The Aporia · JJ McCarthy opting not to wear eyeblack in Giants win over Texans likely linked to his hatred for Ohio State

JJ McCarthy, quarterback for the New York Giants, led his team to an overtime victory over the Houston Texans without wearing eyeblack during the game. This decision is unusual given that McCarthy typically wears eyeblack throughout his career, including his time at Michigan where he notably avoided it when playing against Ohio State due to a contentious recruiting experience with Ohio State coach Ryan Day. The article suggests McCarthy’s choice not to wear eyeblack in this particular game was likely because the opposing quarterback, CJ Stroud, played for Ohio State during his college years.

Written by AI on 2026-10-26, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

JJ McCarthy, quarterback for the New York Giants, chose not to wear eyeblack during his team's overtime win against the Houston Texans on Sunday, October 26, 2026. This decision was linked to his history of avoiding eyeblack when facing former Ohio State players or teams with connections to Ohio State, stemming from a recruiting dispute between McCarthy and Ohio State in high school where he felt misled by then-head coach Ryan Day about future quarterback plans. McCarthy, who played college football at the University of Michigan, has maintained this tradition since his time there, winning all three games against Ohio State while wearing no eyeblack during those matches.

Written for “JJ McCarthy Eyeblack Controversy” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 JJ McCarthy Eyeblack Controversy

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The ‘corny’ reason JJ McCarthy appeared a little different in his eye-opening Giants debut Same event

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2026-10-26 · assertive framing · JJ McCarthy opting not to wear eyeblack in Giants win over Texans likely linked to his hatred for Ohio State

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The former first-round pick was offered by the Buckeyes out of high school, but while reflecting on the recruiting process, he told The Athletic in 2019 that he felt like he was misled by Ohio State head coach Ryan Day about what his plans were for the quarterback room.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-26

2026-10-26 · Fox News

JJ McCarthy opting not to wear eyeblack in Giants win over Texans likely linked to his hatred for Ohio State · assertive framing

JJ McCarthy led the New York Giants to an overtime win over the Houston Texans on Sunday in what was his first start under center for his new team, and did so in a unique fashion, literally. asserted

what → lead → fashion

McCarthy took the field in Houston without wearing any eyeblack on his face. asserted

McCarthy → take → face

Typically, a player choosing not to wear eyeblack for a game wouldn't be newsworthy, with most folks not even picking up on the change, but there is both history and quite the story involving McCarthy and the eyeblack in this scenario. asserted

folks → choose → scenario

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. uncertain

page → contain → partners

If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated. uncertain

News → sign → wager

This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom. asserted

that → create → newsroom

McCarthy has worn a hefty amount of eyeblack throughout his career, even dating back to his high school playing days at IMG Academy, and did the same throughout his three seasons playing at Michigan. asserted

McCarthy → wear → Michigan

There was a notable exception to the look during his time with the Wolverines, however, as he never wore the eyeblack when they were taking on Ohio State. asserted

they → be → State

As a football player at Michigan, McCarthy simply had to dislike Ohio State, but his hatred for the Wolverines' biggest rival ran a lot deeper. asserted

hatred → have → rival

plans → offer → room

Quarterback Quinn Ewers, the top-ranked recruit of the 2021 class, ended up at Ohio State along with four-star signal caller Kyle McCord. asserted

Ewers → rank → McCord

McCarthy chose to take his talents to Ann Arbor and went a perfect 3-0 against the Buckeyes during his time at Michigan, making sure Day "could see his face after he kicked his a - -," according to his quarterback coach at Michigan. uncertain

he → choose → Michigan

McCarthy is on record stating that he used to "love" the Buckeyes, but wanted to "kill them" after his recruiting process and landing at Michigan. asserted

he → state → Michigan

As for McCarthy ditching the eyeblack for Sunday's matchup against the Texans, it's safe to assume it had everything to do with the quarterback on the other sideline, CJ Stroud, who attended Ohio State. asserted

who → ditch → State

Stroud never beat Michigan in his two starts against the Wolverines, and he's still winless against a McCarthy-led squad after Sunday's contest. asserted

he → beat → contest

JJ McCarthy opting not to wear eyeblack in Giants win over Texans likely linked to his hatred for Ohio State

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