Will Howard Ready to Prove himself Against No. 3 Penn State

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Will Howard has been impressive this season as the starting quarterback for No. 4 Ohio State (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten Conference). The former Kansas State QB has done everything possible to prove that he is capable of leading one of the nation's top offenses. He played very well against the No. 1 Oregon Ducks (8-0, 5-0) despite failing to convert on the last drive of the game. Howard now seems to be yearning for another opportunity against a top-5 team. This time, his chance will come against No. 3 Penn State (7-0, 4-0), a team he dreamed of playing for as a young fan.

Will Howard as a Prospect

Howard was just a three-star prospect as a high school QB from Downingtown, Pa. He received only four Power Four offers and chose to play for Kansas State. Howard would have major success during his time with the Wildcats, even leading them to a Big 12 Conference Championship in 2022. Howard scored 3 total touchdowns in a huge win over a then-undefeated TCU. The Horned Frogs made it to the College Football Playoff National Championship game that season, ultimatley losing to Georgia.

Howard would later enter the Transfer Portal in 2023, now as a four-star prospect. He chose Ohio State as they had lost starting QB Kyle McCord to Syracuse through the portal themselves. Howard competed and impressed immediately in the spring. He continued improving in the offseason and won the starting job early in fall training camp.

Howard's Play This Season

Howard has excelled in the Ohio State offense under head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. He has 17 touchdown passes with only 4 interceptions through seven games. He had 24 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions in all of 2023 with Kansas State. He has thrived with his new team, showing improvement as a decision maker and with his accuracy. Howard has been exceptional at getting the ball to his various playmakers, especially in the intermediate part of the field.

His natural ability to extend plays has been vital for the offense as they were missing that threat at times with McCord last year. He is a legitimate rushing threat, keeping the defense from committing too many defenders to pass coverage. Against Oregon, he extended a play as wide receiver Jeremiah Smith crossed the field and connected with him for a huge third-quarter TD to retake the lead.

Howard also finally showed his ability to connect on deep passes down the field against Nebraska (5-3, 2-3). He hit wide receiver Carnell Tate on a 40-yard TD early in the game. He then hit Smith on a perfect 60-yard pass for another score. The offense did not attempt many deep shots early in the season despite Howard showing his arm strength and accuracy on passes to the far sideline. This skill finally being a threat to defenses could open up the underneath area of the field even more. This will allow the explosive skill-position players for the Buckeyes to turn short passes into huge gains.

Facing Penn State

During the postgame press conference after the win over Nebraska on Oct. 26, Howard expressed his excitement in playing the Nittany Lions in Beaver Stadium. Howard stated how he was a Penn State fan growing up and has held onto the feeling of not being offered a spot on the team out of high school. Howard ended his press conference saying: "They didn’t think I was good enough, but I guess we’ll see next week if I was.”

Howard's direct statement made it transparent that this game means a lot to him. He has been a leader from the start this year for the Buckeyes. His performance against the Ducks showed that he can play well in a big game. However, the Buckeyes still lost. He seems to be relishing an opportunity to go into a hostile environment in Happy Valley for one of the biggest games of the season. The veteran QB seems to be ready for the moment.

Fans across the country will be tuning in to see if Howard can deliver as he intends to this week. The two will face off on Nov. 2 at noon EST on FOX.