The redemption arc of Will Howard has been one of the best Buckeyes stories in the playoffs. After that Michigan debacle, Ryan Day’s QB1 found form and hasn’t looked back. The games against Tennessee and Oregon proved that he is made for big games. When it came to the Longhorns, despite a close game, the Buckeyes managed to pull off a win in the Cotton Bowl. This game was special for Howard.

Howard lost all three of his starts against Texas when he was at Kansas State and the Longhorns were in the Big 12. He was on the sidelines for a fourth defeat. “Personally for me,” Howard had said ahead of the game. “There’s definitely a little extra motivation there because I never got the chance to beat these guys.” Howard had nearly done that in 2023, when, in Kansas State’s uniform, he threw a career-high 327 yards and four touchdowns, only to see a 33-30 overtime loss.

“I don’t like how that one ended,” he said, “and I’m excited to get another chance [in the Cotton Bowl],” Howard had said. Well, he did get his chance and put it to use to the fullest. However, during the game, the broadcast showed a gruesome-looking injury that Howard may have suffered in one of the plays.

The cameras spotted a lump on Howard’s non-throwing hand, and naturally, the Buckeyes faithful are concerned. There was an instance before the lump appeared that Howard’s left hand connected with a Texas player’s helmet, although there’s no way to confirm. It’s possible that the swelling is due to hematoma, which, according to Cleveland Clinic, happens when blood pools inside of the body. What’s happening to their quarterback? Is his hand fine?

Well, we have a professional with his take on what might have transpired. Just like us, Dr. David Abbasi, an orthopedic surgeon at the Prime Orthopedic and Regenerative Center in Florida, deemed it “some remarkable swelling.” Adding on, Dr Abbas said, “Only a few things can cause swelling, such as the fracture of a hand, which could be a torn ligament or, less likely, something with the vein or artery where you have some bleeding. But this type of swelling is most consistent with a fracture.” 

However, since it was Howard’s off-hand, Dr Abbas noted that Howard didn’t need to come out of the game, and that’s what happened in the Cotton Bowl. Had it been his throwing arm, we could have been looking at Ohio State’s QB2 leading the team in the second half. If an injury happens during the game, the medical team tries to get the athletes back in the game if they are not at risk of aggravating their injuries. That looked like what happened in Will Howard’s case. However, per Dr Abbas, “He’s gonna need something done after the game anyway, which will likely be fixable.”

During the game, Holly Rowe, the sideline reporter for the Cotton Bowl, informed the announcers that the Buckeyes’ quarterback did not receive any medical treatment for the injury. Did that injury affect Howard? Well, let’s look at these stats. 24-of-33 passing for 289. Add to that a touchdown and an unfortunate interception. Of course, it wasn’t as good as what he did against the Ducks, but considering the pass rush of the Longhorns, Howard held his own.

Moreover, as shared by ESPN’s Jake Trotter, Will told the reporters that his hand was “just fine”. Just a week to go in the game. Could Howard’s injury derail his participation in the national championship game? Let’s hear from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day.

What is Will Howard’s current injury status?

Ryan Day had knives out for him after his team lost to the Wolverines. The world almost seemed to have ended on that unfortunate evening in Columbus. Imagine the pain! Day had compared losing to the Wolves with the loss of his father. What do you do when you face such a setback? You go back to the drawing board. That’s what Ryan Day and Chip Kelly did, and since then, the offense has been cooking.

However, much of that cooking depended on Will Howard’s effective plays. Ahead of the Natty final, Ryan Day addressed the media, and everyone was hoping to hear about Will Howard’s injury from the head coach. However, neither Day nor the program provided any update on the injury. Meanwhile, after Howard’s strong outing in the Cotton Bowl, former quarterback Greg McElroy evaluated his performance.

“Looking at Will Howard’s numbers, 24 of 33, 289, about eight yards an attempt, that’s exactly what you need,” McElroy said. “He doesn’t need to throw for 400, he doesn’t need to throw for 150,” McElroy said. However, not all are on the same page with him. The former Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire was not at all convinced with Howard.

“All the great QBs Ohio State has had the last 15 yrs and Howard is def the worst one by far and (Ohio State) fans are trying to convince me that he’s gonna lead them to the chip?!?! Lmao ok I’d even take the OG Jalin Marshall at QB before Howard!!!!!!!!,” Zaire wrote on X. Well, the gridiron remains the only place for the debate to rest. Will Howard be there against the Fighting Irish for that?