COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Coach Ryan Day announced Kyle McCord will be the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback moving forward. OSU is preparing for Saturday’s home game against Western Kentucky at 4:00 p.m.

Ohio State is coming off a 35-7 win over Youngstown State in which McCord showed progress in his second game this season as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback. McCord went 14-of-20 passing for 258 yards and three touchdowns. Day said McCord ‘deserves’ to be OSU’s starting QB.

“First off it gives Kyle peace of mind knowing that he’s the starter and deserves that opportunity,” Day said. “He’ll get more of the reps [with the ones] than he has the last couple of week and I think its good for the team to know Kyle is the starter.”

You can watch his news conference in the player above.

All but five of those yards came in the first half as McCord played one series in the second half. Two of those touchdowns went to Marvin Harrison Jr. who snagged seven catches for 160 yards, all in the first half.

Backup quarterback Devin Brown played three series and had an up-and-down game, throwing for 101 yards on seven completions.

On offense, Day said Ohio State needs to be better on third-down conversions. The Buckeyes are 7-for-24 on third down so far this season and OSU expects to be at least 60% successful.

Ohio State’s defense surrendered a touchdown on the Penguins’ opening drive but held strong the rest of the way. Denzel Burke recorded an interception in the end zone, the first pick by an Ohio State cornerback since 2021.

The Buckeyes’ defense has yet to record a sack, but Day said they’ll get a better idea how OSU gets pressure against a Western Kentucky team that throws often. The Hilltoppers ranks 12th in the nation in passing yards per game.