The new rules of the transfer portal have completely changed college football.
Most old-school people hate the portal. After all, the transfer portal and the new Wild Wild West world of NIL is what most likely drove Alabama head coach Nick Saban to his early retirement.
The most head-scratching transfer thus far has been quarterback Kyle McCord who shockingly left Ohio State for Syracuse.
Kyle McCord numbers vs Notre Dame
21/37
240 passing yardsA star was born? pic.twitter.com/8iAszGcbT5
— CFBLIVE247 (@CFBLive247_) September 24, 2023
Although there were rumblings that McCord didn’t always see eye-to-eye with Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, the fact that he transferred from Columbus after such a strong season raised plenty of eyebrows across the college football world.
McCord recently broke his silence on his surprising decision to transfer.
Appearing on The QB Room podcast, McCord labeled it a “business decision.”
“You guys know it just as well as I do, at the end of the day, the top level of college football and then especially onto the pros, it’s a business. At the end of the day, Ohio State had to make a business decision that they felt was best for them, and I had to do the same thing,” McCord said.
McCord went on to discuss his disappointment with the media coverage of his departure, particularly highlighting an incident involving a Columbus-based news outlet.
“I didn’t really say too much. After I left, I kind of put out my statement and kept the reasons close, kind of in my inner circle. And I’ve had news outlets hit me up. I got one – a news outlet from Columbus – that hit me up to do a story and I didn’t answer it,” he said.
“(They) hit my family up to do a story, they didn’t answer. Hit people up in my circle to do a story, nobody answered … And then the next day, you go online, and they have an article published of the five reasons I left,” McCord said.
Kyle McCord was NOT the problem. You handed a young man the QB job and he won every game except the Michigan game and you lost by 1TD. I don’t know what Day told him that he Transferred… your fan base treated him like shit. Advice not every QB is Fields or Stroud, wake up! 🤔🤐 pic.twitter.com/R3YJAcnDam
— Javier Hernandez (@JavierH24710340) December 30, 2023
“And you read them and it’s just a bunch of BS. They’re just kind of pulling at strings at that point. The narrative, people read that and they think that’s true and so they start believing in it and posting it, and it just kind of snowballs. And when you don’t really speak up about it, it is what it is,” he frustratingly said.
McCord left Ohio State prior to the Buckeyes disastrous 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl…
Kyle McCord right now#cottonbowl pic.twitter.com/sF3OhiZy8Z
— Shawn Crawford (@scraw28) December 30, 2023
“I’d like to know where Kyle McCord is right now because we suck fucking ass right now” pic.twitter.com/8iCtkepotI
— Timothy (@timothyJB) December 30, 2023
Having said all of this, you would be hard-pressed to find too many tears in Buckeye land.
Not only have they already moved on from McCord, but they also recently secured a commitment from star transfer quarterback Will Howard.
Howard left Kansas State and will finish his college career up in Columbus … Perhaps McCord caught early wind of this and that’s why he decided to jet to upstate New York.
With all due respect Kyle McCord can’t make this throw, it’d be a pick every time
Will Howard, welcome to Columbus pic.twitter.com/uebrYnGsox
— Rob (@Quintorris_) January 5, 2024
Will Howard clearing out Kyle McCord’s locker at Ohio State pic.twitter.com/47YvkCytJf
— CleWest (@erjmanlasvegas) January 5, 2024
What were your thoughts on McCord’s decision to transfer to Syracuse?
Do you think Howard is a definite upgrade over McCord?
Looking at the big picture, is Ryan Day the right man to lead the Buckeyes?
How hot is his seat getting in Columbus???