Buckeyes Now

Ohio State Legend Believes Arthur Smith Will Be Beneficial to Buckeyes

Arthur Smith receives praise from Bobby Carpenter after the former Steelers offensive coordinator joins the Buckeyes.
Wil Steigerwald|
Sep 22, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith observes warm ups before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith observes warm ups before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Ohio State Buckeyes

The hiring of new Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has brought with it discourse among fans and critics.

While some praise the hire for how Smith handled his tenure with the Titans, coaching the offense to a top-five ranking, others aren’t as impressed, referencing his time with the Falcons and Steelers.

One former Ohio State linebacker falls into the former group, believing Smith will bring a huge improvement to the Buckeyes’ offense, specifically in the backfield.

During the Monday edition of “The Bobby Carpenter Show" on the BIGPLAY Sports Network, host Bobby Carpenter discussed the addition of Smith as the new offensive coordinator, praising the long-tenured NFL coach.

“The one thing I know that Arthur Smith is very good at is he’s very good at the run,” said Carpenter. “You go back and look at his time, he was in Tennessee for a number of years…they had a hell of a run game there with Derrick Henry. I think that is why Ryan [Day] targeted him.

Smith was the offensive coordinator for the Titans from 2019 to 2020. During that time Henry, now the Ravens’ starting running back, had back-to-back outstanding seasons. In 2019, the future Hall of Famer ran for 1,540 yards and 18 total touchdowns.

Henry reached another level the following season, rushing for over 2,000 yards and scoring 17 touchdowns on the ground. While Henry is a once-in-a-lifetime offensive talent, Smith’s development of the former Offensive Player of the Year should not be understated.

Carpenter added that he hopes Smith can have the same effect on rising sophomore running back Bo Jackson and the rest of the running backs.

“If you look at this, I think they want to try and get the run game going,” said Carpenter. “That’s what Chip [Kelly] was so good at, and I think [Day] is hoping that Arthur Smith will bring that same level of detail to that run game.”

A bright spot in a rather lackluster Ohio State running back room, Jackson rushed for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns for the Buckeyes in 2025. The Cleveland native took over the reins as the starting back after outperforming both James Peoples and C.J. Donaldson early in the season.

Over the past handful of years, the Buckeyes have developed into an elite passing game, producing yearly NFL-caliber wide receivers under former offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline. Now with Smith in charge, Ohio State has the opportunity to focus more heavily on its run game while maintaining its wide receiver production.

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Wil Steigerwald
WIL STEIGERWALD

Wil Steigerwald is a recent graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in journalism and media production. During his time at OSU, Wil reported on Ohio State football and other athletics through both written and video content production. Wil joined BIGPLAY to continue pursuing his passion for sports media and to create high-quality content.

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