ATLANTA — Will Howard transferred to Ohio State to win a national championship, and he reached that goal by playing the best football of his career throughout the Buckeyes’ four games in the College Football Playoff.
He was never better than in the first half and at the end of Ohio State’s 34-23 victory over Notre Dame on Monday night.
Howard connected on his first 13 passes to set the record for consecutive completions in a CFP title game. And on third-and-11 after the Fighting Irish had pulled within eight points, he lofted a pass to Jeremiah Smith for a 56-yard gain that all but sealed the win.
Howard arrived in Atlanta with a hot hand, and the Irish did nothing to cool him off early. He spread the ball among six receivers, often throwing short and letting them pick up yards after the catch.
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He tied the consecutive completions mark late in the second quarter when he hit Carnell Tate for 20 yards on third-and-7, then broke it with a 15-yard pass to Smith two plays later.
The streak ended when Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts broke up a pass intended for TreVeyon Henderson near the goal line.
Alabama’s Mac Jones set the previous record with 12 completions in a row against Ohio State in the 2021 title game.
Howard finished 17 of 21 for 231 yards and was selected offensive MVP of the game. He threw touchdown passes of 8 yards to Smith and 6 yards to Quinshon Judkins in the first half.
Over his four playoff games, Howard completed 75.2% of his throws (82 of 109) for 1,150 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions.
Howard’s passing against the Irish overshadowed the tough running he did when it was called for. He picked up first downs on five of his first six designed runs or scrambles, and late in the game his 8-yard burst gave the Buckeyes a big first down.
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Howard played his first four years at Kansas State, where he battled injuries and lost a quarterback competition in 2022 before an injury to the starter put him in position to lead the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship. He was second-team All-Big 12 in 2023, and Buckeyes coach Ryan Day saw enough in Howard to sign him out of the transfer portal.
The opportunity to play with some of the most talented offensive players in the country made Howard better and positioned him to potentially be a middle- or late-round pick in the NFL draft.