Quarterback uncertainty for rivals Michigan, Ohio State - ESPN

Will Howard's first exit from the Ohio Stadium turf following Ohio State's spring game took a detour. Hundreds of Buckeye fans, who had gathered by the home tunnel, waved him over, eager to give the Kansas State transfer the starter treatment — even though Ohio State has yet to name its starting quarterback.

Howard signed mini helmets, footballs, hats and even offered a few high-fives. Finally, after several minutes, he escaped to the locker room with fans still shouting «Go, Will!» as he jogged away.

Howard arrived in Columbus hoping to win the quarterback competition heading into one of the most pivotal seasons in recent Ohio State history. An aggressive offseason in the portal landed the Buckeyes a series of notable transfers, including Howard, loading an already-talented Ohio State team with the players it hopes can wrest back control of the Big Ten from rival Michigan. The reigning national champion Wolverines have rolled to three straight conference titles, highlighted by three consecutive victories over the Buckeyes.

Michigan, however, has its own quarterback battle to settle in 2024. The Wolverines face the enormous task of replacing J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick of the Minnesota Vikings in this year's NFL draft who went 27-1 as Michigan's starter.

How these Big Ten bluebloods answer their quarterback quandaries figures to have major implications for the College Football Playoff, the Big Ten race and, of course, «The Game» on Nov. 30 in Columbus. Not since 2015 have the two schools had high-profile quarterback battles in the same year.

«We want to win, and the goal is to do the same thing we did last year,» said Michigan senior quarterback Davis Warren, the star of the Wolverines' spring game. «The