Why do so many hate Ohio State quarterback Will Howard?

He seems like a nice enough guy. He’s certainly played well enough in his time as an Ohio State football player and has them playing for a national title. So, why do some media members and opposing fans heap so much hate on Will Howard?

Number 4 out of 4?

Last week, in the lead-up to their semifinal against Texas, Emmanuel Acho of FS1 said, “They (Ohio State) have the worst quarterback remaining, period. They have the worst quarterback remaining in Will Howard, I can confidently say that.” Well, let’s keep in mind Acho is a former Texas linebacker and probably has lost no love for Howard’s former school, Kansas State. This was an idiotic statement to make before both semifinals were played and it looks VERY, VERY idiotic after.

In his first two playoff games, all Howard did was complete nearly 75 percent of his passes for 630 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception. Based on these numbers, as well as what Howard did during the regular season, this is a really bad take by Acho.

But after Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard and Penn State’s Drew Allar combined to go 27-46 for a whopping 358 yards, a touchdown, and THREE interceptions, Acho’s statement is completely ridiculous. To cement just how ridiculous, all Howard did was throw for nearly 300 yards (with a TD and INT) against a Texas team that was hellbent on taking away his best receiver.

Oh, and let’s not forget he led his team down the field on an epic fourth-quarter drive to take the lead (more on this drive in a minute). But, sure, Will Howard was the worst of the four quarterbacks in the semifinals.

Who IS this guy?

A few days ago, a guy named Malik Zaire started ripping Howard with one social media post after another. Upon reading them, the first thing that popped into the mind of most was, “Why does this person have such a problem with Will Howard?” The second thing was, “Who IS this guy?”

Zaire, it turns out, is a native of Kettering who was once a backup quarterback who threw for 816 career yards in three seasons for the Irish, before transferring to Florida. Buckeye faithful were quick to point out Howard has thrown for more yards in three playoff games (919) than Zaire did in his entire time with ND. His best has to be the one from Saturday morning when he questioned if Howard is the guy Ohio State wants with the game on the line.

That’s right, folks, Zaire posted this AFTER Will Howard led his team on that epic 13-play, 88-yard fourth-quarter drive to put the Buckeyes in front of the Longhorns to stay. With the game on the line, he hit seven of nine passes and kept the drive alive by running for 19 yards on a fourth and two. But, sure, Howard isn’t the guy you want if the game is on the line.

I like Will Howard a lot. He has embraced the culture of Ohio State football and was quick to understand its fanbase. He’s a leader on the field AND on the sideline. Others can rip him all they want, but he has his team on the cusp of winning a national championship. I think Buckeye fans will take that any day.