Will Howard did what Ohio State needed him to do against Texas to advance to the national championship game.
Howard began the game with plenty of accuracy, completing 10 of his first 12 passes. Then, from about the 12-minute mark of the second quarter through the first few minutes of the second half, Howard completed just five of his next nine passes, a stretch that included a 75-yard touchdown on a screen pass to TreVeyon Henderson and an interception.
But it was what he did in the fourth quarter that mattered the most. With Ohio State and Texas knotted at 14-14 entering the fourth quarter, Howard completed seven of nine passes for 52 yards in a pivotal final 15 minutes of the game. He also had a crucial 18-yard run to convert a 4th-and-2 on Ohio State’s go-ahead touchdown drive.
In all, Howard completed 24 of 33 passes for 289 yards, one touchdown and an interception in the Buckeyes’ 28-14 win over Texas in the Cotton Bowl. It was one of only three games this season that he didn't throw multiple touchdowns, but his 33 pass attempts were the second-most of the season, behind only Ohio State’s regular-season game at Oregon (35) and tied with his 33 throws against Michigan.
To take a closer look at how Howard performed in Ohio State's win over the Longhorns, we charted all 33 of his passing attempts in the game. (Note: The passing chart is categorized by how many yards the quarterback threw the ball in the air past the line of scrimmage on each attempt and whether the ball reached its target inside or outside the hashes, though the stats listed include yards gained after the catch on each completion.)
After having his two best games of the season with the long ball in the first two CFP games, completing 8-of-9 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns on balls thrown 20-plus yards downfield against Tennessee and Oregon, Howard had one of his worst games with the deep ball against Texas. Both of his passes longer than 20 yards downfield against Texas fell incomplete, the first time he hasn't completed a deep ball in a game he threw at least one since the Marshall game the third week of the season.
His 58.1% completion rate on passes thrown 20-plus yards this season is still the best among FBS quarterbacks who have thrown at least 25 passes 20-plus yards downfield. His 19.9 yards per attempt on those throws is third in the FBS.
With Texas’ excellent secondary locking down Jeremiah Smith for most of the game, Howard leaned heavily on the short passing game against the Longhorns. He completed 13 of 15 passes thrown within nine yards of the line of scrimmage for 117 yards. It was the second-most completions he has had in the short game this season behind only the loss at Oregon (14).
| DEPTH (YARDS) | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| 20+ | 25/43 (58.1%), 854 yards (19.9 per attempt), 8 TD, 2 INT | 15/46 (32.6%), 452 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT |
| 10-19 | 57/95 (60%), 1,067 yards (11.2 per attempt), 7 TD, 4 INT | 43/78 (55.1%), 789 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT |
| 0-9 | 141/186 (75.8%), 1,285 yards (6.9 per attempt), 14 TD, 4 INT | 117/159 (73.6%), 1,043 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT |
| Behind los | 69/78 (88.5%), 573 yards (7.3 per attempt), 4 TD | 43/46 (93.5%), 346 yards, 4 TD |
While Howard only threw for 40 yards on play-action passes against Texas, a concept that he has flourished in throughout the season, he completed 18-of-23 passes without play action for 249 yards and a touchdown against Texas, an impressive 10.8 yards per attempt in that concept.
| Play Action | Non-Play Action | |
|---|---|---|
| vs. texas (cotton Bowl) | 6/10 (60%), 40 yards (4.0 per attempt), 1 INT | 18/23 (78.3%), 249 yards (10.8 per attempt), 1 TD |
| 2024 season | 116/147 (78.9%), 1,763 yards (12.0 per attempt), 17 TD, 3 INT | 151/222 (68%), 1,720 yards (7.7 per attempt), 15 TD, 6 INT |
| 2023 season At Kansas state | 66/104 (63.5%), 1,041 yards (9.4 per attempt), 16 TD, 4 INT | 152/254 (59.8%), 1,654 yards (6.5 per attempt), 7 TD, 6 INT |
Ohio State’s offensive line kept the pocket clean for Howard on nearly 70% of his 36 dropbacks, but when they didn't the fifth-year senior did just fine. With Texas having arguably the best defensive front OSU has faced all season, Howard completed six of nine passes for 130 yards, one touchdown and an interception when he was under pressure.
Howard's 55.7% completion rate under pressure is the fourth-best in the country among quarterbacks who have thrown at least 50 of those passes.
