Football players are tough, and Ohio State quarterback Will Howard is no exception, especially as he pushed through playing in the College Football Playoff semifinal game against Texas on Friday night with a giant knot on his hand.

Ohio State football quarterback Will Howard is playing with a large knot on his non-throwing left hand in the CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal vs. Texas:

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers used to wear scarlet and gray. On Friday night at the Cotton Bowl, he saw a lot of it in his face. Ewers was sacked three times in the first half, one of the reasons the Buckeyes took a 14-7 lead into the locker room.

Ohio State’s Will Howard turned his hat around and gave his girlfriend a kiss after the Buckeyes’ win over Oregon, and the video went viral.

Will Howard never beat Texas when he played quarterback for the Kansas State Wildcats. But he led his his new team to a thrilling 28-14 victory over the Longhorns on Friday in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. His reward is a trip to the national championship game with the Ohio State Buckeyes.