Former Ohio State Buckeyes LB Criticizes QB Kyle McCord for Comments vs. Michigan Wolverines

Did Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord downplay the matchup with the Michigan Wolverines?

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord has already been under enough fire for tossing the game-sealing interception in Saturday's crushing 30-24 loss to the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor.

Now, McCord is receiving some criticism for comments he made leading up to the contest, saying that the "The Game" is, well, "just a football game."  

These comments have now done a 180 back in his face after the loss, as it becomes understandable to question if McCord and the Buckeyes came prepared for a talented Michigan team with playoff implications on the line or instead treated it like a normal regular-season game.

Former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry didn't sugercoat his displeasure with McCord after seemingly downplaying the Michigan matchup on the surface.

"I do not want to hear another quarterback - C.J. Stroud said it, Kyle McCord said it - that says it's just another game," Perry said on Bally Sports' 'The Rally.' "It's not. So stop saying that."

Here are the full comments from McCord that Perry is referring to.

“Obviously, the implications are huge. But like I said earlier, at the end of the day, it’s just a football game. I’m just doing everything I can to help my team win," McCord said on Nov. 21. ”I think there's a lot of noise around it, I think there's a lot of hype around it, and rightfully so. But I think the biggest thing is focusing in on what's important, and that's watching the film and doing the small things during the week that'll give you the best chance to succeed."

In the loss, McCord went 18 of 30 passing for 271 yards and two touchdowns, but also tossed two interceptions. The first pick set the Wolverines up in red zone where they cashed in quickly while the second was the game-sealing turnover.

Unable to play for a Big 10 Championship on Saturday, McCord and the Buckeyes will now hope for some chaos at the top of the College Football Playoff rankings in order to have any hope of slipping into the final four teams.