Many believed Ryan Day’s Ohio State was poised for a repeat national championship after storming through the regular season with a 12-0 record, including a win over rival Michigan. That momentum stalled in the Big Ten Championship, where the Buckeyes’ unbeaten run was snapped by a 13-10 loss to Indiana.
However, optimism still remained as Ohio State entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed. Those hopes also ultimately came to an end on New Year’s Eve, when the Buckeyes were knocked out in the Cotton Bowl with a 24-14 loss to No. 10 Miami.
Ryan Day’s CFP Run Questioned as Analyst Highlights Costly $6M Distraction
In “Josh Pate’s College Football Show” on Sunday, analyst Josh Pate explained two things/excuses he believes led to Ohio State’s season coming to an end.
“I think the Michigan game 1,000% impacted the Indiana game,” Pate said (1:05:50). “Part one of the problem was that Indiana was extremely good, so they’re hard to beat. … But then, compounding matters for Ohio State was that they were a way more banged-up team coming out of the Michigan game than they let on.”
“And number two, the Brian Hartline stuff had to detrimentally impact them. Hartline and you’ve got the distraction of Hartline taking the USF job, and that’s like in the middle of that week, if I remember correctly. I just think that mattered.”
Hartline had been under a fixed-term contract with Ohio State from Feb. 1 through Jan. 31, 2028, earning a base salary of $2 million annually with the potential to reach $6 million.
However, Hartline accepted his first head coaching role at USG on Dec. 3, which would allow him to lead his own program and take on a new professional challenge. His journey as a full-time Ohio State coach officially ended following the Buckeyes’ Cotton Bowl loss to Miami on Jan. 1.
Ohio State already hired Cortez Hankton from LSU as its new wide receivers coach, but the program is still searching for a new offensive coordinator. The “distraction” Pate referenced stems from the uncertainty and emotional impact surrounding Hartline’s departure, particularly given his unparalleled influence on offense, player development, and recruiting.
With Hartline serving as offensive coordinator, Ohio State consistently fielded one of the nation’s top offenses. The Buckeyes, with 33.4 points per game this season, rank No. 3 in the PFSN College Football Offense Metric, boasting a 90.9 rating.
Hartline also played a crucial role in developing multiple first-round NFL wide receivers since 2022, including Marvin Harrison Jr., Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Emeka Egbuka. He also helped secure multiple top-10 recruiting classes and five-star receivers.
Ohio State also felt the sting of Hartline’s move when former five-star recruit C.J. Hicks followed him to USF this week. Hicks spent four seasons in Columbus, wrapping up his Buckeyes career with 42 tackles and two sacks across 44 appearances.
