CLEVELAND, Ohio — C.J. Stroud read defenses with robotic precision. Justin Fields, who ran as fast as his receivers, was a freak athlete. So when Kyle McCord drops back to pass as Ohio State’s quarterback, he stands out because he’s human. The question that may define the Buckeyes’ season (and McCord’s legacy) is how human he’s allowed to be. Since Ryan Day joined the program in 2017, OSU has stacked wins on the shoulders of elite passers. J.T. Barrett broke 39 school and conference records. Stroud, Fields and Dwayne Haskins became first-round draft picks. And, during every season they played under Day, all of them ranked top-20 nationally in expected points per play (EPA), which measures the value a player contributes over a season. McCord ranks 26th through nine weeks this season, which is neither bad nor a historical outlier among College Football Playoff champions. Since the playoff format began…
Continue Reading: How well does Kyle McCord have to play to lead Ohio State football to a national championship?
