Move over, Smokin' Jay Cutler — there's a new cig-stomping quarterback in town.
After Ohio State opted to plunge across the goal line late in adding to their final tally in a 38-15 win over Indiana, Buckeye quarterback Will Howard could not help having a bit of fun at the expense of the Hoosiers' head coach Curt Cignetti.
Howard mimed preparing to take a draw from a cigarette before tossing the imaginary square on the ground and stomping it out with his foot on the OSU sideline.
Will Howard had a few messages for Cignetti and Indiana after Ohio State's win pic.twitter.com/PGzTLE6E7p
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2024
Although it remains unclear if Cignetti himself saw the taunting from Howard and other Buckeye players, FOX broadcast cameras at least captured Indiana's head coach reacting in dismissive disgust to the late running up the score from the Buckeyes.
The actions from Ohio State's football team can be interpreted as a response to some of the comments made by Cignetti relative to himself and the Buckeyes going back to his earliest days after taking the job in Bloomington. At halftime of a Hoosier basketball game late last year, Cignetti outright stated his belief that Ohio State "sucks" alongside Big Ten counterparts Purdue and TTUN.
Purdue sucksso does Michigan and Ohio State Curt Cignetti has arrived in the Big Ten pic.twitter.com/4Edzp3z5Zo
— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) December 2, 2023
Even the stadium staff at the Horseshoe could not help but make light of previous statements from Cignetti. In response to Cignetti's assertion "I win — Google me" relative to how he sells his vision for Indiana to recruits, the Ohio Stadium jumbotron displayed a fake newspaper graphic late in the game encouraging folks to Google the latest Buckeye football victory.
Ohio State's scoreboard shows a message saying "Buckeys Win?? Google It!" after the game pic.twitter.com/5b1qIAuoia
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2024
In his postgame interview on the field, after being asked if Howard said something to the effect of "Google me" during his cigarette extinguishing, he clarified that, "I just try to say we don't listen to that stuff on social media. But we hear it man, so... I was just having some fun with it."
I was just having some fun with it. I got a lot of respect for those guys, man. I think what coach Cignettis done over there, hes done a heck of a job.@JennyTaft asked @OhioStateFB QB Will Howard about the Google me reaction pic.twitter.com/1G8VxL36fF
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2024
Howard finished the game completing 22 of his 26 throws for 201 passing yards, two touchdowns through the air and one interception. He also scored a late rushing touchdown that preceded the mocking of Cignetti.
