In many ways, Will Howard is everything Ohio State sought in a quarterback for this championship-or-bust season.
The Kansas State transfer is experienced, poised, and a natural leader. Howard is accurate on short and intermediate routes, particularly in the red zone. His running ability, both in using his speed and his 235-pound frame, has proven invaluable at times.
He has completed 73.2% of his passes with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. Howard's passing efficiency rating of 179.8 ranks third nationally.
But the standard is exceptionally high for quarterback play at Ohio State since Ryan Day arrived in Columbus. Dwayne Haskins Jr., Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud were Heisman Trophy finalists. Kyle McCord wasn't and is now at Syracuse.
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Howard isn't considered a Heisman candidate now, either. The gambling site BetOnline.com removed him as a contender this week. That came after Howard threw an interception for a touchdown and fumbled at the goal line in Ohio State's 20-13 win Saturday at Penn State.
The Buckeyes entered this season with two main concerns in its quest for a national title: quarterback and offensive line. Even after a reassuring performance Saturday, the line remains an issue. But Howard's up-and-down play means the quarterback question hasn't been definitively answered.
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Day said Tuesday he believes Howard can lead the Buckeyes to a championship, pointing to the way he bounced back from the early turnovers against Penn State.
"We know how capable he is in a lot of different areas, and he is the leader of this team, and the guys believe in them," Day said. "We know we can win every game with Will Howard. I think the more and more he's in this offense, the more and more it feels what it's like to be the Ohio State quarterback, the better. It's about winning the game, and he did that, and he's a winner."
After the pick-six, Howard drove the Buckeyes down for a touchdown. Howard started the clinching drive with a 4-yard quarterback sneak following the OSU defense's goal-line stand and finished it with runs for third-down conversions.
But Ohio State probably wouldn't have needed that if he hadn't committed the turnovers. On the interception, Day and Howard said Penn State used a different coverage than expected and cornerback Zion Tracy jumped the route on a swing pass to Jeremiah Smith.
"Sometimes, those things will happen," Day said. "But we can't fumble the ball inside the 10-yard line. Just can't do it. Like he said (Saturday), we were fortunate in the game because of the play of so many guys down the stretch, and it turned into a four-quarter game because of that.
"When we take care of the ball better, it doesn't have to be that way. He knows that. We're going to keep hammering that home this week - a huge emphasis on execution and taking care of the football."
It was the second straight week with costly turnovers. Against Nebraska, Howard floated a pass for an interception that changed the momentum in the second half before Ohio State rallied for a 21-17 win.
Howard's passing accuracy and running ability are a major reason the Buckeyes have scored touchdowns on 25 of 28 red-zone chances this year, the best in the country.
But Ohio State has been spotty with its deep-passing game. The Buckeyes could have had two long touchdowns against Penn State. Howard was off target on the first one to Carnell Tate, forcing him to catch the ball out of bounds. On the other, Smith briefly slowed down and the ball went over his hands.
"A lot to learn from," Day said. "We have to play cleaner. But we love his fire. We love his competitiveness. We love his composure. The guys believe in him, and he can make a lot of throws."
Howard, a Pennsylvania native, said his performance against the Nittany Lions was his worst of the season. But he said his belief in himself and his ability to lead Ohio State to glory has not wavered.
"I'm very confident," he said. "At this point in the season, if I were to sit here and say that I wasn't confident, I feel like that'd be a pretty big problem.
"But I'm very confident. I trust in my training, and I trust in the Lord and His plan for me. I trust in my teammates. What God's will is will happen, but I'm going to go out there and give it my all, and I know that I have what it takes to get it done."