Will Howard Named Ohio State Starting QB | B1G Today

[Music] hi there from Chicago glad to have you with us here on Big 10 today presented by Taco Bell mik call Anthony Heron and if you joined us yesterday you know this is how Anthony wants to start the show and you're like a rock no matter how much I try to distract my call during the cold open of the show you refuse to be distracted just saying impressive it's going to be a fun year sir yes sir you ready for the big story today I am can't wait big story today is all about new QBs will Howard takes over at quarterback for Kyle McCord at Ohio State who by no means was bad last year he just didn't meet the very high standard OSU has at its program especially at that position in comes Howard who started in each of the last four seasons at Kansas State Howard address the media before he debuts in scarlet and gray on Saturday you know when he told us um I was I was very excited um you know it's an honor it's a privilege and I don't take it lightly you know and and there's a lot of really really good players in that room and you know to be named the starter um in a group you know like we have is is an honor and it truly you know is is special to me um and being the you know being the starting quarterback of Ohio State you know it's uh it's it's truly a like I said it's a blessing man it's it's not something I take lightly and you know I know that there's a lot of stuff that comes with that you know I know there's a lot of expectations and you know pressure if you will but um you know I I knew that that was that was you know that was the first goal on on my list when we got here you know was to you know was to be the guy um and you know I knew I had to work for it and the guys in the room weren't going to make it easy um you know but I felt like I had a good camp and I I I showed the coaching staff that you know what I could do and like I finally settled into the offense for the first time um um and you know just going through fall you know I feel I feel really really confident with you know kind of how we're how I'm feeling the offense out and how I'm kind of you know evolving in this system um and yeah I'm just I'm very I'm flattered um I'm fired up man it's it's humbling but it's also um you know something I don't take I don't take lightly at all and I'm I'm humbled I'm I'm blessed man it's uh it's going to be fun he has an awful lot of talent he is a threat to run he did start for four years at Kansas State now to be fair he also did lose reps last year to a freshman at a certain point in the season but as I mentioned earlier like K McCord was pretty darn good it's just the bar for that position at that school is higher than pretty darn good it intrigues me what the evaluation of that position will will lend itself to this year because the way we evaluate quarterback at Ohio State to your point Mike is that now the expectation is you're you're going to be a first round draft pick you're going to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation you're going to be the main reason that the Buckey win Games Week in and week out and we saw that pressure just build and mount around everything that evolved around the program last year to the point where it felt almost crushing you know to a certain extent now will Howard comes in and I think you know having an offensive coordinator come in like Chip Kelly that should enhance the way that his productivity can not only be dependent upon his arm talent but it can also enhance the way that he moves the pocket with his legs the way they call the quarterback into the Run scheme he is a big strapping young lad and they also have depth at QB so with Chip Kelly calling those plays on offense I do think it'll accentuate the way that Ryan day's offense in Columbus can not only showcase that talent that they have on the outside at wide receiver but also just the QB Run game that really became popularized quite a bit during Urban Meyers time there I think we'll see those things melded between the two I feel like as a leader you're job is often times and we both get this we're parents of young children your job is to put your person in a position to succeed right you do a lot of work for the Chicago Bears Caleb Williams this year their new quarterback is in a position to succeed with all the talent around him Howard is in that position I mean you could still argue this is maybe two or three years in a row now arguably the deepest most talented position room in the country is wide receivers at Ohio State and he's got two Superstar running backs to hand the ball off to also to be be in that spot it should take pressure off of his his his desire to take risks his desire to search for the big play and the way that the team is able to control games that's really during the early part of Ryan day's time there that was one of the questions that I had about just the way he managed games on the whole whether or not his style the the volume of passing that he called yes it could lead to Big points but it did allow game control to lapse at times for the Buckey so now not only that combination between Ryan and Chip Kelly but all this Talent that's infused at receiver at running back the QB Run game they've got access to so many different things and also one of the top defenses in the country so there's so much of this that takes pressure off of will Howard now I don't know that Buckeye fans are going to view it that way but I do think that's the the responsible way to view what type of production they get from quarterback because there's some big games on that OSU schedule there's no doubt about that but as long as those big games end up inct and you see so many aspects of the program flourishing that if the quarterback doesn't throw six touchdown passes if Will Howard isn't averaging 350 plus passing yards but he's showcasing an efficiency and a playmaking ability this can prove to be perhaps the best team in America right just don't turn the ball over yeah let all those Playmakers have the ability to make plays on your offense and that that should guide them to Victory he's one of many QBs with the spotlight on them another one is over in Lincoln where they haven't anticipated a freshman at QB like this in quite some time Dylan Rola named the starter just a few days ago he's just a few months removed from playing in high school The Freshman was a top 10 overall ranked Prospect this past recruiting cycle here's what's on his mind now that he's the starter Saturday against Utah yeah it was uh it was emotional honestly um I mean the first thing I did was call my mom called my dad you know very very thankful for them you know I wouldn't be here without them um and then my my two my and my sister made sure I called them and let them know I appreciate them very much