Will Howard gripped a podium inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and shrugged his shoulders.
It was more than two weeks since Ohio State had been upset by unranked Michigan, but the frustration bubbled to the surface.
Howard was terse at times on Monday when asked for his reflections on the loss, a contrast to his affable exterior.
“What did I learn?” Howard said. “Can’t turn the ball over.”
Howard insisted he and teammates had moved on from the inexplicable defeat, a setback that kept the Buckeyes from winning the Big Ten, but not one that eliminated them from capturing the ultimate prize.
Beginning with Saturday’s game against Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff, they can plot a path to pursue the national championship and avenge the loss to their bitter rival.
In the fallout of the upset, few on Ohio State’s roster have drawn as much blame as Howard. An experienced quarterback who had risen to the occasion in other big games the fall, his accuracy fell off against the Wolverines.
Howard was twice picked off, his first multi-interception game since transferring from Kansas State in January, and he completed less than 60% of his passes. Both his 57.6% completion percentage and 175 passing yards were season-lows.
Immediately following the loss, Howard said he misfired on the passes that resulted in interceptions.
Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly put blame on himself on Monday.
“I got to put Will in a better position to make plays,” Kelly said. “I didn’t do that.”
Kelly pointed to Howard’s second interception as an example. The Buckeyes faced third-and-7 at Michigan’s 16-yard line in the third quarter when Howard attempted to a fit a pass to Emeka Egbuka between two defenders.
But the ball was behind Egbuka and picked off by Wolverines safety Makari Paige.
Part of Kelly’s second-guessing was owed to having only three targets downfield for Howard, a result of keeping running back TreVeyon Henderson and tight end Gee Scott Jr. in pass protection.
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