When the Ohio State Buckeyes take the field on Saturday, there will be plenty of new faces compared to the team that won the national championship last season. While head coach Ryan Day remains at the helm, two notable changes come at the coordinator positions with both Brian Hartline and Matt Patricia making their debuts in these roles at the college level.
On the defensive side will be Patricia, a former longtime NFL assistant who was a very successful DC with the New England Patriots. On the offensive side, this will be Hartline’s first season with full control of the offense. While he has previously held titles of OC and co-OC, this will be the first time he will be calling plays, or is it?
While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Coach Day was asked how he and Hartline would handle the play-calling duties, and he gave an answer that I would call... interesting.
WATCH: 58:50 mark
Rather than giving a flat-out answer with a clear “yes” that Hartline will have full control, Coach Day seemed to dance around the question. Instead he focused on the attention to detail that goes into game planning as a staff and mentioned that he would be “right there,” which suggests that he may have a significant hand in the play calling process, or at least a very strong influence.
This now begs the question that many in Columbus have been wondering for quite some time: Is Brian Hartline truly ready to call an offense? All offseason we have heard that he would be taking on the role, but Day's recent comments make me think otherwise.
Hartline has long been regarded as one of the nation’s top position coaches and recruiters, so it is interesting how long it took before he was finally given this chance. One thing we do know from a Ryan Day media session earlier this week, is that Hartline will be up in the press box, which is a change from his usual spot on the sideline, but the same as former OC Chip Kelly last season.
Regardless, Hartline will have his plate full this season as the offensive coordinator for the defending national champions with a first-time starting quarterback in Julian Sayin, while trying to please one of the most demanding fanbases in sports. And it only makes it more difficult having to face the No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns in Week 1.
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