Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said he will take over offensive play-calling duties for the Buckeyes during the College Football Playoff, starting with Ohio State's quarterfinal matchup against Miami on New Year's Eve at the Cotton Bowl.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he will take over play calling duties from offensive coordinator Brian Hartline during the College Football Playoffs. Hartline was hired as USF’s coach
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 22, 2025
Ryan Day will take over play-calling duties
The move comes after offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who called plays during the regular season, was hired on Dec. 3 as South Florida's head coach. Day said Hartline will still be with Ohio State through the postseason, but the program wanted to lighten Hartline's workload while he balances two jobs at once.
It's a notable change for a team with national-title expectations, and it also matters for Miami because it naturally could make the Buckeyes look a little different from what they have been all year.
Day called plays for the first five seasons of his Ohio State head coaching tenure, then handed those duties to Chip Kelly in 2024. After the Buckeyes won the national championship, Kelly left for the NFL, and Day elevated Hartline and let him run the offense this season. Now, with Hartline preparing to take over at USF, Day is sliding back into the play-calling for the CFP.
Ohio State enters the Miami game at 12-1 as the No. 2 seed and defending national champion. Miami is the No. 10 seed at 11-2, coming off a 10-3 road win at Texas A&M. The Cotton Bowl is Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium, with the game on ESPN.
Ohio State ranks 17th nationally in scoring at nearly 35 points per game, the Buckeyes also sit at 429.5 yards per game, the fifth-best offense among the remaining eight CFP teams. Miami is coming off one of its best defensive performances of the year against Texas A&M.