Ryan Day names Kyle McCord Ohio State football's starting quarterback

Ryan Day made official on Tuesday what had become apparent from Ohio State’s first two games.

The Buckeye coach said in his weekly press conference that junior Kyle McCord has won the Ohio State quarterback job over redshirt freshman Devin Brown.

"After reviewing the film, we have decided that Kyle is going to be the starter, to make that distinction," Day said as the Buckeyes prepare for a home game Saturday against Western Kentucky. "We still plan on playing Devin, but we feel Kyle has really stepped up and deserves to be the starter."

Day said the battle to be C.J. Stroud’s successor was close throughout the spring and training camp. Day named McCord the starter four days before the season-opener because of his consistency late in camp, though he said the competition had not ended and that he intended to give Brown meaningful snaps.

That superior consistency, both in practice and games, has continued, Day said.

"He's made some nice throws," he said. "He came out of the gates playing efficient football, and that's what we're looking for moving forward."

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McCord played eight of the first nine possessions against Indiana and five of the first six series against Youngstown State on Saturday.

McCord played decently against Indiana but turned it up a notch against Youngstown State. McCord looked poised and confident while completing 14 of 20 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns in OSU's 35-7 victory.

Brown was 7 of 13 for 101 yards, including a few inaccurate throws. Day said after the game he thought Brown looked “a little anxious” when he entered the game before settling down.

Day said that by the conclusion of Saturday's game he believed McCord deserved to be considered the full-fledged starter, but he wanted to rewatch the game before announcing it.

"I think he was much more poised in this game than the first one," Day said. "I think that's natural."

Brown said after the game that the quarterbacks had continued splitting first-team reps in practice. That will change now that McCord is officially the starter.

Day said he believes that McCord will now have more "peace of mind" knowing that he has secured the job.

"And I think it's good for the team to have that distinction, to know that Kyle right now is the starter," Day said.

Day informed the quarterbacks of his decision Tuesday morning.

"Kyle is not someone who shows a ton of emotion all the time," Day said. "He's excited, but it wasn't exactly jumping on the table. I think it was more of a confirmation. I think he felt the time was right, and he was right about that."

With a showdown looming at Notre Dame next week, the quarterback issue is one Day can take off his to-do list.

"I guess it's one less thing," he said. "Still have a lot of other things to worry about. But it's played itself out."

Day said Brown handled the news "great."

"Devin's a great competitor," he said. "He wants it really bad. He knows he's one play away. He's going to get back to work this week and get better in the areas he needs to improve.

"It's just overall consistency for him. He hasn't played a lot, so we're going to try to get him more and more experience, and hopefully the next time he gets out there, he's a little more poised and has a feel for the game because the talent is certainly there."

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Brown played in only two games last year without throwing a pass. McCord was Stroud’s primary backup the past two seasons. He started one game as a freshman against Akron when Stroud rested a shoulder injury.

Ohio State football: While QB situation nears resolution, offensive line still a concern

McCord was a five-star prospect from St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, where he was teammates with star OSU receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. His first two touchdown passes on Saturday were 71- and 39-yard touchdowns to Harrison.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ryan Day names Kyle McCord Ohio State football's starting quarterback