It’s only fall camp, but new Ohio State quarterback Will Howard is already getting acclimated to Big Ten life. As the former Kansas State star prepares to lead Ohio State’s offense in 2024, he must practice against one of college football’s best defenses.
Ohio State is the Big Ten favorite and a serious contender for the national championship this season. Jim Knowles’ defense is a major contributing factor.
Howard admitted that playing against Ohio State’s defense every day has been frustrating, but in a positive one that will prepare the Buckeyes for their toughest opponents on the schedule.
“Going against the defense every day during camp and spring ball is a blessing,” Howard said, according to Evan Massey of Ohio State on SI.com. “We’re going to face some very good defenses. But, you know, I believe we play one of, if not the best defenses in the country every day. And this is only making me and us better. And, for me, it’s simply improving my game. And I enjoy the competition. “And we all do.”
Columbus has always had great expectations, but they are considerably higher as we approach 2024. Michigan has been Ohio State’s strongest challenge in the Big Ten, but the Wolverines have lost 18 starters, virtually an entire coaching staff, and might face NCAA sanctions as a result of the sign-stealing scandal.
Penn State and Oregon are the biggest challenges to Ohio State’s conference title hopes. However, with Howard’s arrival, many believe Ohio State is in a better position to run the table than it did last season.
And, while the expectations may terrify Howard in his first season in Columbus, he embraces the pressure. It certainly helps that he is surrounded by star power.
“Everything is heightened here. You know, I believe you can feel the eyes a little bit, and the one thing I would say is that I don’t feel like I have to be a hero here,” Howard remarked. “I feel like I have the men around me so I just need to facilitate, get them the ball, and make good decisions.
“At the end of the day, I’m not required to perform any superhuman feats. “You know, I just have to be myself and trust the people around me.”
Drew Allar discusses Penn State’s new offense.
Penn State was unable to overcome its defeats to Ohio State and Michigan last season. Although the Nittany Lions led the Big Ten in scoring previous season, averaging 36.2 points per game, they only scored 27 points in losses to the Buckeyes and Michigan.
That caused coach James Franklin to change offensive coordinators, firing Mike Yurcich and hiring Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas. It’s still early in fall camp, but returning starting quarterback Drew Allar has discussed some of the adjustments.
“It’s a mix of last year’s terminology with Coach K’s philosophy, so it’s different and similar at the same time,” Allar told reporters. “It’s been a lot of fun learning throughout the winter, spring, summer, and fall camp.
“Feel a lot better about going into this fall camp than we did last year, just with the comfort of the offense and our execution through the first two days of practice.”
Curt Cignetti handles all business at Indiana.
When Curt Cignetti spoke at Big Ten Media Days in July, he mentioned college football as part of the “entertainment business.” But the new Indiana coach is removing the “show biz” cap and focused on getting the Hoosiers ready for the 2024 season.
As the Hoosiers began their second week of fall camp, Cignetti was asked about his energy level while speaking to the media. He made it plain that his primary worry right now is getting Indiana ready for its first game against Florida International.
“Right now, we’re in practice,” Cignetti said when asked about his comments about the entertainment industry. “Right now, it is all about building a team. This is not the time to discuss; instead, put it on the field. So I’m not going to put on a show every time I’m up on the podium.
“Right now, we’re really focused in on developing this football team and all 115 guys on this football team.”
