Syracuse Football: Jim Boeheim just being Jim - pokes Ohio State, has Kyle McCord's back

Jim Boeheim is happy that Kyle McCord is leading the Syracuse football charge in the upcoming 2024 season.

The legendary former Syracuse basketball head coach, a Hall of Famer who always speaks his mind, took a fun jab at McCord's former school earlier this week as the ACC Network had some fabulous programming on Syracuse football, its first-year head coach Fran Brown, and the Orange's prospects in the 2024 term.

According to various media reports, Boeheim discussed how Brown has energized the team, and JB thinks that Syracuse football can have a special upcoming season, even if he wants to temper expectations a tad.

Boeheim also touched on McCord, a four-star transfer from Ohio State who will spend his senior year on the Hill after leading the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record during the 2023 regular season. McCord, a former five-star prep recruit, transferred to the 'Cuse, where he has long-time relationships with several Orange coaches, including Brown.

When talking about McCord, his decision to transfer, and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day seemingly being non-committal about if McCord would have been the Buckeyes' starting signal-caller in 2024, Boeheim said in part, "He’s certainly good enough for us" at the 'Cuse.

Jim just being Jim. And I love it.

Senior quarterback Kyle McCord is primed and ready to lead Syracuse football, his coaches say.

Ahead of the upcoming season, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCord is definitely garnering a sizable amount of attention from Atlantic Coast Conference and national pundits. With Ohio State last year, when the Buckeyes only fell in the regular season to eventual national champion Michigan, he completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,170 yards and 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions.

Understandably, some experts think that the 'Cuse, given its talented roster and favorable schedule (at least on paper), can surprise folks in the 2024 season, but with a first-year head coach, a lot of new assistants, and a sizable roster overhaul in the off-season, Syracuse football is also forecast as a middle-of-the-pack group in the projected ACC standings.

Still, McCord is viewed by analysts and national writers as one of the better quarterbacks both in the ACC and around the country before 2024 gets underway. He's landed on a couple of preseason watch lists for national awards, and McCord will have an abundance of guys to target with his throws, whether at tight end, wide receiver or running back.

When he transferred to the Orange, some so-called experts labeled it a head-scratching move, and those pundits didn't do their homework. McCord, a Mount Laurel, N.J., native, has deep ties to the 'Cuse staff, and Syracuse football coaches say he has come in, worked his tail off, and demonstrated strong leadership skills.

Candidly, I can't wait for the 2024 season to commence, and one reason why is I'm tired of all the talk from commentators about McCord, his situation at Ohio State, and his decision to transfer to Syracuse football. What happened with the Buckeyes is old news, and I just want to focus on what Kyle and his teammates in Central New York are going to do on the field starting later this month.