Ryan Day, for better or worse, is taking matters into his own hands

A conversation coming out of the Buckeyes’ Big Ten Championship loss to Indiana centered around the Buckeyes potentially being distracted by Brian Hartline taking the head coaching job at South Florida. The Buckeyes’ offense looked a step off against Indiana. They just couldn’t make that one big play to win the game, despite multiple chances in the second half.

While Brian Hartline will remain with Ohio State through the College Football Playoff, Ryan Day is taking over playcalling. That might make some Buckeyes’ fans nervous. It shouldn’t.

Remember, this is a different Ryan Day than the one who led the Buckeyes into the Playoff last season. He’s changed. No longer does he coach “scared,” if that’s even still a narrative. Day has entire imprints on everything related to the Buckeyes’ offense, and he’s not leaving anything to chance.

This is not a knock on Hartline. He’s done a tremendous job in his first season as the Buckeyes’ offensive play-caller. Ryan Day, by taking over play-calling, is assuming full responsibility for this offense. Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and the Buckeyes’ offense are too talented to fall short of expectations. But Day taking over play-calling is him saying that if the ship goes down, he’s fully immersed in it. However, Day will deserve even more credit and vindication if the Buckeyes repeat as national champions.

Ryan Day has had success as an offensive play-caller. Look at what the Buckeyes did last season in the Playoff. Day had more of his hand in the play-calling with Chip Kelly, and the result was the best players playing their best when the stakes were the highest.

The Buckeyes’ offense, in Ryan Day’s near seven seasons as their head coach, has soared to incredible heights. Look at the game in Ann Arbor in 2019, the Rose Bowl against Utah, any game they played in C.J. Stroud’s two seasons in Columbus, or Justin Field’s two seasons with the Buckeyes. Those Buckeyes’ offenses were tremendous, prolific, and Earth-scorching hot at times.

Ohio State has had a lot of success with Ryan Day as the offensive play-caller. Day knows what this offense’s strength is. He’s going to let them cook, just like he did in the run to the national championship last season. It all falls on Ryan Day now on offense. That is a good thing.