College Football HQ

Rose Bowl officials blocked Will Howard from stage after Ohio State beat Oregon

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard wasn't allowed to be on the trophy stage with his team after dominating Oregon in the Rose Bowl Game.

James Parks

Will Howard was the man of the hour after Ohio State beat up on Oregon in the Rose Bowl, but he wasn't allowed on stage with his teammates when the trophy was handed out.
Will Howard was the man of the hour after Ohio State beat up on Oregon in the Rose Bowl, but he wasn't allowed on stage with his teammates when the trophy was handed out. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

Ohio State basked in the glow of the postgame celebrations after trouncing Oregon in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal, but the Buckeyes’ star quarterback wasn’t among them.

That’s because Rose Bowl officials refused to let Will Howard on the stage during the trophy presentation, keeping him from his teammates during the ceremony.

An official with the game appeared to be in charge of allowing, or disallowing, people on the stage, and he kept Howard from joining his team, repeatedly.

“They’re blocking me,” Howard said in a video of the incident. “Guys, there’s a weight limit, apparently... They’re literally blocking me out.”

Some fans and others gathered around the stage did their best to help Ohio State’s quarterback get on the Rose Bowl stage, telling officials that he was the Buckeyes’ quarterback.

But to no avail, as Howard was kept from celebrating the moment with his team.

At least until the very end of the ceremony, when Howard was able to get with his teammates for a minute and take some pictures to celebrate the occasion.

What a moment it was, as Ohio State jumped out to a 34-8 halftime lead behind Howard’s passing. He finished the game with 319 yards and three touchdowns, going 17 of 26 throwing the ball.

His passing helped set up freshman phenom wideout Jeremiah Smith in a record-breaking performance, breaking OSU’s frosh record, covering 187 yards on 7 grabs for 2 touchdowns.

With the win, Ohio State avenged one of its two losses, when it fell to Oregon on the road in a dramatic one-point decision back in October.

And it moves the Buckeyes one step closer to the national championship, setting up a date against Texas in the semifinal round.

-

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks

Published
James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.

Home/News