Ohio State QB Will Howard is already showing he has a better approach to Michigan than C.J. Stroud or Kyle McCord did
Things feel much different for Ohio State heading into their rivalry game against Michigan this week than they did last year. The Buckeyes have a similar record at 10-1 as they’ve had in past years, but Michigan sits at just 6-5 on the season. Still, the battle between these two teams might be closer than […]
Things feel much different for Ohio State heading into their rivalry game against Michigan this week than they did last year. The Buckeyes have a similar record at 10-1 as they’ve had in past years, but Michigan sits at just 6-5 on the season.
Still, the battle between these two teams might be closer than something. The Wolverines and Buckeyes both hate each other and this game is always a battle. Going into the game, Ohio State feels much more prepared than they were last year at the most important position in football.
Will Howard has had a really good season with Ohio State and has been the improvement they had hoped for from Kyle McCord’s 2023 season.
It may even be fair to say that Howard’s approach to this game against Michigan feels different than either McCord or C.J. Stroud had against Michigan. Neither quarterback beat Michigan as a starter, which is kind of bizarre considering how good of a quarterback Stroud is.
“I don’t think one game defines us. I don’t think one game defines this team. I would take this team against anybody in the country every week,” Stroud said after the Buckeyes lost in 2022.
The thing is, this loss does define Ohio State. There are two goals in place each and every year in Columbus. Those are to beat Michigan and to compete for a National Championship. Ohio State has struggled to do both as of recent, but this year feels different to this point.
“The implications are huge. But at the end of the day, it is just a football game. I’m just doing everything I can to help my team win,” McCord said prior to the game in 2023. “I think there’s a lot of noise around it. I think there’s a lot of hype around it and rightfully so. But I think the biggest thing is focusing on what’s important, and that is watching film and doing the small things during the week that’ll give you the best chance to succeed.”
None of Howard, Stroud, or McCord are from the state of Ohio. The rivalry is a bit harder to grip from the outside, but Howard seems to have understood it from the moment he arrived at Ohio State. The Kansas State transfer said one of the first things he was told about was beating Michigan earlier in the season.
Even with Michigan at 6-5 on the season, the stakes are still high for the Buckeyes. Winning this game is important for playoff seeding, as well as getting into the Big Ten title game to have a chance at getting revenge against Oregon.
“I want this for them so bad because they’ve been here,” Howard said after beating Indiana. “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.”
Oddsmakers are not hiding what they think Ohio State is about to do to Michigan on Saturday
The Buckeyes are expected to roll.
