Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has been taking heat from some fans for his mistake that ended Saturday’s loss to No. 3 Oregon, and Kirk Herbstreit has had enough.
The ESPN analyst lashed out at those Ohio State fans still bitter at Howard about the then-No. 2 Buckeyes’ loss. Howard lost track of time on the final play with Ohio State in range to attempt a game-winning field goal, and the clock expired.
“Howard. A lot of time coming off. Howard’s gonna run for it. Time runs out. And that’ll do it. WELCOME TO THE BIG 10, OREGON. THEY STORM THE FIELD AT AUTZEN. AND THE DUCKS WIN THIS BOUT 32-31.”
Noah Eagle on the call as No. 3 Oregon holds on to beat No. 2 Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/ZjzdxlPJnw
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 13, 2024
Howard has taken plenty of criticism for that play, and some Buckeyes fans are still hitting him with online abuse. In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Thursday, Herbstreit, an Ohio State alumnus, hit back at those fans.
“By the way, Will Howard taking s*** from Ohio State fans,” Herbstreit said. “Again, it’s that vocal 10 to 12, 15-percent, A.J. (Hawk) knows what I’m talking about. They’re an embarrassment to the fan base.”
Pat McAfee Show co-host Hawk is a former Ohio State star, and they both know how invested those fans are in the team. Herbstreit says those fans need to keep things in perspective. He says Howard, who transferred to Columbus from Kansas State, has played well.
“He’s an amazing kid, who I think played pretty well, considering the environment he played in,” Herbstreit said. “Will Howard will have another opportunity, another chance to play. I thought so far, he’s doing a really good job of playing quarterback for Ohio State.”
[On3.com]
