Will Howard shares he still has nightmares about final play vs. Oregon

The regular season game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks was one of the 2024 season’s best games. However, for Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, it ended in a literal nightmare.

That game has stuck with Howard and, as he explained ahead of the Rose Bowl against Oregon, he still has nightmares about the final play in that loss.

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“That’s a good way of putting it,” Will Howard said. “How much do you focus on that but not let it affect you? Man, I still have nightmares about that play. I still run it over in my head. How could I have — what could I have done better? I get a chance to go out there and right the wrong from that game.”

Ohio State dropped the game against Oregon by a final score of 32-31. However, the Buckeyes did have a chance late in the game to potentially set up a long field goal attempt or Hail Mary pass. Will Howard made a mistake, though, and ended up scrambling before giving himself up by sliding as time expired in the game.

Prior to that final play, it was a good game for Howard, who completed 28 of 35 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 13 yards and a touchdown.

“You don’t get second chances a lot in life. That just doesn’t happen. So, I’m thankful that we even get a chance to go out there and play these guys again,” Howard said. “And it really has nothing to do with me, man. It’s about this team and the way that we lost that game. It still hurts. It still hurts all of us. So, we’re excited for another crack at these guys. We’ll keep it in the back of our heads. It’s a new game. We’re both very different teams than we were back then, but that definitely hasn’t left my head.”

At the time, the ending of that game had been highlighted by Oregon head coach Dan Lanning manipulating the clock by taking a too many men on the field penalty to kill time on the clock. That quickly led to rule changes to prevent it from happening again.

Now, Will Howard will have a chance to make up for that play, as Ohio State is set to take on Oregon in the Rose Bowl. That game also serves as a quarterfinal for the College Football Playoff and the next step for both teams on their path to a potential national championship.