Will Howard wasn't watching the same Ohio State team we were this season

Arguably no program in America was more in need of a vibe reset than Ohio State, with a fourth straight loss to Michigan — this one arguably more embarrassing than the first three combined — knocking the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten title game and causing half the fan base to call for Ryan Day's job. And a vibe reset is exactly what they got last weekend, rolling over Tennessee with a near-perfect performance in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Crushing losses, coaches on the hot seat, none of it matters; a national title is just three wins away, and this team is finally looking like it figured to on paper at the start of the year.

Those good vibes appear to be going to the players' heads a bit, though. Or one player in particular, at least, as quarterback Will Howard offered some thoughts ahead of Ohio State's Rose Bowl matchup with Oregon that make us wonder whether he remember how the last four months or so have gone.

Will Howard claims 'I don't think anyone' beat Ohio State this year

This may be Howard's first season in Columbus, but he's already emerged as one of the program's emotional leaders — and preeminent talkers. Sometimes that confidence comes in handy, allowing the QB to bounce back from a disastrous performance against Michigan with his best game of the year against the Vols.

Sometimes, though, it gets him into trouble. Case in point: In a press conference ahead of the Buckeyes' rematch with Oregon in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, Howard indulged in a little revisionist history when asked about Ohio State's one-point loss to the Ducks back in October. It turns out that, actually, no one's been able to beat the Buckeyes this year except the Buckeyes themselves.

Sure, you can understand what Howard's trying to say here. Ohio State may very well have won that game in Eugene were it not for a controversial pass interference call and Howard's own inability to keep an eye on the clock. But Ohio State was in that position in the first place because their defense had few answers for Dillon Gabriel and Oregon's offense, just like Howard had no answers for Michigan's defense in the loss to the Wolverines. It's one thing to talk like this when you're, say, the undefeated and No. 1-ranked team in the country. But these Buckeyes haven't proven nearly enough yet, even after a win as impressive as the one over Tennessee, and their quarterback needs to keep his focus on finding ways to improve.