College Football

Ohio State's QB race: Spring game leads to more questions than answers

Published Apr. 15, 2023 6:44 p.m. ET

College Football and College Basketball Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Midway through the third quarter of Ohio State's spring football game, quarterback Kyle McCord handed the ball to a tailback who donned a baseball cap, long pants and a Scarlet No. 45 jersey. The runner veered around the right side of the offensive formation and scampered down the sideline.

The unexpected cameo from Buckeye legend and two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin resulted in a 25-yard score that, in a reflection of how relaxed the second half of Saturday's game really was, counted toward the final tally of 40-31 in a modified scoring format won by the Gray team comprised of Ohio State's defense. To that point, Griffin's faux touchdown was the only drive led by McCord that finished with the ball in the end zone.

"That was fun watching him there," head coach Ryan Day said. "I think next year is the 50th anniversary of his first Heisman, so we wanted to make sure he came back for that one. The offense needed a little help at that point, too, right around the 30-yard line. So we felt like we called into the bullpen and pulled in 45."

Day was correct in saying the offense needed the help on an afternoon many expected to be a high-profile duel between McCord and fellow quarterback Devin Brown, the two players vying to replace two-time Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud, who declared for the NFL Draft. But a minor injury to Brown's throwing hand prevented him from playing before a crowd of 75,122 at Ohio Stadium, and McCord was hampered by the same collection of problems that have complicated the transition from one of the school's all-time great passers to whomever replaces him come September: inconsistent decision-making, a slow-developing offensive line and injuries to several key skill players who have missed most, if not all, of the Buckeyes' allotted 15 practices this spring.

McCord completed 18 of his 34 passes for 184 yards and one touchdown while taking most of his reps with the first-string offense. He avoided turning the ball over but was "sacked" at least three times on a day when quarterbacks weren't allowed to be hit. And though the game itself is nothing more than a data point in Day's eventual selection of a starting quarterback, the relative inefficiency of Ohio State's offense in the final practice before fall camp underscored how much room there is for growth.

"I think what you saw in the game was similar to what you've seen in practice," Day said. "Some good things, some things that you'd like to see a little bit better."

The tenor of Ohio State's quarterback competition changed earlier this week, on Wednesday morning, when Day told reporters Brown underwent a procedure on his throwing hand and would miss the remaining spring practices. That the injury wouldn't preclude Brown from having "a full summer" of workouts, as Day described it, offered good news for the Buckeyes in the long run, even if it dampened the primary storyline for Saturday's public exhibition.

Though he was unable to play, Brown joined his teammates on the field with his black No. 33 jersey stretched over a sweatshirt. He watched as McCord, who many believe is the odds-on favorite to win the quarterback competition, was handed the keys to the starting offense. Meanwhile, Oregon State transfer Tristan Gebbia completed 14 of 24 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown with the reserves. Brown accompanied McCord to the post-game news conference with the ring and pinky fingers on his right hand taped together.

"Nothing crazy," Brown said. "Be back in four weeks or so. It's definitely hard knowing I could have been playing out there, I mean, we were working for it all spring. But at the end of the day, I was just happy to be able to cheer on my guys and do what I could."

The task of evaluating McCord was muddied by the personnel issues surrounding him in Saturday's game. Starting running back TreVeyon Henderson was unavailable as he continues his recovery from torn ligaments and a broken bone in his foot. Henderson's primary backup, Miyan Williams, was only cleared to participate in the first few drives during which the offensive players weren't tackled to the ground. And in the receiving corps, where Marvin Harrison Jr. played sparingly before the coaching staff swathed him in bubble wrap, the following wideouts were sidelined by injuries: Emeka Egbuka (1,151 yards and 10 TDs last season), Julian Fleming (533 yards, six TDs last season) and Xavier Johnson (151 yards, two TDs last season).

There were additional problems in the trenches, though any breakdowns along the offensive line can't be excused by injuries. How the Buckeyes will replace starting tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones, both of whom could be first-round picks in this month's NFL Draft, has been the most popular line of questioning directed at Day aside from the quarterback battle. Josh Fryar, a senior and the presumptive starter at left tackle, was beaten for sacks on consecutive plays by star edge rusher JT Tuimoloau on Saturday despite the handfuls of jersey he grabbed each time. Consistent leakage on the interior, where defensive tackles Mike Hall Jr. and Tyleik Williams seemed to ravage whichever center Ohio State tried, forced McCord to scramble and attempt lower-percentage throws into tighter windows.

"Inconsistent," Day said of the offensive line play. "I thought there were some good things, but we need more consistency there. The good news is on defense we're getting into the backfield and creating confusion, chaos. Good to see the defense make some plays."

Still, there were moments when McCord flashed the level of talent that made him a five-star recruit and the sixth-ranked quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class, the kind of skill set that allowed him to throw for 319 yards and two touchdowns in the only start of his collegiate career against Akron as a true freshman. He completed a pair of sideline passes to Harrison — one on the left, another on the right — that fit beautifully between defenders and foreshadowed the type of connection Ohio State is hoping to see later this fall. He sidestepped any concerns about mobility by sidestepping the defenders that always seemed to be crashing around his feet. His 37-yard touchdown pass to freshman Carnell Tate to begin the fourth quarter was the best throw by any quarterback all day.

But nothing McCord did or didn't do prompted Day to finalize the competition by naming a starter in his postgame news conference. Day had hoped one of the quarterbacks would emerge by the end of spring, that either McCord or Brown would separate from the other and seize a position vacated by Stroud. The spring game confirmed neither player has reached that level.

"Even though there's not a winner of the job yet," McCord said, "I think that benefits both of us, honestly. I think it's going to push both of us going into fall camp. And, you know, there's still a lot of time until the season, so I think just keeping each other hungry. I think that's definitely the wise thing to do at this point."

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.

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