Ohio State Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith Receives Major Praise From All Buckeyes

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Ohio State's biggest risk this offseason was who they hired to replace former offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. Hartline left the nest after the 2025 season in what turned out to be a somewhat controversial exit from the program.

Before the Big Ten Championship against Indiana, Hartline made it official that he accepted the South Florida job, and then he spent the next month being a part-time coach for both teams. It was a weird breakup, and the Buckeyes had the opportunity to start fresh.

They were not going to be able to hire anyone with the prowess that Hartline had at coaching wide receivers; he was simply too good. However, the pool of candidates was unlimited, and no one really knew where Ryan Day would go. 

Then, as a surprise to nearly the entire college football world, Day decided to hire former Steelers' offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Just as he did last year with Matt Patricia, Day took a major risk with his decision to hire a guy with exactly zero modern-day college coaching experience.

In his first impression as the coordinator, Smith has truly impressed. On Wednesday's second-to-last Spring Ball practice, he heard the praises from many of his players and fellow coaches.

Offensive line coach Tyler Bowen commented that Smith has used this time to really commit his offense to learning their identity and establishing how they are going to run the football. Weeks ago, Keenan Bailey said that he had never been more excited about the direction of this offense, and center Carson Hinzman said that Smith brings a "tangible violence" to their team.

It's all positive surrounding the new coordinator, and everything is pointing to this offense being a much more physical group than it was in years past.

The truth is that this is exactly what the doctor ordered for this program. The reason they lost the final two games of the year was that they got beaten up front, simple as that. They were not tough enough on the line of scrimmage, and those days seem to be gone.

Buckeye Nation will get its first look at Smith's offense during Saturday's Spring Game, but they will get to see what he is going to bring to the table through the air. There will not be much running the football during that "practice." 

Ohio State will have a different identity on offense next year under Smith, and it simply has to work well. The Buckeyes can't have two consecutive years where the offense lets them down.

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