Buckeyes still mulling over play-calling responsibilities for 2023

INDIANAPOLIS — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is trying to hold himself accountable. He knows he wants to take a bigger-picture approach this season.

But that might mean giving up something he’s done at Ohio State since he was hired as the Buckeyes’ co-offensive coordinator in 2017: calling plays.

That’s easier said than done, of course.

Lettermen Row first reported that Day was considering relinquishing his play-calling duties close to seven months ago, even before wide receivers coach Brian Hartline was promoted to offensive coordinator.

Since, the potential transfer of play-calling powers from Day to Hartline has been discussed at length, including by Day and Hartline, but nothing has crystallized.

“The next logical progression for him is to be the coordinator and to take the next step that way,” Day said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days, in reference to the prospect of Hartline taking over play calling.

“But [play calling’s] something that I’ve always been a part of and always done. Whether it’s together or however it works out, it’s something that I’ve always just had a handle on. You have experiences, too, to learn every year about things. And so it won’t be easy for me to walk away.”

Brian Hartline has been trying his hand at calling plays

Hartline experimented with play calling during spring ball. It was the former Buckeyes and NFL wideout’s first time doing so.

Hartline adopted a day-by-day approach in March and April. He knew play calling was going to be a talking point, but he didn’t want it to drive the conversation. Rather than setting defined goals, Hartline was simply striving for progress in that department.

“I don’t think it’d be fair to have goals because I haven’t done it,” Hartline said in late March. “Give me an understanding of, like, my first time racing a car. ‘I want to make it around the track without blowing up the car.’ So it’s just one day at a time. I always constantly evaluate. My brain doesn’t stop. So that’s constantly happening.

Hartline added: “I’m just trying to explain like, we’re going to call plays every day in practice and then go from there.”

Ryan Day says there are ‘way more important’ OC duties than play calling

Play calling was just one of several things Hartline was taking on in his first months as offensive coordinator.

Day reiterated that Wednesday at Lucas Oil Stadium, after noting that he expects him and Hartline to talk the first or second week of fall camp about Day’s vision for play-calling duties.

“I certainly would like for him the opportunity to do some play calling,” Day said. “How much? We gotta figure that part of it out. But you know we’ll get a feel for that as we get back in here in August.

“But I think the big thing about being an offensive coordinator is, it isn’t always about the play calling as it is just the day-to-day organization of your staff: the corrections, the installs, the game plan — like there’s so many things that come with being a coordinator, and one of the last things is play calling.”

Day went as far as stating that the day-to-day OC operations are “way more important” than play calling itself. The fifth-year Ohio State head coach said that nothing has changed since the spring, in terms of play-calling responsibilities.

But…Day knows he can’t be too locked in on the offense

As much as Day is tied to Ohio State play calling, he acknowledges how divvying up the role in the offseason helped him take a much-needed step back from the offense.

“I think we have a great staff,” Day said. “It has allowed me to jump around a little bit more. Once we get into the teeth of the season, I know how it’s going to go probably for me. I’m going to end up being right involved with it again, but, that being said, as the season wears on, I have to be conscious this year of not getting too locked into the offense and making sure that I have a handle on everything that’s going on.”

But will sharing play-calling duties, like the Buckeyes did in the spring, be effective in the regular season, or even in fall camp during the quarterback competition?

After all, the play caller-quarterback relationship is paramount.

“I think it’s always good to have one voice,” Day admitted Wednesday. “And I think that’s why I’ve always wanted to be in the quarterback room. I think as [quarterbacks coach] Corey [Dennis’] grown, he’s been able to do more and more. But it’s always good to have the play caller and the quarterback on the same page. Absolutely.”

So, entering August, Day is undecided. He’s laid out the benefits of giving up the role that he’s thrived in, but he’s also unpacked why it’s difficult to walk away.

He’ll need to sort it all out, along with his quarterback situation, next month.

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