New Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline will call plays, but only for a limited time. After that, it’s yet to be determined who will do that for the Buckeyes next season.
Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day promoted Hartline, a prolific recruiter, from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator following the departure of former offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson to the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. However, that will only last until the spring game, Day announced Wednesday.
“Ryan Day meeting with the media now. He says Brian Hartline will call offensive plays this spring, but they won’t make a final decision on who will call plays during the season until after spring,” Dan Hope of Ohio State fan site Eleven Warriors said.
Day has called plays throughout his four-year tenure as Buckeyes’ head coach. However, he has faced virulent online criticism from fans given the team’s performances against Michigan the past two seasons, as well as the come-from-ahead collapse against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2023 College Football Playoff Semifinals.
Many Ohio State fans feel those results are explained by Day having too much on his platter during game days, which can lead to moments like botched fake punts against Michigan and Georgia that played a major role in those defeats.
Only time will tell if Day makes the change permanently.
[Dan Hope]
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