Ohio State looked dominant throughout the very first 12 team College Football Playoffs.
After eliminating Tennessee in the first round, the Buckeyes eliminated the top-seeded Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals. Ohio State then defeated the Texas Longhorns in the semifinals to advance to Monday’s championship game.
Quarterback Will Howard will be under center when Ohio State meets Notre Dame in the highly anticipated title game.
Howard spent four seasons at Kansas State. However, he entered the transfer portal in 2023. In January 2024, he revealed his intention to move to Ohio State. Howard had the best regular season of his college career in Columbus, Ohio.
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Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, #18, leaves the field after the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January 10, 2025 . (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The 23-year-old threw for 3,779 yards and a career-high 33 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in his first year at Ohio State. Howard also used his legs this season, rushing for seven scores.
EX-NOTRE DAME STAR FEEDS NATIONAL TITLE GAME HYPE WITH HARD CRITICISM OF OHIO STATE’S WILL HOWARD
This year’s Buckeyes roster includes several players, including Howard, who speak candidly about their personal faith. Howard’s on-field interview after Ohio State’s dominant win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day was one of many moments in which the quarterback put his beliefs on full display .
“First and foremost, I have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me this opportunity to be on this stage at the Rose Bowl,” Howard said. “When I was younger, I would be impressed right now.”
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, #18, passes against Texas during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Shortly after the Buckeyes were upset by arch-rival Michigan in late November, Howard referenced his faith when asked to share his reaction to the loss.
“I sat down and thought about the opportunity I have here and what I’ve been through this year, the ups and downs, it’s all been for my own good,” he said. declared via Columbus news channel WCMH, before reaffirming his unwavering faith. . “I know God puts these obstacles in front of us to grow and there’s a reason for that. I’m just going to trust the plan.”
Will Howard, #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes, runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
He added that having an “unwavering trust in the Lord” has proven beneficial in his life.
“We have to trust in the Lord and lean on Him no matter what, through the ups and downs,” he told NBC4. “I just tried to go to my Bible and pray a little bit. Just come back to the Lord and say, ‘I need you.'”
“When you come to Him in a humble way, it changes your perspective. I ask Him and I say, ‘God, I trust you. I don’t know why this happened, but it happened for one reason. I’m I’m going to trust him.'”
Howard and several of his Buckeyes teammates arrived at preseason practices wearing “Jesus Won” T-shirts.
The College Football Playoff National Championship Game begins at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
