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Syracuse, N.Y. — Kyle McCord was prepared. As always.
Wearing eye-black and the afterglow of a win over the No. 6 team in the country, McCord anticipated the question immediately when a reporter hinted that he might have had an interest in a game that took place outside the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday.
McCord led Syracuse to a 42-38 win over No. 6 Miami in Syracuse. His old school, No. 2 Ohio State, fell to rival Michigan, 13-10.
McCord grinned. He looked down. He appeared to stifle a laugh. His teammates chuckled beside him.
“Everything comes full circle,” McCord said, all that he would offer on the subject.
As he has all year, McCord remained restrained when talking about the Buckeyes. He has allowed his play to do the talking.
Still, McCord appeared aware of the result, given his old team had played Michigan with the same result — and far less offense and passing success — that had marked the beginning of the end for McCord at Ohio State last season.
McCord’s full-circle experience included a win on Saturday and an NCAA passing title. The quarterback has lost just six games as a starting quarterback since he took over the position as a high school sophomore.
McCord was trusted by high school coaches to run their program. He has found the same trust at Syracuse.
McCord rewarded it this season by throwing for more yards than any other quarterback in the country and leading Syracuse to just its second season with nine regular-season wins since 2001.
On Saturday, he faced his closest competition in the passing race head-to-head.
McCord came in with a 141-yard lead over Cam Ward. He out-threw him, 380-349.
He outplayed him too, throwing three touchdown passes and leading the Orange to just its second win over a top-10 opponent in 22 seasons. After it was over, Syracuse fans rushed the field, surrounding McCord at midfield and chanting his name.
McCord finished No. 1 in the country in passing yards with 4,326 yards. Ward, projected as a first-round pick in the NFL draft, finished second with 4,123 yards. McCord threw for more than 300 yards in every game except for one.
Ohio State, meanwhile, completed its one-year circle in which it lost to rival Michigan in both meetings. McCord’s replacement at Ohio State, transfer Will Howard, threw for 175 yards, two interceptions and just one touchdown.
McCord threw for 271 yards against Michigan last year, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. With McCord under center, Ohio State had scored 24 points.
While neither side has shared the details of the conversations that led to the break-up, McCord wound up leaving shortly after the loss to Michigan, departing Ohio State after head coach Ryan Day wouldn’t say whether McCord would start the team’s bowl game or enter the following season as its starter.
The Buckeyes are still almost certainly destined for the College Football Playoff without McCord, but the appearance comes with a heavy price tag for the Buckeyes not to be considered the favorite and without an elite quarterback. Ohio State’s roster this year reportedly cost boosters $20 million.
In Syracuse, meanwhile, McCord and Brown have certainly done more with less, and Ohio State has to be questioning whether it should have done more to make McCord feel welcome.
“I told him I needed him, to be honest,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “I thought Kyle was the best quarterback in the country at the time. Right now, proving that he is the best quarterback in the country. I said, Kyle, I need you. And you need someone who believes in you.”
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