Ohio State's Win vs. Western Kentucky Proves McCord Was Right Decision

Starting quarterback Kyle McCord played like he had the complete trust of the Buckeyes' coaching staff, and it showed in the final box score.

The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes dominated the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Saturday at Ohio Stadium, 63-10. A large portion of the credit for the win should go to the performance of junior quarterback Kyle McCord.

The Mount Laurel, New Jersey native has looked increasingly more confident in each of Ohio State's three games, but his outing against the Hilltoppers undoubtedly takes the cake.

McCord went 19-of-23 through the air (83%) for 318 yards and three touchdowns before he was taken out of the game in favor of the backup, sophomore Devin Brown.

Against the Hoosiers, McCord's shaky numbers could be chalked up to the nerves of being a starting quarterback for Ohio State. Against the Penguins, McCord looked comfortable, but still played as if something was missing.

This then begs the question: what changed between this week and last? The answer seems to be simple: trust.

It is understandable why Day decided to wait until the end of Fall Camp before announcing Ohio State's starting signal caller, as this ensured Brown and McCord would be giving their best for as long as possible in an attempt to win the job.

However, when the Buckeyes head coach said he intended for both quarterbacks to see equal playing time against the Hoosiers, he could have unintentionally set back the development and cohesion of the offense. 

Which, to be fair, is always a risk when trying to settle a quarterback competition when the season is in full swing. 

Now playing his first game as the definitive starter, and thus having the full support of Day and the other Ohio State coaches, McCord was able to one-up his numbers from last weekend to an even higher level.

A major test for the Buckeyes comes next Saturday in South Bend, Indiana against the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

It will also be the first real challenge for McCord and the Buckeyes offense this season.

Whether or not the young QB is ready for such a tall task, remains to be seen. That said, it seems Day's decision to name McCord QB1 has now been justified