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Ryan Day reveals larger role in Ohio State play calling with OC Brian Hartline accepting USF job

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko12/22/25nickkosko59

Ryan Day revealed he’ll take on more play calling responsibility for Ohio State in the College Football Playoff, starting with the Cotton Bowl. Offensive coordinator Brian Hartline is set to depart for the head coaching gig at USF after the CFP, but his role with the Buckeyes was reduced.

As Day pointed out, it’ll be a group effort on offense and play calling, but the final decisions come from Day. Hartline will continue to coach the wide receivers, his bread and butter since coming to Columbus.

“Just really happy for Brian and the opportunity he’s getting,” Day said Monday. “It’s such a strange calendar, and the timing is brutal, and but, you know, he’s handled it great, as you can imagine. And so, you know, right now, as we move forward, he’s coaching the receivers, you know, it’s a lot on his plate. It’s a lot, you know, to manage. So we’re kind of taking it day to day right now, just in terms of as we move forward going into the game, you know, it’ll be a group effort.

“Everybody will be involved with the play calling, and ultimately be my decision, you know, what calls can go into the game, in this game. Kind of want to take that off of Brian’s plate as we head into the playoffs, because he got so much going on with what he’s trying to do, but, but he’s working hard and we’re just going to keep evaluating it every day to see what’s best for the group.”

Day and the Buckeyes take on Miami in the Cotton Bowl, with a spot in the CFP semifinals on the line. Hartline, like other coaches this cycle, will stay with Ohio State until their run is done. Then, he’ll head to Tampa.

Hartline’s rise in the coaching ranks has been rapid — he first became a full-time assistant in 2019 — it has been deserved, according to those closest to him. For instance, Day.

“Brian has been successful in every football capacity for which he has been engaged,” Day said in Hartline’s Ohio State biography. “He has progressed incredibly well from college to NFL receiver, and then from quality control coach to wide receivers coach and now to his roles as a coordinator. He has also developed his receivers at an unprecedented level and he has recruited as well or better than anyone in the country.”