COLUMBUS, Ohio — Will Howard’s motivation heading into the most important game on Ohio State’s schedule is completely void of personal gain.
He’s about to be the fourth quarterback of the Ryan Day era to play in The Game, but only one so far can say it has a win over Michigan. Joining Justin Fields on that list means something to too many people for him to fail next week, and he knows that. Because he’s been hearing about it ever since he got to Columbus.
“This one’s for those guys who came back,” Howard said. “This one’s for Buckeye Nation. I feel it, man. I can just feel it. There’s been that hurt the last three years. This rivalry game was the first thing that I heard when I came here on my visit. Beat the team up north. It’s the first goal we have every single year.”
So much of the way the Buckeyes’ roster has been constructed this season is a direct result of a veteran group of players, who could’ve gone pro but came back because they still lack a win over Michigan. For the past three years, the Wolverines have been responsible for what the Buckeyes failed to win — a Big Ten title — and twice kept them out of the College Football Playoff. They punctuated the third of those wins with a national title last season.
Much of why that happened no longer exists in Ann Arbor. Sherrone Moore has taken over as head coach, essentially starting from scratch, which has led to a team that came into Week 12 still needing a win to even be bowl eligible. The future might again be bright after landing five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, but the present has been a season-long nightmare.
OSU can be the final nail in the coffin for what is essentially a lost season. In the process, it can finally release some emotions that’ve been building up for three seasons. That’s where Howard comes in, as the vessel charged with helping the program do so.
“I want this for them so bad because they’ve been here,” Howard said. “I’ve seen it from a distance and I feel it and I’m a part of it now. I want this for me, too, but I want this for those guys. I want it for Coach Day to shut up the haters. Be able to go out there and say this is the Ohio State Buckeyes.”
On paper, next week looks to be a blowout in the making. The 11-1 Buckeyes are expected to stamp their ticket to Indianapolis and continue their journey toward a potential national championship. Depending on how things go against Northwestern, the Wolverines will either be fighting for bowl eligibility or trying to avoid their first under .500 season in a non-pandemic year since 2014.
But the great thing about college sports is that records don’t matter in rivalry games, and that gets to play itself out in the 2024 version of The Game.
“It doesn’t matter what their record is,” Howard said. “I couldn’t care less.”
Howard has a chance to make his mark in an Ohio State-Michigan game that’s arguably the most important of the Ryan Day era. He gets to be the guy that stops the bleeding and flip things back in the favor of the Buckeyes while sending a group of players out on a high note.
“This rivalry game means everything,” Howard said. “I’m just honored to be able to be a part of it and I won’t take it lightly. This is the biggest game of our season and I’m looking forward to it.”