Even on a bye week for Ohio State, Michigan men the world over continue to obsess over the Buckeyes’ success.
As Notre Dame prepares for its second featured primetime matchup in as many weeks, the College GameDay crew followed the Fighting Irish out of South Bend and into Durham, North Carolina — Desmond Howard among them. The traveling suits found themselves in an unusually combative mood to begin Week 5, perhaps riled up by Pat McAfee's impassioned defense of Lee Corso against ravenous Wazzu supporters.
Earlier this week, Wazzu head coach Jake Dickert and former QB Ryan Leaf criticized College GameDay for turning Oregon State-Washington State into a joke.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 30, 2023
Pat McAfee appeared to respond this morning. And then some. pic.twitter.com/3ia6Ze7gko
Across the desk, brimming with envy after the Buckeyes snatched a gut-wrenching victory away from a major Wolverine rival only a week earlier, Howard found a way to weave his feelings about Ryan Day into the group's response towards active college football coaches clapping back at the commentary of old men.
"I thought that it was thin-skinned, they were hypersensitive, and it wasn't their best moments at all."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 30, 2023
Desmond Howard criticizes Dickert, Leaf, as well as Ohio State's Ryan Day for going after Lee Corso and Lou Holtz. pic.twitter.com/RDDq9FNw1Q
Howard specifically clarified that “the last thing [Day] should have done was come after Lou Holtz. Enjoy the moment, talk about the success of your team, but don't come after an elderly old man the way that he did.” Howard felt that Holtz provided fair criticism of Ohio State when he questioned the Buckeyes’ physicality before their 17-14 win over Notre Dame.
Of course, the idea that active participants in the sport should not feel slighted by commentary from former players turned media figures appears rich coming from Howard, given how he handled C.J. Stroud's first appearance at the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
