ATLANTA – Will Howard was talking about this strange season. That season began long before he made his first start as Ohio State’s quarterback, and long after the loss to Michigan destroyed the entire program.
There is a story, he says, but no one knows it. The story that makes up Ohio State’s baffling run to the College Football Playoff national championship game will only be told if the Buckeyes win.
Or I can say it for the first time now.
Howard met with Kansas State coach Chris Klieman in November 2023, and the difficult conversation ended with two options. He could get an invite to the Senior Bowl and head to the NFL, train for NFL scouts, or take advantage of his last game. Season of eligibility is elsewhere.
Kansas State wasn’t running away from Howard, but it was certainly moving forward. There was so much to like about rising sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson that there was little doubt where the conversation was headed.
Howard had not yet decided on the NFL, but he knew he could play at an elite level if he returned to college football.
“We both sort of knew this was going to happen,” Howard told USA TODAY Sports. “There is no malice on either side.”
But you better believe the motivation is there.
Because above all, this is a story about the ever-changing state of college football. K-State moved on to Johnson because with free player movement and the NIL Collective throwing a big pay contract, it was either commit to Johnson or lose him.
Howard had one year of eligibility. Johnson had three. These decisions are now being made across college football, including at the elite level.
There’s a reason Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers left for the NFL early, even though his NFL Draft stock had been declining since the beginning of the season. Uber’s talented young backup, Arch Manning, needed to play.
And while Howard speaks regularly with both Klieman and Johnson and says there’s “no love lost” between them, this story begins with a decision. K-State chose Johnson over Howard.
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Without a doubt, Johnson is showing flashes of outstanding talent and could eventually develop into one of the best players in the game. But when Howard spoke to Ohio State coach Ryan Day, he had one thing to prove, and no one else. That means he can lead the team to a national championship.
Coincidentally, Day, who moved on from quarterback Kyle McCord, was in the midst of changing the offense with his close friend and former UCLA coach Chip Kelly. An all-in moment for Day at Ohio State.
He’s an all-in transfer quarterback and wants to prove something.
“When I was a sophomore in high school, I kind of realized that maybe I could do this football thing,” Howard said. “Since then, people say you can’t do this, you can’t be this. If you’re any kind of competitor, you want to prove them wrong.”
Then this season arrived, and it seemed like a cruel joke was being played out when it mattered most. Against Oregon, he was unable to stop the clock on a scramble late in the game, and against Michigan he had two key interceptions.
The loss wasn’t season-ending for Ohio State, but for a program that spent nearly $20 million to build the most talented team in college football, a championship-or-bust roster. It might have been the best thing that happened.
“It brought us together and brought us closer together,” Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka said. “This team has too much talent to play like we do.”
They are averaging 37 points per game in three CFP games, including a 28-14 victory over Texas, which defeated the powerhouse SEC in the CFP Finals for the second straight season.
The quarterback, who completed 57 percent of his passes and averaged 5.3 yards per attempt against Michigan, completed 74 percent of his passes and averaged 5.3 yards per attempt against three top-15 defenses in three playoff games. (10.8 yards) has more than doubled.
The ball falls down the field and the defense constantly collides with it. Most tried rolling coverage or doubling up star Jeremiah Smith, but left Colonel Tate and Egbuka in solo coverage.
It didn’t work.
Ohio State had 20 pass plays of 15 yards or more in the playoffs, and a whopping seven of those were 30 yards or more. An offense that took three months to prove it was physically better than anyone who played has finally figured out what has made it unique under Day for the past seven seasons.
No one in college football understands the passing game like Day. His concepts and play calling led to the creation of one of the most prolific offenses in college football over the past decade as offensive coordinator and head coach at Ohio State University.
Before last season, Day’s quarterbacks were averaging 41 touchdown passes a season. It took 12 games this season, but Day realized that what made this team so dangerous in the first place was what made it different from other Ohio State teams that didn’t win a national title.
Sometimes the decisions that are right in front of you are the most meaningful. You just have to accept it.
“We put the ball in Will’s hands, and good things happened,” Day said.
Earlier this week, Howard and Johnson exchanged text messages as usual. Howard’s younger brother, Ryan, is a freshman offensive lineman at K-State, and Will still has deep ties to his first college hometown.
How could they not? He won a Big 12 championship at K-State and invested four years in building up Klieman. He was Coach Klieman’s first quarterback from every recruiting cycle and was a player to build around and develop.
And he wasn’t.
It’s really no one’s fault, and everyone is good for it. But you better believe the motivation is there.
“I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t an easy conversation (with Klieman),” Howard said. “I love Kansas State and the boys there. I love everything about it. But I also love how unique Ohio State is and what kind of university we can be this season. It didn’t take me long to understand.”
There’s only one more game left.
Then all the stories could be told.
Matt Hayes is a senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow @MattHayesCFB on X.