Ohio State QB Kyle McCord’s girlfriend, Sophia, can't stop dancing after Buckeyes beat Notre Dame in a 17-14 encounter

The Ohio State Buckeyes against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish ended up being a Kyle McCord affair on Saturday even though the gridiron was packed with Heisman Trophy-chasing candidates Marvin Harrison Jr. and Sam Hartman.

No. 9 Notre Dame faced No. 6 Ohio State in the marquee clash of Week 4, and it turned out to be a defensive slog that wasn't decided until the last possible minute.

After the Buckeyes' narrow 17-14 win on Saturday, McCord's girlfriend, Sophia, posted a video on her stories celebrating the win wildly in her living room surrounded by loved ones.

The coming of age of Kyle McCord

After being C.J. Stroud's backup for two seasons, Kyle McCord still had to battle with Devin Brown for the starting quarterback role, and after a memorable performance against Youngstown State, he won the job.

There was a sense that McCord needed a big test to confirm his credentials for a team considered good enough to contend for the national championship, and the clash against the Fighting Irish provided the best opportunity.

Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson had a feeling that McCord was finally feeling comfortable in his position last month.

“The last week of camp, I just noticed something different about him, man,” Henderson said. “He came in more confident, more relaxed. I just saw that grow each and every week. He’s getting more comfortable in leading this offense."

Kyle McCord dragged the Ohio Buckeyes to victory, picking up three conversions on third and fourth down on the game-winning drive. He finished 21-for-37 for 240 yards with no interceptions.

Running back DeaMonte Trayanum scored the touchdown, but McCord had done all the work.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day was full of praise for his quarterback.

"I thought he made some nice throws on first and second down, but he did his best ball on third down today," Day said. "The bottom line is, he competed and won a game like this and that's the start."

After the final whistle, McCord was still hyped.

"Down four points with a chance to go win," McCord said. "Historic stadium, great environment against a great defense. You can't draw it up any better than that, and to come away with a win, like I said, it wasn't perfect so a lot to grow on. But it feels really, really good."

Most notably, McCord outshone Notre Dame quarterback and Heisman candidate Sam Hartman, who finished 17-for-25 for 175 yards. This might have been the coming-of-age game for McCord.