After the 2023 season, former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback discussed the procedure that led to his admission into the transfer portal.
McCord attended Ohio State for three years of his collegiate career, however he only started one season for the Buckeyes. In the end, McCord decided to join the Syracuse Orange.
In a podcast, McCord stated that he chose to move in a different direction since the Ohio State staff was heading in the wrong direction.
McCord provided more justification for his choice in a January Columbus Dispatch piece.
On the podcast “The QB Room,” McCord stated, “At the end of the day, the top level of college football and then especially onto the pros, it’s a business.” Ultimately, Ohio State had to do what they believed to be in their best interests as a corporation. And I had to follow the same procedure.
The Ohio State personnel did not specifically instruct McCord to access the transfer portal, but their message was rather apparent. That would be a different story if McCord was a younger quarterback and the Buckeyes wanted to sign an experienced player through the transfer portal for a season.
McCord, on the other hand, was starting his final season. Finding a new quarterback while the current one is about to start their senior year is akin to informing him that he has little chance of playing a significant role in football for the remainder of his career.
Despite having quarterback play that many college football clubs would have grabbed in a heartbeat, McCord was unable to help the Ohio State Buckeyes win the game that matters most to them. They were unable to defeat their opponent, the Michigan Wolverines, under McCord’s leadership.
With just six interceptions during the season, McCord finished with 3,170 yards throwing and 24 touchdowns. He completed 65.8% of his passes with accuracy.
Before traveling to Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes were unbeaten thanks to McCord’s ability to get the ball to his playmakers while limiting mistakes. His cautious approach to the game was what ultimately led to the Buckeyes’ narrow defeat in the regular season finale.
McCord didn’t put up flashy stats early in the season, but he showed promise. Against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, he completed his third and 19 pass to set up the game-winning touchdown.
Even if the specifics of the incident that led to McCord accessing the transfer portals are currently merely a “he said, she said” situation, a lot of Ohio State supporters continue to criticize McCord because they think he fled the competition.
Although McCord would have been able to fight for the starting position, he is perhaps most aware of his chances of not being selected. Had he believed that the coaching staff was heading in a different direction, sticking with the Buckeyes would have destroyed whatever chance he had of playing in the NFL.
According to a number of Ohio State supporters, McCord chose to use the transfer portal because he needed assurance that he would start in 2024 and head coach Ryan Day was unable to provide it. Nevertheless, McCord is moving on to Syracuse in an attempt to maximize the remaining time he has left in his college career.