Ohio State QB Kyle McCord Showed Confidence Missing from Indiana Game

McCord threw his first touchdown pass of the season against Youngstown State on Saturday, and seemed to show what critics thought was missing last weekend.

The No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes took care of business at home against the Youngstown State Penguins on Saturday, 35-7.

Among the Buckeyes who had tremendous performances against the Penguins was junior quarterback Kyle McCord. The Mount Laurel, New Jersey native faced a lot of criticism following his showing against Indiana but now seems to have silenced his doubters.

In a quantitative sense, it is easy to say McCord has improved from last weekend. The starting signal-caller finished with 258 yards and three touchdowns while completing 14 of his 20 pass attempts. 

This weekend’s numbers are yin-and-yang when put alongside McCord’s game against Indiana: 20-of-33 for 239 yards and an interception.

But even gang by the ‘Eye Test,’ McCord looked comfortable in the pocket, even when under pressure. McCord’s mobility was particularly of note, considering it had been one of the main differences between him and sophomore quarterback Devin Brown up until now.

Brown complimented McCord and the rest of his teammates’ ability to put Indiana behind them and go out against the Penguins with a clean slate.  

“From Week 1 to Week 2, I mean, it was a night-and-day difference just because everyone felt comfortable,” Brown said. “We knew what was going on, we knew what our game plan was. We put in a lot of good work this week.”

Ryan Day said he would “consider” rolling with one quarterback by the time Ohio State heads to Notre Dame, and right now it seems like McCord would be that guy.