At the beginning of the month, Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline was named the new coach of South Florida on a six-year deal.
The Buckeyes played in the Big Ten championship vs. Indiana just days later, resulting in an upsetting 13–10 loss to the Hoosiers. Despite Hartline’s new job, he still called the offense for this game. Coach Ryan Day said at the time that Hartline would remain in that role throughout the playoffs.
