply three mixed factors on three journeys into the pink zone. A panoramic interception by cornerback Davison Igbinosun, who mentioned God helped him strip the ball from wideout Harrison Wallace III in the long run zone, robbed Penn State of a possibility to take the lead simply earlier than halftime. And with the Buckeyes clinging to a seven-point lead late within the fourth quarter, the protection mounted a powerful goal-line stand by which Knowles’ unit held off tailback Kaytron Allen on consecutive three-pointers earlier than placing by the best way Khalil Dinkins to pressure an incompletion on fourth down. The identical Penn State offense that had been revered for its creativity beneath first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, previously of Kansas, failed to provide a landing for the primary time since coach James Franklin’s debut season in 2014.
And so it was Ohio State’s offense that paced Saturday’s recreation, draining the ultimate 5:13 from the clock with a castrating drive of 11 straight factors. Inch by inch, yard by yard, the Buckeyes clawed from the shadow of their very own purpose line to Penn State’s 47-yard line, needing nothing greater than a single conversion to protect the victory. That’s when Howard moved to his left and clanged throughout the road of scrimmage for essentially the most cathartic of quarterback slides.
“It was big,” Howard mentioned. “We determined to win that recreation.”
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard threw for 182 yards, two touchdowns and an interception within the Buckeyes’ win over Penn State. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Michael Cohen covers faculty soccer and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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