Ryan Day explains what went wrong vs. Indiana and why he still trusts Brian Hartline

Ryan Day breaks down Ohio State’s run-game issues, passing struggles, and what went wrong in the Big Ten Championship, while reaffirming his trust in Brian Hartline heading into the playoffs.

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline warms up players during the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. Ohio State lost 13-10. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ryan Day said he didn’t sleep well after his team’s first loss of the season, knowing that the idea of leaving no doubt didn’t happen. He explained that when you win games like Ohio State has done all season, certain issues get swept under the rug.

And it wasn’t until their Big Ten Championship loss that serious issues became exposed, and he explicitly cited lack of movement in the run game, not executing the game plan in the pass game, and having two drives completely stall. 

“We can do a better job designing plays to get the ball out faster,” Day said of his team’s five sacks against Indiana. He also noted they called 35 passes and 22 runs and didn’t strike much balance, which doesn’t make for a good day on offense. 

“We were one block away… but one block away isn’t good enough,” Day said about the run game. 

So where does Ohio State go from here? One of the biggest questions centers on Brian Hartline — an offensive coordinator who is also doubling as a new head coach at USF. It’s fair to wonder how he can juggle both roles. Day seems to think it’s feasible and is not using Hartline as the scapegoat for the loss, despite his time split between both programs through the end of the season.

“Certainly he's got work to do down there — but when he gets here, he'll be locked in and doing his job here,” Day said. “And based on how the month goes, we'll see how that plays into the game week and those types of things. But the good news, at least for me, is that I can spend a lot more time in the game plan now with having a little bit more lead time going into the game.”

Hartline will continue to call the offense, and Day will also have to step up into a bigger role on the offensive side to make up for any time missed by Hartline. But one thing was made clear — Hartline still has the full trust of the coaching staff moving forward.

“Certainly being a Buckeye and all the time he spent here and what he's poured into this place matters to him,” Day said.

Moving forward, Ohio State’s goal is not to leave the outcome to one play, especially in all three phases. This will ultimately come down to offensive improvement, as Ohio State’s defense was as solid as ever. 

“We held them to 13 points — the least in two years — but the goal is to win,” Day said.