McCord replaces Stroud as Ohio State starter
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Tom VanHaaren, ESPN Staff Writer
After a lengthy quarterback battle this offseason, Ohio State coach Ryan Day announced Kyle McCord as the starting quarterback for the first game of the season against Indiana.
McCord had been in a battle with Devin Brown as the team is looking to replace last season’s starter, C.J. Stroud, who was the No. 2 selection in the NFL draft. Day had not named a starter and said as recently as last week that the players were still being evaluated.
“I think that’s significant that we have two guys that we feel confident playing in the game,” Day said. “This is something that’s a little unchartered territory for me, but you just go on what you see every day in practice. I think that Kyle’s consistency the last couple of weeks has allowed him to be the starter.”
Day said McCord deserves to be the starter, but Brown’s play throughout the offseason will give him the opportunity to see the field as well. The biggest challenge, according to Day, will be find a rhythm and flow for each quarterback and will go off of how the preparation for the week goes to determine playing time for both.
Day had said the battle had gone back and forth with Brown making a big push as of late, but he saw McCord step up and continue to play consistently in practice. Now, despite being named the starter, McCord needs to show Day the same consistency during the season.
“I think the first thing is you just have to go watch them play in the game, and it’s one thing in practice, you see certain things but to get tackled and to move the team down the field,” Day said. “Finish off drives, do well on third down, do well in the red zone. That’s going to continue to play itself out during the season and there’s been teams that have done this similar before.”
Ultimately the goal is to win a championship, and Day says how their story plays out will be written by each quarterback. With little experience for either signal-caller, Day says they both need each other right now and that they’ll continue to ride the roller coaster together throughout the season.
“I just don’t have a crystal ball on this and I’m not sure how it is going to shake out,” Day said. “But, I think what we’re doing is fair based on what we see in this preseason.”
Day originally said he’d like to see a sizable gap in play between his quarterbacks, but he described McCord’s play as good enough to earn the starting job. He believes the more games they play this season, the more the coaches will see in terms of strengths, rhythm and chemistry, along with results.
However, the position plays out, with McCord hanging on to the starting job or Brown eventually taking over, Day seems confident in both quarterbacks. He points to the Alabama team with Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts as teams that have navigated this situation before and believes his team will figure it out as well.
“Now, it’s time to go play in games, though, and we certainly have seen enough in practice to believe that both guys can perform in a game,” Day said. “Now it’s time to go put it on the field and when you’re in the game, you really get an idea of what is going on. In practice, you try to give controlled setting and you try to make them as game like as possible, but again, now it’s time to go play.”
Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement after playing 13 NHL seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Johnson called it a career in a lengthy message posted on social media Monday. Johnson had battled injuries in recent years and is set to turn 35 on July 29.
“As a short kid from a small town, I saw my chances of playing in the NHL as very slim,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “But my family — my parents, Ken and Debbie, and my grandparents — believed in me when doubt clouded my mind. Their unwavering faith turned that dream into reality.”
Listed at 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, Johnson won at just about ever level, capturing the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships in 2008 with his hometown Spokane Chiefs and the Calder Cup championship with Norfolk of the American Hockey League in 2012.
The NHL brought more success, as he skated in 863 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in the league in 2013, putting up 498 points. Johnson was part of the Lightning’s core when they reached the final in 2015 and helped them hoist the Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21.
Johnson finished with Chicago, playing three seasons with the Blackhawks, and Boston, signing with the Bruins early last season following his training camp tryout.
“After a lifetime devoted to hockey, I’m ready for what’s next,” Johnson said. “This moment is bittersweet, but I leave the game with no regrets.”
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth re-signed center Jack McBain to a five-year contract worth $21.25 million on Monday.
McBain will count $4.25 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season, which was announced a little more than 24 hours since the team elected salary arbitration with the restricted free agent forward.
“He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future.”
McBain, 25, is coming off setting a career high with 27 points and playing all 82 games. He was one of six players to skate in every game of the organization’s first season in Salt Lake City.
“Jack’s versatility as a player, his care for his teammates and his demonstrated willingness to do whatever it takes to win, are all critical elements to our future team success,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said.
McBain has 82 points in 241 games with the franchise, which moved to Utah from Arizona. Since debuting in April 2022, he ranks third in the league with 832 hits.
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