Kyle McCord agrees with blame on Marvin Harrison Jr.'s play-calling and the offensive line in the Ohio State-Michigan game, discussing interceptions.
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Kyle McCord puts blame on Marvin Harrison Jr., others for key interceptions vs TTUN
In a recent episode of Jon Gruden's QB Class, former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord analyzed his college film with Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden. The session focused on McCord's Ohio State tenure, particularly his performance in the 2023 Michigan game, revealing insights into his decision-making and leadership.
n a recent episode of Jon Gruden's QB Class, former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord reviewed his college film with Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden. While most of the episode focused on McCord's season at Syracuse after transferring from Ohio State, Gruden made sure to spend some time on McCord's year starting at Ohio State.
After some praise for McCord on winning the Notre Dame game and a shot or two at Notre Dame fans, the discussion turned to reviewing the film of the Ohio State vs. Michigan game in 2023. Gruden immediately wanted to review McCord's two interceptions in the game. Starting out, Gruden said, "Every interception has a story." As Gruden said the phrase, McCord met it with a smirk that would pretty much encapsulate where this would go.
Unsurprisingly, Gruden came to the defense of McCord on the first interception by disagreeing with the RPO (run-pass option) call and then telling McCord he made the right decision with how he read the linebacker on the play: "Reading that backside backer, and you're reading this guy ... And if he scrapes, isn't this slant going to be wide open?"
McCord was, of course, in agreement with Gruden, saying, "[He] should be."
Gruden then took it further to put more blame on Marvin Harrison Jr. by saying, "And what does the receiver have to do on all slants? He's got to cross, what?"
McCord agreed and answered Gruden with, "His face."
Gruden would then go on to further cement the blame on Harrison when he says, "Doesn't cross face. We got a problem. What'd Marv say on this? He should have crossed face?" Gruden uses the term "cross face," which is a release at the line of scrimmage wide receivers use to cause the defensive back to hesitate.
Essentially, instead of just running the straight slant route, they pause one step to fake going outside and then release inside. However, Gruden fails to acknowledge the inside leverage that Michigan cornerback Will Johnson had on Harrison and the timing of the play that doesn't allow for Harrison to cross face.
McCord would go on to answer Gruden with how Harrison responded, but not really defending his receiver or taking any blame. McCord said, "Yeah, I mean, I think that he was expecting maybe a little bit of a back shoulder throw, put it on his body. Miscommunication, and you know, it sucks."
Harrison's response was correct. With no time for a fancy release and Will Johnson already having inside leverage on the play, McCord should have read the defense pre-snap better and put the ball on Harrison's back shoulder. Johnson was known to be one of the most aggressive cornerbacks in college football, and he has been burned on plays like this. However, McCord played right into Johnson's hands.
But Gruden wasn't interested in putting any blame on McCord and even went as far as to say it was Harrison's mistake: "We're going to learn from every one of our little mistakes. Even if it was somebody else's mistake. I personally put that interception on Harrison. He's gotta, what?"
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It's a bold move by McCord to throw his former wide receiver from all the way back in high school under the bus publicly, giving zero credit to Harrison, who saved him time and time again. But it'll be Harrison who gets the last laugh as he was the fourth overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in last year's NFL draft.
Meanwhile, McCord is currently projected to be a Day 3 pick and the eighth quarterback drafted by the NFL Draft consensus. That's one spot lower than former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers and two spots lower than national championship Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.
