The CFP semifinals kick off in four days! Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, and Penn State are the only four remaining teams that will get another shot at the national title. But ahead of the big showdown, a debate is surfacing as to which team has the best QB. As you guessed, everyone has their own take, but some raw opinions didn’t resonate with others, especially regarding Ohio State QB Will Howard. And now, the situation has come to where one QB is thrown under the bus for another to rise. 

The QB debate led to one strange comment from a former NFL LB turned sports analyst. Emmanuel Acho didn’t even have to think twice when he said, “Ohio State has the worst quarterback remaining in Will Howard. I can confidently say that.” But this statement rubbed Howard’s fans the wrong way as one frustrated person posted on X on January 6.

He wrote, “How @EmmanuelAcho comes up with this dumbass take is beyond me. Will Howard the worst QB??? RILEY LEONARD CANT EVEN THROW FOR 100 YARDS! If Ohio State has Riley Leonard our offense would be DOG S—.. Leonard is the worst QB remaining and it’s not even close.”

Ouch! Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard entered this conversation because Emmanuel Acho hailed him as a better QB. In his words, “They won because of Riley Leonard yesterday. They didn’t have all these first-round pick WRs. There’s no Emeka Egbuka, there is no Jeremiah Smith, there is no Quinshon Judkins back there. They won that game because of Riley Leonard.” Acho is right.

The Fighting Irish didn’t have key receivers to aid them in their dominant 23-10 win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. It’s indeed a hats off to Leonard, who completed 15 of 24 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. 

Ohio State may enjoy the talents of wideouts like Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith, but Will Howard isn’t to be underrated. The redshirt senior faced criticism in the regular season, especially when the Buckeyes lost for the fourth straight time to Michigan. But his postseason QBR deems him the best QB in the playoffs with 98.3. In their playoff wins against Tennessee and Oregon, Howard accumulated a combined 630 yards and five scores to advance to the Cotton Bowl to face Texas. 

Will Howard finds extra motivation to beat Texas

Despite Emmanuel Acho’s dig at Will Howard, Ohio State is a 5.5-point favorite over Texas in the CFP semifinals at AT&T Stadium. And there are more than the usual factors that are serving as a winning motivation for the 23-year-old QB against the Longhorns. You see, Howard spent four seasons at Kansas State before transferring to Ohio State this past season. He wasn’t able to beat Texas even once in their three meetings. 

Ahead of this ultimate clash, he said of Texas, “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. Definitely excited to get another chance at these guys.” Among all people, it’s Steve Sarkisian who’s closely observing Will Howard and has come to a conclusion that “he’s a much better athlete than people give him credit for.” 

Can a change in the team change the outcome of a game? Can Will Howard prove Emmanuel Acho’s bold claim wrong?