Desmond Howard takes shot at Ohio State during Heisman Trophy ceremony

Michigan is still gloating over its win against Ohio State this year. Desmond Howard might have taken it a step too far.

During Saturday’s Heisman Trophy ceremony, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said his goal for 2021 was to come back, beat Ohio State and win a Big Ten championship. After Hutchinson said that, Tim Tebow stepped forward and thanked Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett for being between Hutchinson and Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud.

“I’m glad you’re in between them. It’s good. Please stay there,” Tebow said.

Howard, a Michigan alum and the 1991 Heisman winner, responded: “Better than his offensive linemen.”

Robert Griffin III said Howard was “just throwing them under the bus.”

Howard’s statement was a bizarre shot at Stroud and Ohio State on a night that should have just been about celebrating the Heisman finalists’ accomplishments.

Hutchinson finished second in the Heisman voting and Stroud finished fourth, with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young winning the award and Pickett placing third.

Howard is not entirely wrong in calling out Ohio State’s linemen, particularly as it came to protecting Stroud from Hutchinson. Pro Football Focus said Hutchinson pressured Stroud 15 times during Michigan’s 42-27 win, the most QB pressures by a player since the site started tracking the stat. Hutchinson finished the game with a season-high three sacks, giving him 14 for the year. He had 15.5 tackles for loss and 58 total tackles this season.

The Wolverines will face Georgia in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31 in their first College Football Playoff appearance.

Stroud was hardly at fault for Ohio State’s loss. He finished the game with a 69.4 completion percentage, 394 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. He had no interceptions. The redshirt freshman finished the regular season with a 70.9 completion percentage, 38 touchdowns and five interceptions. He and the Buckeyes will play Utah in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

Howard and Michigan fans have certainly enjoyed the chance to trash talk Ohio State since the win, which snapped an eight-game Buckeyes winning streak in the series and gave the Wolverines their third win over the Buckeyes since 2001.

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