Ohio State's Ryan Day announces massive change ahead of Cotton Bowl clash vs. Miami

The Ohio State Buckeyes learned their opponent over the weekend during the first round of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

The Miami Hurricanes pulled off a narrow upset against Texas A&M, earning them a New Year’s Eve date with the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.

However, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day announced that the team will be making a major change prior to that matchup.

During his press conference on Monday, Day announced that he will be taking over play calling duties from offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. Day will be calling the plays for Ohio State throughout the entire College Football Playoff.

This is a change for the Buckeyes, who are looking to bounce back from their loss against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship game.

Prior to Ohio State’s defeat, Hartline was hired as the next head coach of USF. While he is staying with the Buckeyes through their path at a national championship, Day will have a bigger role in the offense moving forward.

“Really happy for Brian and the opportunity that he’s getting,” Day told reporters. “It’s such a strange calendar and the timing is brutal but he’s handled it great. Right now as we move forward, he’s coaching the receivers. It’s a lot on his plate and a lot to manage.”

Day said that Ohio State’s offense will be a collaborative effort during the week, but it will be his decision on what plays get called for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State’s offense struggled a bit against Indiana. While the Hoosiers showcase the best defense that the Buckeyes had seen all season, it’s easy to imagine a world where the news surrounding Hartline’s departure caused a bit of a distraction.

Now, Day is giving Hartline an opportunity to work with Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and the Buckeyes wide receivers for one final run together in the CFP.

“Kinda wanted to take that off of Brian’s plate as we head into the playoffs,” Day said.

Despite spending nearly the entire season as the No. 1 team in the country, many felt as if the Buckeyes were leaving meat on the bone offensively. While first-year quarterback Julian Sayin was a Heisman finalist, the Buckeyes can still improve their run game and allow Smith and Tate to dominate opposing secondaries.

It’s unclear who will replace Hartline as offensive coordinator in Columbus after this season. But Day excelling as Ohio State’s play caller will make the search less meaningful.