Ryan Day reveals Ohio State staff challenged Will Howard ahead of Tennessee win

Ohio State made arguably the biggest statement of the opening weekend of the 12-team College Football Playoff on Saturday night, putting an upset loss to Michigan in the rearview and pulverizing Tennessee, 42-17.

Central to that effort for the Buckeyes was quarterback Will Howard, who bounced back from one of his worst games of the season to play one of his best. But even more than his play on the field, head coach Ryan Day and the staff had challenged Howard to be the best leader on the field possible.

“Our challenge to Will going into the last game was he had to be the best leader on the field. I thought he was. I thought he played well. Got into a rhythm early on,” Day said.

Ohio State raced out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back en route to the win. Howard was especially sharp in that earlier stretch, tossing the opening touchdown pass with a sterling strike to freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith from 37 yards out.

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Howard finished 24-of-29 for 311 yards and two touchdowns, plus an interception. He also rushed five times for 37 yards, sacks included.

And what especially stood out to Day was the command that Howard played with within the offense. By this point in the season, Howard and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly have found a new level of playcalling chemistry.

“But I think for Will, understanding exactly how we’re trying to attack defenses is a critical part of being successful and when the playcaller and the quarterback are on the same page, like you said, the minute they hear the formation, they can finish it. That means he’s got a great grasp on what we’re trying to get done. So it’ll be important to put together another good game plan and then executing it on the field. I think that’s what it comes down to.”

In part because of Howard’s strong play — along with a dominant showing from the defense and run game — the Buckeyes season is still going and headed for a CFP quarterfinal matchup with Oregon in the Rose Bowl, a rematch of a 32-31 loss for Ohio State in the regular season.

“And Will, I know, is excited to have an opportunity to play Oregon again,” Day said.