Will Howard's growth, commitment to play-action opens up Ohio State's offense

Just like they did at the conclusion of spring practice, Ohio State’s coaches gave quarterback Will Howard a checklist of things to address during an off week following season-opening wins over Akron and Western Michigan. Back in April, the areas of improvement included the need for Howard to gain a deeper understanding of the offense, to solidify his mechanics, to tweak his body composition and maximize every pound and inch of his 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame. While still specific to Howard, a transfer from Kansas State, they were the kinds of requests commonly attached to most quarterbacks joining new programs.

This time, though, the requests from new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who said the Buckeyes’ coaching staff graded every player during the bye week, were far more intricate. They addressed things like Howard’s demeanor during play-action fakes, his fundamental footwork for certain families of plays, his recognition of pre-snap indicators to discern coverages long before the ball is snapped. In other words, Howard had moved beyond Ohio State Quarterback Play 101 and progressed to graduate-level work in time for Saturday’s matchup with Marshall (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App).

"Will continues to grow every day," Kelly said in a news conference earlier this week. "That’s one thing I love about him. He’s a lifelong learner. He comes in here every day really hungry about, ‘How do I get a little bit better every day?’ And I think last week he did improve from Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in training sessions."

He also made significant improvements between his first and second outings in an Ohio State uniform to help assuage any doubts that might have surfaced for a fan base still spurned by last year’s