Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard may have made a colossal error at the end of his team’s loss to the Oregon Ducks last Saturday, but he still had a great day overall, going 28-for-35 with 326 yards and three total touchdowns, one of which came on the ground.

In spite of the fact that Howard’s decision-making has been called into question, the Kansas State transfer has been largely impressive this season, throwing for 1,574 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 73.3 percent of his passes and punching in five rushing scores.

As a result of Howard’s play throughout the first seven weeks of 2024, he has earned himself a sparkling review from Bleacher Report’s Brad Shepard.

“First-year offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has meshed well with Howard, who is showing everybody he is a high-level quarterback,” Shepard wrote. “At 6’4″, 235 pounds, he has the size, arm strength and athletic ability to shine on the next level.”

Shepard proceeded to give Howard an “A” grade for his output thus far.

“This Ohio State team still absolutely can win a national championship, and they have weapons all over the field on both sides of the ball. Howard is proving to be the perfect maestro to make it all tick,” Shepard concluded.

As painful as the 32-31 loss to Oregon was, the Buckeyes are certainly not out of the national championship conversation, and Howard’s play is a big reason why.

Of course, it helps that Howard has a plethora of weapons at his disposal, but he still needs to deliver the ball properly, and he has been doing that very well.

We’ll see if the senior signal-caller has what it takes to lead Ohio State to the promised land this year. The Buckeyes will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers this weekend.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bracketology at this point of the year typically centers around preseason expectations in college basketball. The new 12-team College Football Playoff has changed that.

Bracketology now applies to football.

The four-team CFP era has come to an end, giving the sport an expanded race for a national title.

Here is how we predict the 12-team field to look, including where Ohio State fits after its loss at Oregon.

Predicting the 12-team College Football Playoff

Note: Teams in bold earn automatic bids.

No. 1 Texas

No. 2 Ohio State

No. 3 Miami

No. 4 Iowa State

No. 5 Oregon

No. 6 Penn State

No. 7 Alabama

No. 8 Georgia

No. 9 Notre Dame

No. 10 Indiana

No. 11 Clemson

No. 12 Boise State

Predicting college football conference champions

The five highest-ranked conference champions earn an automatic bid.

In our projection, we expect Texas (SEC), Ohio State (Big Ten), Miami (ACC) and Iowa State (Big 12) to be the four top conference champs, meaning those teams earn a top-four seed and a bye.

Boise State will likely be the top-ranked Group of Five champion, giving the Broncos a bid as the final team in the field.

Predicting the College Football Playoff at-large bids

Oregon beat Ohio State on Saturday, giving the Ducks a clear path to the conference title game. However, ESPN’s College Football Power Index still gives the Buckeyes better odds to win the Big Ten.

If Oregon’s lone loss is to a team it beat, the Ducks should finish as the top at-large team.

Penn State will also be favored to win each of its remaining games outside of a Nov. 2 meeting with Ohio State. At 11-1, the Nittany Lions should finish at No. 6.

Texas has the clearest path to the SEC title, but the race for conference runner-up is foggy. Alabama, despite its struggles, has a win against Georgia, which could be important for tiebreaking purposes.

Both programs should get in, giving the SEC and Big Ten six of the top eight teams.

Notre Dame has responded well from its stunning loss against Northern Illinois, and the Fighting Irish will be favored in each of their remaining games.

The final two at-large bids are tougher to predict. Indiana, Tennessee, Clemson, Texas A&M and BYU sit between a 33-47% chance of making the CFP, according to ESPN.

We slot Indiana in because, like Penn State, the Hoosiers should be favored to win their remaining games outside of a meeting with Ohio State.

Clemson looked unconvincing in its Week 1 loss against Georgia, but if the Tigers finish 11-2 with losses against the Bulldogs and Miami, getting an at-large bid shouldn’t be an issue.

The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Oct. 15, 2024, results for each game:

Mega Millions

Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.

22-34-44-54-62, Mega Ball: 03, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 2-3-6

Evening: 3-1-2

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 0-8-8-2

Evening: 0-9-4-0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 2-8-0-2-4

Evening: 6-9-0-6-7

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Rolling Cash 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.

08-28-30-35-37

Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Lucky For Life

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 10:35 p.m.

15-20-21-24-38, Lucky Ball: 05

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Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

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Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

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