A Columbus area native who played in four Ohio State victories over Michigan from 2012-2015, there are few people more qualified than Joshua Perry to lend insight into the Buckeyes’ approach to their annual rivalry game.
And yet when the NBC Sports/Bally Sports analyst weighed in on Ohio State’s third consecutive loss to the Wolverines, he received pushback from one local radio host.
Appearing on Monday’s episode of The Rally, Perry addressed comments that had been made by each of the Buckeyes’ last two starting quarterbacks regarding the Michigan rivalry. In doing so, the 2014 national champion made it clear that he thought the statements made by C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord were reflective of a larger issue in the Ohio State program regarding the rivalry.
“I do not want to hear another quarterback — C.J. Stroud said it, Kyle McCord said it — that says, ‘It’s just another game,'” Perry said. “It’s not. So stop saying that.”
"I do not want to hear another quarterback…that says it's just another game. It's not. So stop saying it."
Former Ohio State Linebacker @RIP_JEP on what happened this weekend against Michigan. pic.twitter.com/tZOIqPJDpb
— The Rally (@TheRally) November 28, 2023
Following the Buckeyes’ loss to the Wolverines last season, Stroud told reporters, “I don’t think one game defines us.” Meanwhile, ahead of Ohio State’s loss in Ann Arbor on Saturday, McCord told reporters, “Obviously, the the implications of this game are huge, but like I said earlier, at the end of the day, it’s just a football game.”
While Perry was obviously paraphrasing what Stroud and McCord had said, his point seemed to be pretty straightforward: that Ohio State is no longer emphasizing the importance of the Michigan rivalry in the same way it did under previous head coaches Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer. Unsurprisingly, Perry’s criticism ruffled some feathers in Columbus, with 610 WTVN sports anchor Matt McCoy taking to X (formerly Twitter) to accuse the former Buckeyes linebacker of taking Stroud and McCord’s comments out of context.
“This is really disappointing. Totally misrepresents what McCord & Stroud said. A lazy take,” McCoy wrote. “You’re welcome to your opinions & it’s ok to be disappointed & question strategies, but don’t be lazy and take a 2 second clip and cast judgement on the passion & mindset of these guys.”
This is really disappointing. Totally misrepresents what McCord & Stroud said. A lazy take. You’re welcome to your opinions & it’s ok to be disappointed & question strategies, but don’t be lazy and take a 2 second clip and cast judgement on the passion & mindset of these guys. https://t.co/3F0PrI0PN9
— Matt McCoy (@MattMcCoyRadio) November 28, 2023
Perry responded to McCoy’s post by breaking down what he specifically took issue with regarding both comments.
“‘The implications are huge, but it’s just a football game’ is not something I want to hear. I’m not trying to bury Kyle because I know he played his tail off, but the implications are huge because it’s different than any game,” Perry wrote of McCord, before adding regarding Stroud: “‘One game doesn’t define us’. Again, this is a game that defines careers and legacies. You know that I just don’t throw out lazy takes. Talking about this rivalry sounds different than talking about anything else.”
“The implications are huge, but it’s just a football game” is not something I want to hear. I’m not trying to bury Kyle because I know he played his tail off, but the implications are huge because it’s different than any game. https://t.co/8Ouew2ZaqC
— Joshua Perry (@RIP_JEP) November 28, 2023
CJ Stroud- “one game doesn’t define us”. Again, this is a game that defines careers and legacies. You know that I just don’t throw out lazy takes. Talking about this rivalry sounds different than talking about anything else. https://t.co/8Ouew2ZaqC
— Joshua Perry (@RIP_JEP) November 28, 2023
McCoy went on to throw shade at the former fourth-round pick — and other ex-Ohio State players — by accusing them of building their reputations in the rivalry by only beating bad Michigan teams.
“Gotta say this about many of the former players piling on the current players & Ryan Day. Congrats on your success against Michigan. You should be proud but here’s the dirty truth. Most of the success you had in The Game, came when Michigan sucked. They don’t suck anymore,” the radio host wrote.
Gotta say this about many of the former players piling on the current players & Ryan Day. Congrats on your success against Michigan. You should be proud but here’s the dirty truth. Most of the success you had in The Game, came when Michigan sucked. They don’t suck anymore. 1/2
— Matt McCoy (@MattMcCoyRadio) November 28, 2023
Having covered Perry personally during his college career — and maybe this is my own bias showing — I’m surprised that anyone, let alone someone who also covered him at Ohio State, would accuse his takes of being lazy. There’s a reason why the 29-year-old has already reached the national stage as an NBC Sports analyst, despite not having the credentials of being a former All-American or NFL star to fall back on.
Moreover, it’s refreshing to see a college football analyst not blindly defending his alma mater, and instead lending a voice to what ex-players like him actually feel about Ohio State’s three-game losing streak in a rivalry it had dominated for the better part of the previous two decades. McCoy’s criticism of Perry would have carried more weight had he actually explained what about Stroud and McCord’s comments were taken out of context — especially before the former linebacker beat him to the punch by elaborating on what he took issue with.
