Ohio State Star Will Howard Denied Access To Stage For Rose Bowl Celebration

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was blocked from joining his teammates on stage to celebrate their huge Rose Bowl win over Oregon ... with officials forcing the Buckeyes star to stay on the field amid the postgame festivities.

The clip made rounds on social media after the Scarlet and Gray easily handled the Ducks to get revenge on their loss earlier in the season ... with Howard -- who had a phenomenal game with 319 yards and three touchdowns -- leading the charge.

Despite the outing that propelled OSU to its 41-21 victory, Howard clearly didn't get any special treatment ... with staffers telling the signal-caller to stay off the platform as the Buckeyes were awarded the Rose Bowl Trophy.

In the video, Howard's teammate, Tyleik Williams, tried to get him to jump up on the stage to bask in the glory ... but he explained he was informed he wasn't allowed on due to weight concerns.

Folks even told Howard to try entering from the other side ... but he said they blocked him over there, too.

It appears Howard eventually got his turn on the stage ... and while officials did their best to play party pooper, he seemed in great spirits about the dub.

Howard also got in a postgame kiss with his girlfriend, Lauren Leiker ... which, we take it, made everything better.