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Ohio State football could be losing a key assistant coach before the College Football Playoff. Head coach Ryan Day heads into the first-round matchup against Tennessee under fire after his fourth consecutive loss to the Michigan Wolverines. The Buckeyes now face a challenging path through the twelve-team bracket. The path might get more difficult with the latest news on co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Brian Hartline.
According to West Virginia football reporter Chris Anderson, Hartline was recently interviewed for the Mountaineers' head coach vacancy. The school will make a decision on this position tonight or tomorrow.
Ohio State football needs all hands on deck to get through a gauntlet
The loss to Michigan significantly complicated the Buckeyes' quest for a ninth national championship. First, Ohio State football blew a chance to avenge its close loss to No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten championship. Additionally, it's clear that the College Football Playoff Selection Committee placed a high value on conference championship games. Not just for the teams that won but also for those that lost. One of the teams that benefitted greatly was Penn State.
The Nittany Lions lost to the Buckeyes at home earlier in the year. Penn State additionally carried the same amount of losses as Ohio State football, albeit that second defeat came in the Big Ten championship game. Penn State's best win came against No. 20 Illinois, whereas the Buckeyes have two wins against playoff teams. Nevertheless, the Nittany Lions got the No. 6 seed and a favorable draw compared to Ryan Day's team. It's safe to say things would've been different if Ohio State had won “The Game” this year.
To win a national title, Ohio State will likely have to play the following ranked teams: No. 7 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Texas, and No. 2 Georgia. If the Buckeyes fail to lift the trophy in the end, Day's seat will only get warmer.
Overall, if West Virginia football hires Brian Hartline, it's unclear whether he will be able to finish the season with the Buckeyes. A former wideout with Ohio State football, Hartline has moved up the ranks within the program since ending his professional career. He's been a wide receivers coach in Columbus since 2018. It's safe to say that tenure has been a success. Hartline has developed stud wideouts like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
It's been no different this year for the Buckeyes as “Wide Receiver U.” Jeremiah Smith is setting records during his freshman season and already looking NFL-ready. 2024 is Hartline's first season as a co-offensive coordinator alongside Chip Kelly. The main struggle for the Buckeyes on this side has been a lackluster run game. That weakness is despite having two of the best running backs in the country, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson.
Ohio State football will need all hands on deck going into this College Football Playoff. A repeat of the Michigan game, particularly on offense, will spell doom for Ryan Day. Therefore, it'll be interesting to see what Brian Hartline's situation with the team will be going forward if he gets the West Virginia head coach job.
