New report details who was actually behind Ohio State's offensive success in 2025

Ahead of the Big Ten Championship game, there is always a lot of gossip - as is common in college football. Ohio State against Indiana is no different.

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and head coach Ryan Day leads warm ups during the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As is the case before the Big Ten Championship game, rumors, gossip and news are rife within the college football community – and leading into the title clash between the unblemished Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers, that mill is still turning.

With the fallout of the Buckeyes’ co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline still fresh, it’s opened up the floor to who his replacement could possibly be, and it’s even led to some stunning revelations.

One of those is that on the popular Ohio State podcast, Bucknuts, host Dave Biddle reported that head coach Ryan Day was the man calling the shots during crunch time.

@davebiddle reported this morning that @ryandaytime has been calling plays when it mattered most throughout this season.

— Dan Divjak (@IceShark8) December 4, 2025

Further to that, while Day reportedly remains in the dark about Hartline’s successful replacement candidates, Bucknuts have said on their podcast that the most likely scenario is an external hire rather than promoting the assistant WR coach Devin Jordan, with the final decision pending and no confirmed candidates yet.

News that will be white noise to Day and his team ahead of Ohio State’s biggest game of the season when they put their 12-0 mark on the stake against Indiana, who are also 12-0.

A team better known for its basketball program than its football exploits, head coach Curt Cignetti has transformed the team’s fortunes since he took the reins from Tom Allen in 2023, leading his side to an unbeaten record and landing his second straight Big Ten Coach of the Year award.

Those credentials will be severely tested against a powerhouse Buckeyes side.

The game will feature the two leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy, Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza, but for the latter, there will be more pressure on him to stand out against the newly minted Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

For Ohio State, they have protected Sayin superbly this season, as the quarterback has only been sacked six times.

They will be aware that the Hoosiers will look to put pressure on the phenom. If Day has been calling the plays as said, he will need to execute some extra offensive sets to utilize Sayin’s evasiveness in order to get some good passes out to the wideouts.

Defensively, Ohio State will want to limit early first downs, which is what Indiana will be aiming to do. A game that could come down to fine margins, the Buckeyes will want to use as much of their defensive presence as possible. They are currently the meanest defense in college football, giving up only 203 yards per game.

For Ohio State though, their plan remains simple: play to its strengths and do what they have done all season. They will start as favorites.