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of whom were from the defensive side of the ball. However, on Monday morning, by far the biggest bombshell for Ohio State dropped,
with QB Kyle McCord reportedly being the latest Buckeye to enter his name into the portal and leave the program. The news comes just hours after Ohio State coach Ryan Day dodged questions about McCord starting the Buckeyes Cotton Bowl matchup vs. Missouri.
“I’m not going to really get into all that right now, and I don’t think I’m there yet,” Day said Sunday. “But we’ll just kind of see how practice goes.” McCord, who started every game for the Buckeyes this season, became a subject of criticism for the fan base down the stretch, in part due to his turnover issues, with the junior throwing five of his six total interceptions for the season over his last five games. However, the two biggest picks of the season played in the most important game, with McCord tossing a pair of critical interceptions in the Buckeyes 30-24 loss to the Wolverines.
McCord also faced backlash for his comments about the Michigan game, some of which came from former Buckeyes players. “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 after the loss. ”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 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.”
With all that said, he ranked 14th in the country in QB rating while completing 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six picks. He also led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 regular season and a No. 7 finish in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Without McCord, the Buckeyes could search for help at the position via the portal or could turn to Lincoln Kienholz, Devin Brown, or incoming freshman Air Noland.
