Ohio State Buckeyes QB Kyle McCord Finally ‘Built’ For Michigan Matchup.
Kyle McCord’s big break is about to happen.
He also appears prepared for it.
While C.J. Stroud kept things interesting in “The Game” against Michigan, McCord watched from the sidelines. He watched as the star, who is currently with the Houston Texans, tried his hardest to overcome the Wolverines and win the Big Ten.
Despite having inherited a two-game losing streak, McCord is eager to put an end to it, just as he is eager to play Iowa in a Saturday game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for a chance to win the trophy and more.
Furthermore, McCord has changed from the beginning of the season. Here he stands, a polished passer ready to do business on Ann Arbor’s streets. Knowing the weight of expectation on his shoulders going into Michigan Stadium, that in and of itself poses its own set of difficulties.
“To be honest, I think the most important thing is just that level of confidence — believing in myself and my teammates around me,” McCord remarked after the Buckeyes’ home finale victory over Minnesota, 37-3. Going back and viewing that first-week film, in my opinion, was the most significant factor—just a hint of doubt. You can practise as much as you like, but nothing compares to these game reps, in my opinion.
At Ohio Stadium on Saturday, McCord threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns, continuing on his path to stardom. More precisely, his completion rate keeps getting better.
McCord has found the end zone once and completed at least 62.5 percent of his throws since Week 8. He made 20 of his 30 throws on Saturday against the Golden Gophers, completing 66.7 percent of them.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day said, “You can see him when he’s on rhythm and making some big-time reads on the field.” He threw some excellent balls today, in my opinion. You can see when he plays situational football and how in sync his feet are. He has the skill, and we have the means.”
Given his track record of helping Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) secure victories away from Columbus, McCord won’t be concerned about road tests. Against Notre Dame in Week 4, McCord faced his toughest test when he needed to drive the Buckeyes 65 yards in 75 seconds to win 17–14.
Earlier this month, McCord also turned around after a clumsy first half, scoring three touchdowns against Rutgers. And on his way to a 24-10 victory over Wisconsin, McCord threw two more touchdown passes.
The road and home splits have still been sharply contrasted. In conference play at home, McCord has averaged 9.22 yards per attempt while completing 68% of his throws.
