Will Howard and Ohio State are facing Notre Dame tonight for the national championship.
After losing their regular season finale to Michigan, Howard and Ohio State were put on the backburner entering the College Football Playoff. However, the No. 8 seed Buckeyes ripped off three impressive wins over Tennessee, Oregon and Texas. Now, they’re heading into tonight’s game in Atlanta as 9-point favorites over the Fighting Irish.
Ohio State has not won a national championship in 10 years, and if Howard is the man to lead them there, his girlfriend Lauren Leiker will be there cheering him on.
Leiker and Howard met when both were attending Kansas State University. They’ve been together since 2023, when the blonde honor roll student first appeared on Howard’s Instagram.
ESPN.
Leiker, who graduated from KSU in 2023 with a degree in human health biology and integrative health services, previously went viral at the Rose Bowl, where she sat with Howard’s family and also shared a kiss with the QB after the game.
Leiker is pretty lowkey on social media. Her Instagram account is private and Howard rarely shares photos of her on his own page.
We’d expect Leiker to be in the crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium tonight. If she is, we’re sure the camera will spot her, particularly if Howard makes a big play.
Will Howard/IG
Howard has played well in OSU’s first three playoff games, throwing for 919 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He earned praise from Nick Saban on Monday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I think Will Howard has done a good job of taking what the defense gives,” Saban said. “He’s got a lot of weapons now— they’ve got two really good runners, they’ve got two really good receivers, they’ve got a good tight end… So he’s just got to take what the defense gives and they’re going to be able to do a good job.”
We’ll see if Howard can get the job done against a tough Fighting Irish defense tonight.
Related: Nick Saban Makes Opinion Of Ohio State Quarterback Will Howard Very Clear