After seven months of imagining what playing for Ohio State might feel like, Will Howard won’t have to wait much longer to find out, and he can barely contain his excitement.

From the day he elected to transfer to Ohio State from Kansas State, Howard’s top priority was to earn the starting quarterback job on one of the most talent-rich teams in the country. He checked that goal off on Aug. 16 when head coach Ryan Day announced Howard as QB1 for Saturday’s opener against Akron, and now the time has come for him to get his first true taste of everything that comes with the gig.

“I’m so excited,” Howard said while speaking to the media on Tuesday. “I truly can’t overstate how excited I am. I’m fired up. I grew up as a kid watching the Big Ten. I’ve played in a lot of different venues now at this point in my career. I’ve played in front of hundreds of thousands of people, but the ‘Horseshoe’ and the atmosphere here, it’s different here with all the traditions. I’m really excited just to experience all of it.

“We’ve walked through what it’s going to be like on game day but just getting out there and doing it for the first time — I think the thing I’m most excited for is running out in front of 110,000 at the ‘shoe and just taking that in because I only get so many opportunities here so I want to make sure I soak it all up before we go in and get to business, strap it up, and play.”

While Saturday figures to be unlike any home atmosphere he’s experienced in his lengthy college career, he’s had the opportunity to get a glimpse of what to expect. April’s spring game, which is always a big draw for a crazed fan base itching to get a look at the new roster, left a lasting impression on Howard. But equally impressive to him has been the constant buzz around Columbus regarding all things Buckeye football, even in a city sitting in stark contrast to his previous home.

“When I went out there for the spring game and there were 82,000 people, I was like, ‘At Kansas State, we didn’t even have a spring game,’” Howard said. “They used to have one, but 82,000 people at a glorified scrimmage is crazy … The market is huge here. In Manhattan, Kansas, it was really cool because it’s a small college town and everybody was so bought in. But here, it’s a big city and you still feel that everyone is a huge Buckeye fan. Feeling that in a big city is really cool. It’s not just a small-town kind of thing; everyone in this city is really bought into the Buckeyes. It’s unlike anything else, really.”

Although he may be sure to take in the atmosphere before kickoff, Saturday will quickly become about little else than the game on the field for Howard. Ohio State enters the season with more hype than it’s had in any previous season under Day, and anything short of beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten, and making a run at the national title will be seen by many as an abject failure.

Howard is well aware of it all, and those expectations and opportunities played a large part in why he ultimately chose Ohio State as his transfer destination. Ever the competitor, Howard is exactly where he hoped to be when he arrived in Columbus back in January —in the driver’s seat and in a position to factor heavily into the Buckeyes’ ability to reach those goals.

“To be named the starter at Ohio State is truly a blessing,” he said. “It’s not something I take lightly. And I know there’s a lot of stuff that comes with that, and I know there are a lot of expectations and pressure if you will, but starting was the first goal on my list when I got here, to be the guy…”

Howard added, “This step I’ve taken has been a blessing in every way. I feel like just the opportunity and the challenges I’ve had to go through already here have really made me better as a player. I feel like a different player than I did even last year. I’m just excited because it’s a new opportunity, a new challenge, and it’s kind of lit a new spark in me. I don’t want to say I was complacent last year or in my time at Kansas State because I wasn’t, but it lit a new spark, and there’s something special about this team and this year. I’m excited, and it’s going to be fun.”

Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on X @DillonDavis56.