Will Howard is Ohio State's starting quarterback in large part because last year's starter, Kyle McCord, entered the transfer portal and now plays for Syracuse.

Ohio State football: How Will Howard navigated a long, painful road to become Buckeyes' quarterback

McCord was 11-1 as a starter at Ohio State but wanted to be at a school that would guarantee him a starting job.

How did Howard's Week 2 game compare with McCord's?

Ohio State's Will Howard vs. Syracuse's Kyle McCord

Kyle McCord continued to shine Saturday afternoon.

In the Orange's 31-28 home win against No. 23 Georgia Tech, McCord posted a career-high 381 passing yards, completing 32 of 46 passes and four touchdowns.

McCord added 10 yards on three rushes.

McCord threw three of his four touchdown passes in the first half against the Yellow Jackets, connecting with Trevor Pena on two 11-yard touchdowns and Oronde Gadsden II on a 20-yard score. He added a 17-yard touchdown pass to Gadsden in the fourth quarter.

Ohio State football: Why did Kyle McCord transfer to Syracuse? QB explains portal move to Orange

In Ohio State's win over Western Michigan on Saturday, Howard completed 18 of 26 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown before exiting the blowout early in the third quarter. He also ran for a 6-yard score.

McCord's season's stats:

59 for 85, 735 yards, 8 TDs, 1 Int; 8 carries, 24 yards.

Howard's season stats:

35 for 54, 520 yards, 4 TDs, 0 int; 5 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD.

Ohio State's Will Howard vs. Oregon's Dillon Gabriel

Dillon Gabriel is a Heisman favorite, and before the season he acknowledged that he talked with Ohio State coach Ryan Day after entering the transfer portal.

The problem for the Buckeyes was that Gabriel wanted to decide quickly, and Ohio State wasn't prepared to make an immediate decision. McCord had entered the portal, and the Buckeyes wanted to see how Devin Brown played in the Cotton Bowl before deciding whether to add a prominent transfer quarterback.

Howard was willing to wait after leaving Kansas State. Gabriel was not. He had transferred from Central Florida to Oklahoma earlier in his career and had no desire for a prolonged process. So he chose Oregon.

In a 37-34 win over Boise State, Gabriel completed 18 of 21 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 11 carries for minus-15 yards and a touchdown.

Gabriel's season's stats:

59 for 70, 623 yards, 4 TDs, 0 Int; 14 carries, -38 yards, 1 TD.

Howard's season stats:

35 for 54, 520 yards, 4 TDs, 0 int; 5 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD.

Ohio State's Will Howard vs. Kansas State's Avery Johnson

In August, Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire told ESPN that Howard left Kansas State because Avery Johnson was the coaches' pick to be this year's starting quarterback.

In Saturday's 34-27 win over Tulane, Johnson completed 15 of 23 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed eight times for 40 yards.

Johnson's season's stats:

29 for 44, 334 yards, 4 TDs, 1 Int; 11 carries, 83 yards.

Howard's season stats:

35 for 54, 520 yards, 4 TDs, 0 int; 5 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Kyle McCord vs. Will Howard: Which QB had the better Week 2?