Skull Session: Will Howard Says He Doesn’t Need to Be a “Hero” at Ohio State and Jim Knowles Wants the Buckeyes’ Defense to “Chase Perfection” in 2024

Ohio State's creatives released another great video this week.

: How long would your position coach last in the wilderness? pic.twitter.com/fIDPmgii9A

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 6, 2024

Have a good Wednesday.

 I (DON’T) NEED A HERO. While Chip Kelly said Ohio State media and fans shouldn't read too much into the fact that Will Howard received all but one first-team rep in the Buckeyes' fourth preseason practice of 2024, I'm gonna.

Unless Howard's performance plummets in the next three weeks, he will be Ohio State's starter in the team's season opener with Akron – and I'm more than fine with that.

Ohio State's first four preseason practices were open to media and fans, and in those sessions, Howard looked like a brand-new version of himself. Not only did Howard shed 14 to 16 pounds off his 6-foot-4, between 233 and 235-pound frame, but he also seemed more comfortable in the pocket and added "accuracy" and "zip" to his passes. Oh, and he's, like, really fast. Kelly said Tuesday that Howard had one sprint of 22 mph this offseason, the fastest speed among Ohio State's five scholarship quarterbacks. No wonder he was able to evade the Buckeyes' defense as he scampered 80 yards for a touchdown in preseason practice No. 3.

Howard's improvement has made him confident, but not too confident. The former second-team All-Big 12 selection understands he's not in Kansas anymore, which means he doesn't need to be Everything Everywhere All at Once for Ohio State to thrive in 2024.

"I don't feel like I have to be a hero here. I feel like I have the guys around me where I just need to facilitate, get them the ball and make good decisions," Howard said Tuesday. "I don't have to go out there and do anything superhuman. I just have to be myself and trust the guys around me."

Kyle McCord had the same mindset in 2023, yet Ohio State didn't beat Michigan, win the Big Ten or win the College Football Playoff. How can Howard succeed where his predecessor failed?

The answer could lie in Howard's desire to run the football.

"That's a big part of my game. It's gonna need to be a big part of our game as an offense, whether it's in the read (option) game, the scramble game or whatever," Howard said. "I just want my team to know I'm willing to run the ball and go get that extra yard when I need to.

"At the end of the game, when it's 3rd-and-5 and everyone's covered down the field, am I gonna be able to tuck the ball down and go get 6 yards and run someone over? I want those guys out there with me to know that I'm gonna get that extra yard."

Yeah, I'm sold.

Howard for QB1.

 OHIO STATE RUNNING BACK CALEB DOWNS. Remember when Ryan Day said Caleb Downs could see snaps at running back this season? Considering Downs transferred to Ohio State after a stellar season as an Alabama defensive back, I laughed when I heard the head coach's comment. But here we are – two months later – and the Buckeyes still seem to like the idea.

From Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports:

While a prized addition to the defensive side of the ball, Day and Kelly also realized that Downs may be able to contribute on offense. All indications are he will be worked in at running back where the Buckeyes already have one of the strongest rooms in the country.

"Sometimes you can see a kid who has a ton of athletic ability, but is he going to be able to handle playing defense, playing special teams, coming over and having a package on offense," Kelly told CBS Sports. "Caleb could in a second."

"The kid is a football junkie," he added. "He just loves playing ball. You'll talk to him after practice and he'll say, 'You gave us this formation. That was new. That was hard.' I'm always trying to get feedback from him."

Sooooooo... Ohio State running back Caleb Downs?

If we do see Downs on offense this season, I imagine his snaps would be few and far between. After all, Ohio State has TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, two preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award, and talented freshmen James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon, who flashed in the team's first four preseason practices. Beyond those four Buckeyes, I could even see Brandon Inniss collecting some carries before Ohio State would call on Downs.

Still, if Day and Kelly – two of the most innovative offensive minds in college football –believe Downs can make an impact on offense, who am I to oppose them?

 CHASE PERFECTION. Ohio State's defense was one of the best in America last season, ranking in the top five in scoring defense (11.2 points per game), total defense (265.4 yards per game), passing yards allowed per game (145.9), pass defense efficiency (99.21) and opponent third-down conversion rate (28.57%). Still, the Buckeyes have room for improvement. The team ranked outside the top five in sacks per game (2.15) and forced turnovers (11).

As Jim Knowles enters his third season as Ohio State's defensive coordinator, he expects more out of his defense, which will feature JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton, Cody Simon, Sonny Styles or C.J. Hicks, Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun, Jordan Hancock, Lathan Ransom and Caleb Downs as its starters. According to Knowles, "being a Silver Bullet defense means being a top-five defense" in all statistical categories.

"Vince Lombardi said it, 'We have to chase perfection.' We have to," Knowles said last week. "We have to chase perfection. It's impossible, but you catch excellence in the process. We can never be satisfied with just being good. I mean, we have the guys to really reach perfection. We have to keep pushing for that. So I'm seeing good things – like, seeing cover guys fit the right gaps – and, now, we have to keep pushing them. We have to keep pushing them."

Knowles' comment reminds me of a Norman Vincent Peale quote, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."

Not a bad mindset for the Buckeyes to have this season – not bad at all.

 WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES. Summer 2024 has been a notable summer for Ohio State baseball. On Tuesday, former Ohio State standout Zach Dezenzo became the third Buckeye to earn an MLB promotion in the 2024 season, following pitcher Jacob Bosiokovic (St. Louis Cardinals) and catcher Dillon Dingler (Detroit Tigers).

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Congratulations to @zachdezenzo, who has been called up by the @astros and is expected to make his MLB debut tonight #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/4JQZqCeNke

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) August 6, 2024

Denzenzo, the No. 373 overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft, made his MLB debut for the Houston Astros on Tuesday. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers.

Dezenzo's success comes as no surprise. After a handful of stellar minor league seasons, the 24-year-old became Houston's No. 4 overall prospect. In three years with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, Asheville Tourists, Corpus Christi Hooks, and Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Dezenzo batted .297 with 180 hits, 28 home runs, 100 RBIs, 118 runs scored and 31 stolen bases.

At Ohio State, Dezenzo recorded a .297/.380/.543 slash with 257 hits, 47 home runs, 183 RBI, 163 runs scored and four stolen bases in five seasons. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2019 and received first-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 2022.

Following his promotion, Dezenzo is one of four active Buckeyes in the MLB, along with Dominic Canzone (Seattle Mariners), Ryan Feltner (Colorado Rockies) and Dingler. Bosiokovic spent one week with the Cardinals before he returned to Triple-A Memphis, where he has remained since July.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Better Days".- Zach Bryan and John Mayer.

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