Ohio State Buckeyes' Will Howard Earns Major Ranking

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback is earning significant praise heading into his team's matchup with the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) leaves the field following the 42-17 win over the Tennessee Volunteers in the College Football Playoff first round game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024. Ohio State will face Oregon in the Rose Bowl. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Going into the 2024 college football season, there were a lot of questions about Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard.

Heck, there were concerns about him following Ohio State's dreadful loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the season finale, and the jury is really still out on the Kansas State transfer.

However, there is no denying that Howard stepped up in the Buckeyes' first-round College Football Playoff game against the Tennessee Volunteers, as he went 24-for-29 with 311 yards, a couple of touchdowns and an interception.

As a result of his impressive performance, Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports ranked him the second-best quarterback remaining in the College Football Playoff, placing only Oregon Ducks signal-caller Dillon Gabriel above him.

"It was easy to say Ohio State should've thrown the ball more in the loss to Michigan -- I know because I said it, too -- but there are two sides to the story," Fornelli wrote. "You can't just call more pass plays; you need your quarterback to execute. Howard did that in a frigid Ohio Stadium on Saturday night. He dropped some absolute dimes en route to 311 yards passing while completing 24 of his 29 attempts. This week, he'll get a chance at redemption following his late-game gaffe in Eugene earlier this season."

On the season overall, Howard has thrown for 3,171 yards, 29 touchdowns and nine picks while completing 73.2 percent of his passes. He has also punched in seven rushing scores.

Howard still has head-scratching moments, like when he threw an interception in the red zone during the first half against Tennessee.

But, for the most part, he has been everything Ohio State could have asked for since acquiring him via the transfer portal last year.

We'll see how he fares against Oregon in the Rose Bowl.