Concerning reality is here for the end of Brian Hartline’s tenure in Columbus with the Ohio State Buckeyes
Brian Hartline has at least one more game with Ohio State, but the goal is to go play three more games total.
The Ohio State Buckeyes put together two drives of at least 12 plays while trailing Indiana 13–10, hoping to rally for a win. Both drives covered at least 70 yards, yet the Buckeyes came away with zero points. Ohio State’s inconsistencies shined through at the worst possible time— just days after it was announced that Brian Hartline would be taking his first head coaching job. The Buckeyes lost the game 13-10 in the end and the offensive issues were the biggest reason.
Brian Hartline has started his head-coaching duties at USF
Hartline is in South Florida this week being introduced as the new head coach at USF, and he has already begun assembling his coaching staff and focusing on roster retention. Meanwhile, Ohio State doesn’t play again until Dec. 31, when the Buckeyes will face either Miami or Texas A&M to open their College Football Playoff run.
Going forward, Hartline will remain as involved in calling the offense as he has been all season. Ohio State’s wide-receiver guru will continue to handle play-calling duties, and Ryan Day made that clear over the weekend.
“Brian was calling it, but we’re all involved, all of us,” Day said of the game against Indiana. “We try to give as much input as we can, try to organize the thoughts and try to help the best we can. We’ll continue to do that. I do think having more time to prepare for (the next game) will allow us to be more efficient, there’s no question about that. But Brian calls the plays and will continue to call the plays, but we’re gonna have everybody involved with it, and it’s a group effort.”
There’s no doubt that everything happening last week — between Hartline taking a job elsewhere and the chaos of signing day — served as a major distraction for the Buckeyes. Still, Ohio State can’t afford to score just 10 points, even against the best defense they’ve faced all season in Indiana. The Buckeyes moved the ball effectively against the Hoosiers, but their inability to finish drives and get into the end zone proved costly.
Ohio State averaged 429 yards per game this season, and they need to get back to that level offensively. Hartline accepting another job and the Buckeyes scoring just 10 points a few days later was not a great look. He’ll have a chance to go out on top with Ohio State, as their biggest goals remain in front of them. Still, the performance against Indiana was concerning.
Ohio State Buckeyes News
Ryan Day makes bold statement on how the Ohio State Buckeyes are going to respond to the loss to Indiana
The big goal still remains in front of the Buckeyes despite their loss to the Indiana Hoosiers.
