Ohio State's Ryan Day Explains How He Views Brian Hartline Amid Huge CFB Problem
Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day doesn't hold vendettas hostage, especially when it comes to ex-coaches departing his staff in Columbus. This is precisely what happened to Day's former offensive coordinator, Brian Hartline, following the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff exit vs. the Miami Hurricanes.
Hartline, who has since accepted a head-coaching role at South Florida, still carries a lot of weight with Day. Speaking to Josh Pate, Day broke down how their relationship has shifted since they went separate ways, further underlining a critical issue across college football altogether.
"The truth is it can be disruptive and I thought Brian handled that great," Day told Pate. "It wasn't nothing to do with him, just the way it is set up now. Which goes back to this conversation, I think we all need to figure out. How does this all need to be structured? Not these one off conversations about how many teams in the playoffs, when should the season end, when does the portal open. All of those need to come together at once and create this plan. This structure."
The "structure," as Day put it, is the confusing part.
Amid all the chaos around the likely inevitable changes that are coming to the postseason format, Day said he isn't a fan of coaches being allowed to jump ship in the heat of the playoffs. Again, Day suggests it's no fault of Hartline's own, rather a confusing loophole the powers that be have failed to address.
"Brian [Hartline] gets named the head coach at South Florida," Day added. "There was just a lot that went with that. Oh and by the way we have short yardage and goal line that we're trying to game plan for. There was just a lot going on, but at the end of the day nobody cares. You got to produce."
The Buckeyes couldn't when it mattered most, failing to secure back-to-back national titles and making quarterback Julian Sayin's second season as a starter even more pressure-filled this fall. But, at the end of the day, Day said the Buckeyes have learned from their previous bouts of resiliency with more hurdles on the way.
Ultimately, though, Day has no hard feelings toward Hartline. If it were up to Day, Hartline would likely still be on his staff. But, as careers evolve for coaches, programs do too.
"The truth is it can be disruptive and I thought Brian handled that great," Day said of his former offensive coordinator.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ohiostate as Ohio State's Ryan Day Explains How He Views Brian Hartline Amid Huge CFB Problem.
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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 8:59 AM.