Imagine you are the star of your team in one of the most coveted moments of the season. You did your part—you played well. Now, it’s time to collect laurels. But hold on; you can’t get up on the stage. That’s the exact same situation Will Howard found himself in after Ohio State’s victory over Oregon at the Rose Bowl.

Soon after the Buckeyes dismantled the Ducks, the post-game rituals demanded the award ceremony. However, an employee stopped him when Howard tried to step onto the stage. The video soon made the rounds on the internet, evoking frustration and anger from the fans. Why did it happen? And more importantly, what does Howard have to say about the incident?

It seems it was all about regulations, and the employee just held his ground. The official Rose Bowl handle confirmed that there was a weight limit on the stage. In addition, it clarified that the rules clearly mandated that only the head coach and the captains could be on the stage, not the rest of the team. Why? For safety concerns. Even the Ohio quarterback understood it later.

Howard said, “It was strictly a weight limit thing. I don’t know if it was a poorly executed fat joke or what this guy was trying to do — no, I’m kidding. I guess he said there was a weight limit, and there were too many people on it… That’s all it was.”

In the same conversation, the 23-year-old admitted that some of the Buckeyes players had to sneak in. But he eventually made peace with it. Howard continued, “I ended up going to the other side and jumping on. It was a bunch of us that had to sneak on. You didn’t see it, but Caleb (Downs) had to sneak on, and I think Lathan (Ransom) had to sneak on. They were trying to be strict about it. But it is what it is. I guess they’re doing their job. So I got nothing.”

If you are thinking Howard couldn’t bask in the spotlight, that’s not the case either. He was allowed on the stage later. After all, he passed for 630 yards with five touchdowns in Ohio’s two playoff games. However, you should also know this. He hasn’t beaten Texas yet. That’s the reason Howard is extra-motivated.

Will Howard: crushing weight of Texas past

Before becoming a fan favorite at Ohio, Howard made a splash at Kansas State in the Big 12. But whenever he took the field against Texas, he couldn’t make the victory lap. 3 games, 3 losses. Now, that’s the record he wants to improve and exact revenge at a bigger stage. He declared, “That was the only team I didn’t beat when I was in the Big 12. They’re always a good team. But none of those games were unwinnable.”

The redemption shot is not that far, either. The two teams are set to clash at the Cotton Bowl on Friday, with an eye on the CFB national championship. Can Ohio do it? Their offense is packed with power, as evident from the 41-21 scoreline of the Rose Bowl. They have all the tools and personnel to exploit Texas’ inconsistent stretches of display, which almost knocked them out in the quarterfinals. It all boils down to Ohio’s offensive line and Texas’ magic to weave some bursts of motivation. But we hope if Ohio wins it again, Howard gets enough space on the stage and enough spotlight.