The Longhorns blitzed on 36.1% of Howard’s dropbacks, and the Ohio State quarterback took advantage when they did. He completed 10-of-11 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown when Texas brought extra pressure, a staggering 15.1 yards per attempt.
| PRESSURE | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| KEPT CLEAN | 237/305 (77.7%), 2,973 yards (9.7 per attempt), 26 TD, 6 INT | 172/256 (67.2%), 2,075 yards, 15 TD, 6 INT |
| UNDER PRESSURE | 54/97 (55.7%), 799 yards (8.2 per attempt), 7 TD, 4 INT | 46/102 (45.1%), 555 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT |
| NOT BLITZED | 190/266 (71.4%), 2,418 yards (9.1 per attempt), 18 TD, 9 INT | 135/224 (60.3%), 1,565 yards, 10 TD, 8 INT |
| BLITZED | 101/136 (74.3%), 1,354 yards (10.0 per attempt), 15 TD, 1 INT | 83/134 (61.9%), 1,065 yards, 13 TD, 2 INT |
Below, we take a look at three of Howard's good throws, a bad pass, a great decision he made and some great movement in the pocket that led to his lone touchdown pass against Texas.
Good Throw: 14-yard Completion to Gee Scott Jr.
Still not sure how Howard did this, but he completed this 14-yard pass to Scott between Texas four defenders.
This was a 14-yard completion to Gee Scott Jr. who was on the outside of the Texas defender at the time of the throw in the middle of the field.
— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) January 11, 2025
Will Howard was on one last night. pic.twitter.com/BTiW4PgW6g
Good Throw: 15-yard Throw to Carnell Tate
While it didn't lead to a first down on 3rd-and-18, Howard found Tate on a sharp throw to the sideline for 15 yards, allowing Ohio State to down Joe McGuire's 43-yard punt at the 15-yard line the next play.
Good Movement in the Pocket: 75-yard Touchdown to TreVeyon Henderson
While Henderson is deservedly receiving most of the praise for this remarkable touchdown play to retake the lead just before halftime, Howard did a great job of creating space and room for Henderson to get outside and into some space.
I think TreVeyon Henderson hit one of the Mario Kart dash panels around the 50-yard line. His acceleration was insane. pic.twitter.com/mGHupcVFNu
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) January 11, 2025
Bad Throw: Interception Intended for Jeremiah Smith
On the first drive of the second half, Howard was picked off by Texas linebacker David Gbenda when he attempted to force a pass to Smith between multiple Longhorn defenders.
DAVID GBENDA PICKS OFF WILL HOWARD ON THE FIRST DRIVE OF THE SECOND HALF pic.twitter.com/gQc2PxEJqX
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025
Good Throw: 18-yard Completion to Carnell Tate
Under heavy pressure from Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, Howard threw it just over the hands of a Longhorn defender and right into the hands of Tate for a first down on 3rd-and-8.
Great throw under pressure by Ohio State QB Will Howard on 3rd-and-8.
— Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom) January 11, 2025
WR Carnell Tate reeled in the pass for an 18-yard gain. He's got a game-high 7 grabs for 87 yards tonight. pic.twitter.com/VmUEU7SM27
Great Decision: 18-yard Run on Fourth-and-2
On a crucial, must-have fourth-and-short, Howard checked to a quarterback draw and ran for 18 yards. Even though he tripped and fell near the 20-yard line when he could have had a touchdown, Quinshon Judkins ran for a 1-yard touchdown four plays later for the go-ahead score in the Buckeyes’ eventual win.
On 4th-and-2, Will Howard ran for 18 yards on a play he checked to.
— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) January 11, 2025
They were in pass defense and Will has his checks. He checked it and I just knew we had him, Josh Fryar said of the play. I wish the turf monster didn't get him, but it's all right. pic.twitter.com/YU2bzjWSHH
"That fourth down was huge," Howard said after the game. "They gave us a good look for the play and our O-line blocked it up well. I fell on purpose – I'm joking, I didn't fall on purpose. It should've been a dang touchdown. ... It was a great play and a statement drive and we needed that."
Howard's 87.6 Total QBR is the country's second-best mark this season behind only Miami's Cam Ward (88.7). His 72.6 completion percentage is fifth in the FBS among quarterbacks who have thrown at least 100 passes this season. Howard's 173.7 passer rating is the third-best mark in the country among players who have thrown at least 100 passes this season.
Howard's passing chart through 15 games in 2024-25:
