A TikToker has claimed that the real reason Will Howard wasn’t allowed to celebrate with his Ohio State team after beating Oregon on New Year’s Day was due to religion.
Howard went viral when the quarterback was bizarrely stopped from celebrating the Rose Bowl triumph on stage with his team during the trophy presentation and forced to watch from the back steps.
And the influencer Ryan Quinlan shared a video on his Instagram account on Friday claiming that Howard was kept away because of his religious beliefs, saying, “They wouldn’t let the winning quarterback on stage because, quote, he thanked God in his acceptance speech.
“Literally all his teammates are on stage celebrating while he has to stand on the sidelines. Being blocked… is absolutely insane. So that’s my opinion.’
But Quinlan was quickly shot down by the Rose Bowl himself in the comments below his Instagram video.
“This is completely false,” rosebowlgame’s official Instagram account said.
Will Howard wasn’t allowed to shout on stage at the Buckeyes’ trophy presentation
“The College Football Playoff stipulates that the game’s players, team captains and head coach are the only team personnel allowed on the stage.
“While Will was ultimately able to take the stage, this came down to the weight limit of the stage and the safety of everyone involved in the post-match awards ceremony.”
Howard threw three touchdowns for his team that night, leading them to an impressive 41-21 victory.
After the clip of Howard being held off the stage went viral, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy gave his own cheeky reason for why the incident happened.
The noted Michigan fan used it as an opportunity to mock Howard and Ohio State for their recent 13-10 loss to his team, saying, “For anyone who thinks the Michigan game doesn’t consume Ohio.
“They wouldn’t even let Will Howard on stage because of the way he choked up like a dead dog at Mich. Unreal.’
The Buckeyes return to action on January 10 against the Texas Longhorns.