Scarlet Sunrise: Any doubts about Kyle McCord as Buckeyes QB1 were dispelled in South Bend

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Any doubts about Kyle McCord as Buckeyes QB1 were dispelled in South Bend

Kyle McCord made just his fifth career start last weekend at Note Dame. He was up against a Fighting Irish team led by sixth-year veteran and Heisman Trophy candidate Sam Hartman, who was making his 50th career start.

But it was McCord, not Hartman, who played hero in South Bend.

McCord was far from perfect in the 17-14 win, but he made critical throws in the clutch, completing 11-of-15 passes on third and fourth down. That included conversions on 3rd-and-10, 4th-and-7 and 3rd-and-19 during the Buckeyes’ 15-play, 65-yard, game-winning drive that spanned 1:25.

That final series culminated in Ohio State running back Chip Trayanum pushing his way into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with one second remaining.

Trayanum was asked postgame about McCord: If there were any remaining doubts about McCord as the Buckeyes’ QB1, were they answered in Notre Dame Stadium?

“Hell yeah, they was answered tonight,” Trayanum said. “Kyle’s a dog. And Kyle knows the whole team rallies around him, like that’s my guy.

“We got him.”

McCord has guided Ohio State to a 4-0 start entering the Buckeyes’ off week. The junior officially won the starting job under center after an impressive Week 2 performance against Youngstown State. After backing up C.J. Stroud for two years, McCord was the expected replacement. But McCord found himself in a real battle with redshirt freshman Devin Brown, another former five-star prospect, this offseason.

That competition dragged into the regular season before McCord created enough separation to earn the title of QB1. What helped him secure the role was his poise under pressure.

That showed up at Notre Dame last weekend.

“To win the game in the two-minute drill,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said, “that’s what great quarterbacks do. And for his first top-10 road game, to be put in that situation and come through, says a lot about his future.”

Lou Holtz responds to Ryan Day: ‘I honestly felt Notre Dame was the better football team’

Legendary Notre Dame head coach and former ESPN college football analyst Lou Holtz isn’t backing down from his comments about Ryan Day-coached Ohio State teams.

While the Hall of Fame coach told Outkick’s Dan Dakich that he called Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman to apologize for giving Day and Ohio State motivation, he didn’t take back anything he said last week about the toughness — or lack thereof — from Day’s Buckeyes.

“I called Coach Freeman yesterday and I apologized because I put him in a bad position,” Holtz told Dakich. “I don’t feel bad about saying it because I believe it. And Notre Dame was the better football team. Three times, Ohio State had a fourth and 1 and ran the ball and couldn’t make it. Other than the one long run, they averaged less than 2 yards per carry. … When I say something, I can’t control the outcome of the game. That’s unfair to coach Freeman.”

For more on the dramatic back and forth between Holtz and Day, including Holtz’s most recent comments, head on over here.

Andy’s Analytics: Breaking down the numbers from Ohio State-Notre Dame

Lettermen Row dove into the numbers from Ohio State-Notre Dame, in addition to Buckeyes statistical trends that have emerged through four weeks of play.

Among other things, beat writer Andy Backstrom highlighted quarterback Kyle McCord’s success on third and fourth down, Ohio State’s continued struggles in short-yardage situations and third down defense, plus tight end Cade Stover’s excellent start to the year.

Check out the breakdown here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Maryland: 10 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 59 days

Are you subscribed yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.