Kyle McCord went a little bit deeper than either head coach did when asked about respect for the opposition for Saturday’s rivalry showdown. In fact, Ohio State’s quarterback had some positive things to say about Michigan.

During Tuesday’s media session, McCord said he certainly has respect for the Wolverines as a team that is 11-0 with a strong track record over the past few seasons. McCord also believes that respect level flows both ways in The Game.

“I respect them. It’s hard to stand up here and say I don’t respect a team who is 11-0 and who has done some really good things in the past few years,” said McCord. “They’re a really good team, so there’s definitely a respect level there. I think we know they’re a good team and vice versa, so I think there’s definitely a respect level there.”

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That comment from McCord is a little more on target than either Ryan Day or Jim Harbaugh gave at their weekly press conferences. Both head coaches were asked about a mutual respect between the two leaders, but both men sidestepped the question in their respective responses.

On Saturday, McCord will start his first edition of The Game, and he is trying to get Ohio State’s first win in the series since 2019. That victory belonged to starting QB Justin Fields with CJ Stroud going 0-2 against Michigan from 2021-22.