By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-02 19:06:41 | Updated at 2025-01-05 02:15:07
2 days ago
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard found himself the target of Dave Portnoy's trolling following the Buckeyes' College Football Playoffs win Wednesday.
The Buckeyes' sealed a blowout Rose Bowl quarterfinal triumph against the No. 1 seed Oregon on New Year's Day to set up a semifinal clash against Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
But Howard, who threw for three touchdowns, wasn't able to celebrate the 41-21 victory onstage with his teammates.
The signal caller was barred from clambering on the stage for the trophy presentation and was forced to watch the festivities unfold from the stairs at the back.
And naturally, Portnoy, a renowned Michigan fan, seized the chance to mock his rivals' superstar.
'For anybody who thinks the Michigan game doesn’t consume Ohio. They wouldn’t even let Will Howard on stage cause of the way he choked like a dead dog against Mich. Unreal,' the Barstool founder posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside a video of the incident.
Dave Portnoy (right) mocked Ohio State quarterback Will Howard (left) after the Rose Bowl
The signal caller was barred from clamoring on the stage for the Buckeyes' trophy presentation
The 47-year-old was referring to the rivalry clash between his Michigan and Ohio State earlier this season.
The Wolverines clinched a 13-10 win over Ohio State thanks to a last-gasp field goal within the final minute of the game.
The result made it four straight wins for Michigan over their Columbus rivals and shocking scenes unfolded on the field as a postgame melee broke out over the Wolverines' planting of their flag in OSU's logo.
However, following Wednesday's result, the Buckeyes may very well need to be sending Michigan a thank-you note for that wakeup call.
OSU trounced the 13-0 Ducks with Howard throwing for 319 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, making his stage snub even more brutal.
A video, shared by 10TV anchor Adam King to X, showed a staffer stood at the top of the stairs to the stage shaking his head and blocking Howard from taking to the platform.
The Barstool founder took aim at Howard over Ohio State's loss to Michigan earlier this season
Howard for 319 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Oregon Ducks
The 23-year-old did eventually get his time to shine when he was allowed on the stage
Multiple voices off-camera attempted to tell the official that Howard was the team's quarterback, while his teammate, Tyleik Williams, also tried to intervene and urged the star to clamber up.
Williams was then seen laughing and jokingly pretending to block the stage as Howard tried to find a different route to the stage.
It later emerged that incident occurred because there was a weight limit on the stage and Howard's inclusion would have surpassed the maximum.
He did, however, manage to eventually have his time in the spotlight as he was finally spotted on the stage and even sealed the win with a kiss with girlfriend, Lauren Leiker.
