Wednesday morning started off with some big news for the Ohio State football program. It was announced that the Buckeyes would be losing Brian Hartline. Hartline has decided to become the head coach at South Florida, which was not a job he was linked to.
Hartline has been calling plays all year long, so his departure is not at an ideal time. Ryan Day has done a good job of helping Hartline as a first-time play-caller. He has gotten better every game, and he called a solid game in the victory over Michigan last weekend.
While talking about the incoming recruiting class, Day was asked about Hartline and the timing of everything. Specifically, Day was asked if Hartline would be staying throughout the College Football Playoff run. Day put Ohio State fans at ease with his answer.
Brian Hartline will stay with the Ohio State football program for the rest of the season
Day mentioned that Hartline will be staying with the Ohio State Buckeyes for the rest of the season, through the CFP run. That's great news for Ohio State because it means they don't have to change up their routine yet. He will have a lot on his plate, and that's something Day acknowledged.
Day also mentioned that the Buckeyes will look at whether they need to take some duties off his plate during the College Football Playoff run. It's unclear what that will look like at this point. As of right now, it's business as usual heading into the Big Ten Championship Game.
One thing Day made clear was that the timing is not ideal, but that's not Hartline's fault. Day blamed the college football calendar, and he pleaded for something to be done about that. Regardless, he talked about how happy he is for Hartline and what a great opportunity it is for him.
The Buckeyes will have to figure out how to replace Hartline. That will be sorted out later. Right now, the Buckeyes are focused on beating the Hoosiers and earning the number-one overall seed in the College Football Playoff.