The Week 7 matchup between the Houston Texans and New York Giants might have a few extra viewers with Ohio State and Michigan ties this weekend.
JJ McCarthy – the Michigan quarterback who led the Wolverines to a national championship in 2023 – is making his first start for New York (3-2-1). C.J. Stroud – a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Ohio State – is looking to lead Houston (2-4) to a third straight victory.
These quarterbacks were the quarterbacks in a top-five showdown between the Buckeyes and Wolverines on Nov. 26, 2022. Michigan won 45-23, but the implications of that game extended far beyond the Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff. The following season, that game became one of the centerpieces of the Connor Stalions in-person scouting and sign-stealing scandal.
MORE: What Giants' decision to turn to J.J. McCarthy means for NFC East race
J.J. McCarthy vs. C.J. Stroud
Buildup to 2022 Michigan-Ohio State matchup
No. 5 Michigan beat No. 2 Ohio State 42-27 at Michigan Stadium on Nov. 27, 2021, which snapped the Wolverines' eight-game losing streak to the Buckeyes in The Game. Stroud was 34 of 49 for 394 yards and two TDs in the loss. McCarthy was a role player behind starter Cade McNamara in that game.
That set the backdrop for the rematch at Ohio Stadium on Nov. 26, 2022. Both teams were 11-0 for the first time since the legendary No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown, and the Buckeyes were favored. Michigan star running back Blake Corum was dealing with a knee injury.
Who won 2022 Michigan-Ohio State game with J.J. McCarthy, C.J. Stroud?
Ohio State – which had not lost at home to Michigan since 2000 - led 20-17 at halftime. Stroud had first-half TD passes to Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. McCarthy, however, kept the Wolverines close with TD passes of 69 and 75 yards, respectively to receiver Cornelius Johnson.
McCarthy found tight end Colston Loveland for a 46-yard TD pass in the third quarter, and the Wolverines stunned the Buckeyes with 21 fourth-quarter points behind McCarthy's TD run and a pair of long TD runs by Donovan Edwards. McCarthy waved goodbye to Ohio State fans, and Michigan players planted a flag at midfield.
(2022) Ohio State vs Michigan was a great one🔥🏈 Best Regular Season Game of the 2020s🤔👀 https://t.co/JIGilhPZn0
— College Football Report (@CFBReport) June 25, 2023"It's huge," McCarthy said afterward. "We're not so much of a team that looks to the past and worries about it. We're about the present and changing the future. It was just one of those things where everything was aligned for us."
Ohio State did not score a TD in the second half.
Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
J.J. McCarthy vs. C.J. Stroud stats in 2022 Michigan-Ohio State game
Here is a look at the stats from the 2022 matchup between JJ McCarthy and C.J. Stroud:
| QB | COMP | ATT | % | YDS | TDS | INT |
| JJ McCarthy | 12 | 24 | 50% | 263 | 3 | 0 |
| CJ Stroud | 31 | 48 | 64.6% | 349 | 2 | 2 |
McCarthy also had six carries for 27 yards and a TD in the game. Stroud had two carries for minus-three yards.
MORE: Greatest Michigan-Ohio State games
2022 Michigan-Ohio State aftermath, including sign-stealing scandal
Both teams lost in the College Football Playoff. No. 3 TCU beat No. 2 Michigan 51-45, and No. 1 Georgia beat No. 4 Ohio State 42-31 in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
The 2022 matchup between Ohio State and Michigan, however, became a point of controversy with Stalions, a Michigan staffer under coach Jim Harbaugh, who was embroiled in an in-person scouting and sign-stealing scandal. Stalions was on the sideline during that 2022 matchup against Ohio State, and there are several pictures of him standing next to Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter during the game.
McCarthy led No. 1 Michigan to a 30-24 victory against No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 25, 2023 – and the Wolverines would win the national championship that season.
Stroud finished 21-4 as a starter in college with 8,123 yards, 85 TDs and 12 interceptions. He was 0-2 as a starter against Michigan. McCarthy was 27-1 as a starter at Michigan with 6,226 yards, 49 TDs and 11 interceptions. He was 2-0 as a starter against Ohio State.
J.J. McCarthy vs. C.J. Stroud: Path to NFL rematch
Houston selected Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft behind Alabama's Bryce Young, who went to the Panthers. Stroud is 30-22 in his fourth season. Texas has made three straight AFC playoff appearances, and Stroud is 3-3 in those games. Stroud has 12,590 passing yards, 71 TDs and 26 interceptions.
McCarthy was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was the fifth quarterback taken in that draft behind USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels, North Carolina's Drake and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. McCarthy dealt with injuries in two seasons with Minnesota and made just 10 starts before being traded to the New York Giants this season. He has 1,875 passing yards with 12 TDs and 13 interceptions.
