Former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline gave UTSA some extra fuel before kickoff, and the Roadrunners made sure he felt it.
Hartline, now the head coach at South Florida after leaving the Buckeyes following last season, had opened his tenure with some success. He entered Week 6 at 4-1, but his comments ahead of the UTSA game turned into the kind of pregame bulletin board material coaches usually try to avoid.
Before the matchup, Hartline took a shot at the atmosphere in San Antonio, saying he's not sure how it gets so loud in there without many fans. Essentially, he accused them of pumping in noise. UTSA answered on the field, scoring a touchdown with 15 seconds left to beat South Florida 31-24.
The response didn’t stop there. After the win, UTSA played Hartline’s own comment on the stadium video board, turning his jab into a public punchline. For Hartline, it was a rough ending to a game he had helped spice up himself.
The loss also sharpened the picture of his first season as a head coach. Both of his defeats have come in the AAC, and South Florida now sits at 1-2 in conference play.
The Bulls have also had trouble consistently putting points on the board. They’ve topped 28 only once, and that came against an FCS opponent.
In a win over Bowling Green, they managed just 14 points.
That kind of offensive production is going to put a team in a bind if it doesn’t improve. Hartline’s track record as Ohio State’s play caller last season was better than what South Florida has shown so far, even if there always seemed to be another level missing with him running the offense.
Ohio State, meanwhile, is dealing with a different problem entirely.
The Buckeyes have found ways to score this season, but the offense has leaned heavily on Jeremiah Smith when it needs a big play. The run game, though, has been the frustrating part. It’s been a disappointment so far, and the hope is that Arthur Smith can get the backs moving this weekend against Maryland.
That matchup is notable for another reason: the Terrapins are the worst opponent left on Ohio State’s schedule. If the Buckeyes can’t produce a 100-plus-yard rusher there, the chances of finding one later look slim. That hasn’t been a common issue under Ryan Day, which only adds to the concern.
As Ohio State moves deeper into the schedule, the challenge will be finding more answers on offense. Smith on the outside gives the Buckeyes a dangerous weapon, but they still need more players to pile up yards and finish drives if they want to stay in the College Football Playoff race.
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Ohio States Elite Passing Game Is Hiding A Bigger Running Back Issue
Ohio States passing game has been humming along at a level few teams in the country can match, but the ground game is carrying a very different kind of conversation. The Buckeyes sit 81st in rushing yards per attempt, a ranking that stands out for a team with this much offensive firepower and one that has had to lean on a rotating backfield rather than finding a clear weekly answer.
The workload has bounced among Ja'Kobi Jackson, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, with true freshman Legend Bey also part of the early mix. Beys limited role has drawn attention because of questions around why his touches have thinned out, and while there has been speculation about professionalism concerns, nothing has been officially confirmed. For a team built to pressure defenses in every way, the bigger issue may be less about who is getting the carries and more about whether Ohio State has settled on the right one. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Brings Coaching Drama And A Defense Ohio State Can Exploit
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There is still enough on the defensive front to make Maryland worth studying, especially along the line, where a few key pieces can flash and disrupt a game if the rest of the unit holds together. The problem, as Michael Howes pointed out, is that the tackling has not been dependable enough, and those misses have repeatedly undercut the defense. For Ohio State, that creates a familiar sort of opportunity, one that starts with pressure up front and can quickly turn into a longer afternoon for a defense already carrying too much uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Got More Fuel In The Rankings Debate
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For a program that always lives in the center of the rankings conversation, that matters because Ohio States place in the public debate is never just about one poll. The AP Poll and Coaches Poll still carry their own influence, but the Buckeyes latest rise adds another layer to the argument over which system best captures how good a team really is. [Read more 🡒]