Should Brian Hartline continue to call plays for Ohio State after Indiana meltdown?

A new debate is going around as to whether the Ohio State Buckeyes should continue to let offensive coordinator Brian Hartline call the plays in the playoffs.

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline leads warm ups prior to the NCAA football game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 22, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes are finally in the College Football Playoff, and over the long season it was, but bigger questions are entering the postseason than some might have thought.

There is a significant concern about how the Buckeyes' offense performed in their 13-10 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship game. The offense struggled mightily, with 322 total yards, a first-drive interception, and a failed fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter.

Some of the concerns surround the man calling the plays with the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator, Brian Hartline. During the game, Hartline seemed to struggle to find the right plays to call, as the offense struggled to get into rhythm.

Typically, this would be a weird thing to question since Hartline has done a great job all season, but there is a big distraction to consider. Hartline is handling double duty as the new head coach at USF while also coaching the Buckeyes' offense.

That means Hartline is not only trying to game-plan for the playoffs, but also taking care of everything involved with his upcoming school. Hartline has to build out his coaching staff and get recruiting done so he is set up for success in the future.

It raises the legitimate question of whether Ohio State head coach Ryan Day should tell Hartline to head out and focus on his new job full-time, or let him call the plays. This is a question that multiple schools in the college football playoffs are dealing with.

Ole Miss is more of an extreme example, since it is their head coach, Lane Kiffin, but the school isn't letting him coach in the College Football Playoffs after he took the LSU Tigers job. Or how about Oregon, with multiple coordinators taking head coaching jobs, as might be pulling double duty as well.

If the Buckeyes were to make a move away from Hartline as the play caller, who would even take it over?

Some believe tight ends coach Keenan Bailey could be ready to move up, similar to how Hartline moved up, and take over as the offensive coordinator. Would they bring back former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, as he knows the system from last year and is available?

Most teams can make it work, with their coordinators handling coaching the current team while planning for the future, so the safest move would be for Hartline to stick around and make it happen. This Buckeyes team is talented enough to win a national title still and help their coach out just off of pure talent.