Will Howard and Ohio State are off and running vs. Oregon in a Rose Bowl rematch between the two sides. So far, it has been all about the Buckeyes on either side of the ball, including an electric start for the offense.

Across the first 3 drives, Ohio State was airing it out with 9 pass attempts from Howard to just 3 carries on the ground. It allowed Howard to get off to a 6-for-9 start with 165 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The first touchdown of the game was admittedly a screen pass to Jeremiah Smith with the electric receiver doing a lot of the heavy lifting. However, the 2nd touchdown was a true testament to Howard’s game-changing passing ability.

With Emeka Egbuka running down the middle of the field, Howard had a slight window to fit a throw over the top of 2 defenders. Fortunately, the pocket was clean, and the QB stepped into his throw with picture-perfect placement.

He hit Egbuka in stride at the goal line to give Ohio State the early 14-0 lead over the Ducks:

Ohio State ended the first quarter with a 14-0 lead while Howard has been 8-for-12 for 212 yards through the air. We’ll see if Oregon has a response, but it’s all about the Buckeyes early.