The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes entered Saturday night’s Big Ten Championship as slight favorites against the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers, but it was Indiana who emerged with a 13-10 victory, securing their first win over Ohio State since 1988 and capturing the Big Ten title in head coach Curt Cignetti’s second season.
Indiana will now enter the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 overall seed. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes—also likely to receive a first-round bye—could drop a few spots and may be bracing for a significant setback just before the playoffs.
According to On3 contributor Jon Rhoades, Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, who recently accepted the head coaching job at South Florida, may not remain with the Buckeyes throughout the playoffs.
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Hartline coached in the Big Ten Championship, and while the expectation was that he would remain with the team through the playoff run, his departure for his first head coaching role could come sooner than anticipated—a potential major blow to Ohio State’s staff.
The outcome of the Big Ten title game reportedly does not affect that decision. With the Buckeyes likely receiving a first-round bye, Hartline may have some time to finalize his plans, but it will be a decision that needs to be made fairly quickly.
Hartline has been with Ohio State since 2018 and has been an integral part of their offensive identity and success. Over the years, he has gradually taken on larger roles and played a key role in recruiting and developing numerous star wide receivers, including Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and now Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.
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