um there's a lot of other people I could thank but um you know just due to time right now um yeah it was it was a good conversation um you know it was a fun competition and you know I still love Danny still love Hinrich and like they push me every day so I can't thank them enough for for what they did and you know help me be where I am as well how did they give you that news say it again how did they give you that news that you um I I guess coach R just after practice was just like hey you're our starting quarterback congratulations and that was it and he went to the media and it was just quick um you know it's about our team you know I don't want to make it about me or what I do and I can't win the game by myself so um it's going to take all 11 on both sides of the ball and um that that's our Focus if you could give a message to pusker Nation the fans about what they can expect from you and and this team and what they're going to bring to the table What would that be uh buckle up it's going to be a fun ride love the attitude right that's that's what you want from your quarterback too a little bit of confidence excitement to do the job such a different type of pressure on him than on will Howard though and will Howard has come by the level of maturity that we heard from him there he's come by that through years of service and starting in college football and been on big stages before Dylan riola is a true freshman he is just like you said a few months ago removed himself from high school football and is now in Lincoln I mean yes at his dad's program he he has been born and bred into what it means to be a Husker actually played with his dad down with the Detroit Lions played against him in college multiple times as well even before Nebraska ended up joining the Big 10 so that competitive temperament that we heard from Dylan riola that does come from from an honest place from his parents from what he was you know sort of built around as a young athlete being nurtured by his dad but on the whole the maturity really is is what impresses me what astounds me in some ways even beyond the physical ability that we see from Dylan Rola because he does seem prepared to command this stage with Nebraska and all those expectations that come with being a Husker QB with wanting to lead this program to wins at a level that they haven't seen in a decade plus he seems ready for that now it's one thing to seem ready for before you actually step between the white lines in a regular season game and and there is a difference from UTEP week one versus the teams they're going to have forther along the season but if you look at their schedule people think Matt rule can do good things in his second year because that's all he's done when he's rebuilt programs they take a big step forward in the second year 7-0 is not crazy to think about as a possibility to start the season for the huskar and I think they might play all 12 games at Memorial Stadium or if it's not all 12 like the majority of their games this year are at home this schedule for Nebraska has been a huge complaint for Husker fans in recent years and now they do have that opportunity to be at home in front of that rocket home crowd at Memorial watch those red balloons go into the air and root their team on frequently early in the season as opposed to watching them go into to hostile territory with a team with new Talent at QB or new head coach who's trying to figure things out now you get the chance to perhaps get off to a hot start if you're in Nebraska and do so at home on a frequent basis with a schedule that's a little bit more manageable than we've seen them have to you know fight against in recent years here so there's a lot within the the schedule and the situation for Nebraska that feels like this could be that season that Husker fans have been waiting for been leaning towards for years now which kind of goes into the the goal of getting a Dylan riol you get a top 10 recruit the hope is that snowballs and then all of a sudden other recruits are like oh yeah you can do great things at Nebraska even though it's been a long time you get a nice season this year where they can win eight nine games or something that helps build momentum things could be pointing in the right direction in Lincoln and the experiences back on defense led by Tony white that makes a huge difference as well because if you have that true freshman quarterback maybe sputter a little bit he's going through some Growing Pains they have got one of the top defenses in America with so much talent in that front Sev coming back for another year we mentioned that the schedule leans in their favor this year if you're curious about the other side of the spectrum who's got perhaps the toughest schedule among the Big 10 teams well we have that info for you it's USC with non-con games against LSU and Notre Dame Plus at Michigan Penn State at home next is Northwestern which has Washington and Michigan on the road Ohio State at home you'll notice all four of the new schools are in the top five toughest schedules in the Big 10 on paper now luckily they no longer play games on paper but rather on a field so that's good for USC here's Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley I mean these these games are fun I've been in a couple of these big ones at in in early Seasons um you know and they're great because you look forward to it all offseason it's a great way to start the season and so um no I think it's a positive I first games there's always a sense of new and excitement and you kind of waiting to see what you really are and what the opponent really is I think you you always feel that um but I I like it I like playing a marquee game early I like playing a really good opponent early um I think there's there's a ton of positives and like I said I think there's been a a momentum and an excitement about this that's been building for a long time it feels like a lot of these last few years and probably you know with quarterbacks you know either grad uating or transferring or doing all that they do and then obviously all the co coaching turnover the last several years it feels like more of the first games have been like this where you know you you feel like I mean you watch you watch people but you feel like all right we're not maybe seeing exactly what it's going to be or if you're having to watch a different opponent or a player from a different School a coach from a different school so it is what it is um there's I said last night on the show I mean there's parts of it that yeah sometimes you wish you were just sitting there watching the people that that you're going to play like do exactly what they're going to do or at least run their system but then the flip side of it is you know it's it's it's their first game in a lot of areas too