After a falling out at Ohio State, McCord transferred to Syracuse, where he shined. The Orange took down the then-top-10 Miami Hurricanes in the last week of the season, topping off a terrific season for the signal-caller.

Because after losing to Michigan in 2022, OSU coach Ryan Day, again, shifted more toward attempting to be a more physical, downhill running team. That meant sacrificing the passing game. And Kyle McCord wasn’t quite the dynamic quarterback Stroud was.

Former Ohio State QB Kyle McCord summed up his thoughts on the Buckeyes' loss to Michigan, and Syracuse's upset of Miami, with four words:

Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord has fired a shot at his former team after its loss to the Michigan Wolverines.

One year after Ohio State told McCord it couldn’t guarantee him a starting role in 2024 — which he took to mean, “hit the portal” — the Buckeyes lost a fourth straight game to Michigan with their third different starting quarterback during this losing streak and their lowest point total in The Game since 1996 (six years before McCord was born).

Michigan's upset win over Ohio State puts Penn State in the Big Ten Championship and squanders the Buckeyes' potential shot at a first-round playoff bye. "Everything comes full circle," McCord said, choosing a short statement for his only words on the Buckeyes' loss.

Following Ohio State's 30-24 loss at Michigan in 2023, the Buckeye fanbase placed the majority of the blame on first-year starting quarterback Kyle McCord. It's pretty clear OSU head coach Ryan Day didn't think McCord was the right QB in Columbus either, as McCord quickly entered the transfer portal after the season, likely at Day's recommendation.