Will Howard has set the tone for rivalry week in College Football after addressing “The Game.” He hasn’t even been at Ohio State a full calendar year and he already understands the hatred the two teams – and fan bases for that matter – have against each other.
And if Howard’s answer to a question during a media availability not only gets you hyped for the game, but for one of the most exciting weeks in all of college football, nothing will.
“This one’s for those guys that came back; this one’s for Buckeye Nation,” Howard said, per Adam King’s X platform account, formerly known as Twitter. “I feel it, man. I can just feel it. There’s been that hurt for the last three years.”
That’s a lot of passion for someone with no ties to the game outside of being Ohio State’s transfer quarterback. And it’s clear Ohio State is sick of losing The Game. In case you were wondering, Howard definitely cares about Saturday’s clash.
Will Howard ready to end Ohio State’s losing streak to Michigan
You’d have to go back to Ryan Day’s first season as head coach of the Buckeyes for the last time Ohio State beat Michigan. Myth has it this game is tied whether a coach stays or gets fired.
So yeah, Ryan Day could have a 10-win season this year and still get fired if he manages to lose a fourth-straight time to Michigan. That’s why Howard’s words feel a lot more than just words.
The passion he has in this game comes from wanting to give his coach the one thing that would make this season worth it. Howard will also need his best game of the season on Saturday if he wants to give Day and Buckeye nation a win.
Because weird things happen in rivalry games. And while Michigan has been down this season, they hung 50 points on Northwestern last week. They have nothing else to play for, if not to extend the winning streak over Ohio State.
While Michigan has just two wins in the last six games, the one bright spot of this team is its defense. The numbers may not show it, but Michigan’s defense has been good. It’s offense hasn’t quite helped them though.
They’ve only allowed more than 30 points twice this season. The problem is not being able to score. They are averaging 23.5 points per game this year, which is outside the top 100 in the nation.
Howard will have his work cut out for him this weekend. The good thing for the Buckeyes is he already has a focused mindset.