The Ohio State Buckeyes delivered a statement win in the Rose Bowl, but quarterback Will Howard struggled to celebrate with his team.
Howard threw for an impressive 319 yards and three touchdowns as the Buckeyes dismantled the No. 1 seeded Oregon Ducks 41-21 in their College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
Ohio State jumped out to a 34-0 lead in the first half, scoring four TDs on drives that totalled just nine plays, and never looked back.
As is tradition, the winning team celebrated their triumph on a stage adorned with red roses and the Leishman Trophy, but their star QB was initially unable to join his teammates.
In footage that has surfaced on social media, Howard was seen being blocked from stepping onto the platform by an official.
Holding a rose in his hand, he had a back and forth with the man standing in his way as fans and other members of the media were heard pleading his case.
“Get him on stage!” one person shouted.
“He’s the quarterback, let him up,” another said.
Howard, who saw the funny side, joked ‘there’s a weight limit’ before he was finally allowed up to join his teammates.
With their win, Ohio State moved on to the semifinals, where they will face No. 5 seed Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Friday, January 10.
And while Howard had a big day, he was not named the Rose Bowl’s MVP.
That honour went to his teammate Jeremiah Smith, who had a record-breaking game.
The true freshman wide receiver caught seven passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
His effort was enough to smash Ohio State’s record for the most receiving yards in a game, which previously belonged to Cris Carter (172 yards), and was set at the Rose Bowl in 1985.
Speaking post-game, Smith sent a warning to the rest of the CFP field.
“We’re just hungry, we’re trying to win it all,” he said.
“That’s what we’re going to do, for sure.”
Oregon, meanwhile, showed how hard it is to go unbeaten.
The Ducks went into the Rose Bowl with a 13-0 record, but were outclassed by the Buckeyes in Pasadena.
All the wins they stacked up in the 2024 season will mean relatively little, as it’s Ohio State that moved onto the final four.
