J.J. McCarthy vs. Kyle McCord Takes Center Stage In The Ohio State-Michigan Saga

J.J. McCarthy grew up wanting to play for Ohio State, but instead could defeat the Buckeyes' twice.

Did Ryan Day make the right choice at quarterback? Did he select the proper heir apparent to C.J. Stroud to follow in the winning tradition of Ohio State football? 

He'll have his answer Saturday by around 3:30 p.m. in Ann Arbor as he walks off the field with either his first win over Michigan since 2019 or his third consecutive loss to the No. 3 Wolverines (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten). And J.J. McCarthy will either take a 2-0 lead over his childhood team or potentially end his career in a 1-1 tie. 

And he's not looking for the .500 record. 

"I grew up first being an Ohio State fan, I won't lie," McCarthy said heading into Saturday's 11 a.m. kick. "God had different plans for me and showed me the way, and I'm very blessed and appreciative to be here, that's for damn sure."

McCarthy, a native of Illinois, always dreamed of donning the Scarlet and Gray. When recruiting began, the Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0) were at the top of his list. 

But Day and No. 2 Ohio State decided to offer Kyle McCord, who will debut in "The Game" after backing up Stroud the past two seasons. McCarthy had to look elsewhere, so he turned his attention to Ann Arbor and Jim Harbaugh. 

McCarthy said he's appreciative for the chance to lead the Wolverines, but it should be Michigan thanking him for taking the risk. Since being named QB1, McCarthy has thrown for 5,054 yards and 40 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He's completed 68.5 percent of his passes and rushed for another eight scores. 

Oh, and then there's the winning thing. McCarthy holds a 23-1 record as the Wolverines' starter with his only loss coming in the Fiesta Bowl to runner-up TCU. He's two wins away from heading back to the postseason, and one victory from remaining undefeated in the regular season. 

It'll be up to the Buckeyes' defense to make sure that dream dissolves like conversations of a three-peat Big Ten champ residing in The Big House. 

“He's really creative, and he can make something out of nothing. So our goal is to just contain him as much as possible, and not allow him to make crazy plays as he makes,” said linebacker Cody Simon. “He's a good player, so we just have to do our best and contain him.”

McCord's college career shouldn't be defined by one game, but it somewhat is. Week by week, the junior has progressed as a passer and taken the reins as the master of the offense. 

The production this season leans in favor of McCord. The Philadelphia native has thrown for more yards, more touchdowns and has a higher passer rating than McCarthy. He also has more interceptions and a lesser completion percentage. 

Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy lines up to take a snap against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.  / USA Today-Sports

The hatred between the fan bases is embedded in young souls until death, but McCord and McCarthy have mutual respect for one another. The two became friends during quarterback camps in high school and throughout recruitment. 

When McCord takes the field for the first time in the series, friendship is thrown to the wayside. The same goes for McCarthy. He'll have a chance to lead Michigan to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and trips to Indianapolis for another Big Ten title. For McCord, he'll be the hero that ended a four-year drought of losing to the rival. 

And throughout the game, plenty will wonder if Day made the right call at quarterback when he decided to offer McCord over McCarthy. With each throw, McCord will be under the microscope. So will McCarthy, but for different reasons. 

McCord isn't worried about the spotlight or the comparisons thrown his way. 

“The biggest thing for me is just winning this game by any means necessary,” McCord said. “Obviously, that was a little bit of a story when we were both getting recruited. But I think once we both stepped on campus, I think those recruiting stories kind of fade out." 

Michigan Defensive Players to Watch vs. Ohio State

Maybe Day will be wrong when the clock strikes zero, but confidence is at an all-time high in the quarterback he chose to lead his program toward a national title. 

“You see him executing plays, you see it in practice, and then it carries over to the field. And that's what you want,” Day said of McCord. “Now ultimately, we got to take care of the football and win the game, that's the bottom line here.

"He's been in these environments before, so a lot of things in his favor going into the game, but now he's gotta go put it on the field.”