Ohio State OC Brian Hartline to continue to call plays in playoff
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Ohio State coach Ryan Day said offensive coordinator Brian Hartline will remain the team’s primary play-caller in the College Football Playoff.
Day backed Hartline a day after the Buckeyes’ 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 6.
“Brian calls the plays and will continue to call the plays,” Day said, “but we’re going to have everybody involved with it. It’s a group effort.”
While the Buckeyes finished with a season-low 10 points against the Hoosiers and saw two drives collapse inside the 10-yard line during the second half, it also marked the first time that Hartline had to balance dual roles this postseason after accepting the head coaching job at South Florida last week.
The move will split his time. Hartline left for Tampa, Florida, on Dec. 7 for an introductory news conference and is expected to remain there for a few days before returning to Columbus for game planning for the quarterfinals.
The Buckeyes, who received the No. 2 seed in the playoff, have a bye, leaving them off until Dec. 31.
Day said last week that Hartline, a former Buckeyes wide receiver who has been an assistant since 2017, would remain with them through the duration of the postseason.
“He’s made it clear that he wants to finish this the right way and be locked in here,” Day said. “He knows that. It’s important for him. Being a Buckeye, and all the time he’s spent and what he’s poured into this place, matters to him.
“When he goes down there, he’ll certainly have work to do, but when he gets here, he’ll be locked in and doing his job.”
Day added that he would himself be more involved in game planning during the playoff, a structure mirroring last season when Chip Kelly called the offense.
The longer gap between the rounds affords more time for Day, who began delegating offensive play-calling last year for the first time in his tenure.
The Buckeyes will meet the winner of No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 10 Miami in the Cotton Bowl, which is hosting the quarterfinal game.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Brian Hartline to continue calling offense for Ohio State in CFP
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