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While Will Howard prepares for his first season under Ryan Day with the Ohio State football team, people have high expectations for the relationship going into the season. However, former Buckeyes head coach and college football analyst Urban Meyer would damper those aspirations with the talented quarterback in Howard.
Meyer was on the “Triple Option” podcast with Mark Ingram and Rob Stone of the chance that Howard wins the Heisman Trophy, which would be the first for the Ohio State football team since 2006 when Troy Smith won it. However, Meyer would discuss how a “pretty good” season from Howard will not be enough to take home the prestigious award according to On3 Sports.
“You need more than pretty good though Mark and that’s the only concern is they have the two first- rounders at tailback, they have an incredible group of receivers. I’m just not sure,” Meyer said. “I think he’s a great player and I think he’s gonna run one of the top offenses of the country. But when you get to November, you have to have the stats.”
A stacked Ohio State football team hurts Will Howard's Heisman chances
Howard is entering his senior season with the Buckeyes after spending the previous four years with the Kansas State Jayhawks where in 2023, he threw for 2,643 yards to go along with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Meyer would talk about how stacked the Ohio State football team is and question Howard being the standout of the talented group.
“I’ve been down that road before and at times you actually feel guilty because you didn’t give the guy enough carries,” Meyer said. “It was Zeke Elliot or you had J.T. [Barrett], just didn’t give him enough touchdowns. Because at the end of the day yes, you have to be part of a great team. But you have to have the stats and that’s my concern about Will Howard.”
“I just don’t see him having that 40 touchdown passing season,” Meyer continued. “I think he’ll be very good runner for Ohio State, but not enough statistically to put him in the Heisman.”
Urban Meyer credits Ohio State football's schedule as hurtful
Meyer would also double down on his statement and harp on the schedule being another factor to why Howard's Heisman Trophy chances could be tampered since the start of the season is weak in comparison to the current Buckeyes team. The former head coach would even say “there are five weeks until they play a game” which he considers a “real one” which is Oct. 5 against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
“I worry about that, I mean you look closely at that schedule, there are five weeks until they play a game. Now, the game they play in five weeks is a real one, but they have three games where they’re 50-point favorites, a bye week, and then Michigan State, like we said, is a shell of themselves,” Meyer said. “You’re playing 35-40 plays a game and you have all that other talent on that field…You’re gonna pull them in the third, fourth quarter. I’m just worried about that.”
At any rate, the Ohio State football team has national title aspirations as they start the season No. 2 in the rankings and their first game on Saturday, August 31 against in-state Akron.
