AJ Hawk says Kyle McCord’s game-winning drive provided ‘a lot of confidence’ in OSU

AJ Hawk knows all about the pressures of playing for Ohio State. The former linebacker and star for the Buckeyes addressed the late win from Saturday night and how it boosted his impression of quarterback Kyle McCord.

“Got the moxie, I like the cut of his jib,” Hawk said on The Pat McAfee Show. “That last drive, man. He had multiple balls when he’s throwing before his receiver is even out of his break, he’s in tight little windows. It was very impressive.”

“Never felt like the moment was too big for him,” said McAfee. “Felt like his introduction to big-time ball.”

As for the rest of the season, Hawk went on to say the finish to that game provided him with confidence this Ohio State team can compete for a national title once again. It was also a performance for McCord to realize he can play in those environments.

“I think so, I think that last drive and how they finished it off gave everyone a lot of hope, a lot of optimism, a lot of confidence in this team,” admitted Hawk. “No question, up until that last drive I was like ‘Alright, I know (McCord) can sling it, can he do it when it truly matters?’ And then that drive, I felt for him — jut for him — it needed to solidify okay yeah I can do this, this is what I was born to do.”

Here’s the clip from The Pat McAfee (some comments NSFW):

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.