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OC Arthur Smith (Official Thread)

I really hope I'm wrong. I just don't see what everyone is talking about with Smith being some guru, especially in the run game.

This is the shit we had to watch for two years. The O-line play went from middling under Canada to incompetent with Smith.



Might it have been the O-line coach? I really hope so. But the drop in execution was very noticeable after Smith came in.

And I don't buy the talent thing. Pickens left and looks like a superstar. Dotson got traded away and immediately turned into a pro-bowler. In 2024 Najee was hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 52% of hand offs. The run game fell off a cliff this year without him setting records for broken tackles.

I'm trying to convince myself it was somehow Tomlin meddling and demanding risk averse gameplans, but I don't think that's the case. More likely Smith just had prime Derrick Henry for a couple years and has coasted on that ever since.

So the OL coach gets held to no accountability LOL!?! I mean come on, so the coordinators are now to blame for everything on their side of the blame but the position coaches cant be held accountable?

The Steelers haven't had a competent OL coach since Mike Munchak! And idk what's more impressive, Smiths work with Henry or getting Tyler Algier to 1000yds(that keeps being forgotten). Heck, his first year in Atlanta he had Corradelle Patterson at RB along with Mike Davis. Thats the epitome of a mid RB room, and yet he even got them to 7 wins with Marcus Mariota as his QB!
The OL for the Steelers has been terrible even when Canada was there and the OC before him, all Steelers fans know that.
Harris was a 1 trick pony RB who ran forward and fell down, no wiggle and was nonexistent in the passing game. That doesnt work in Smiths offense. Warren and Gainwell had more success because they could catch and make defenders miss in space.
 
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A few Scarlet & Game articles on Arthur Smith:

What kind of offensive stats Ohio State can put up under Arthur Smith

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Now that Smith is in Columbus, the Ohio State Buckeyes have their full coaching staff. What kind of offensive statistics should fans expect heading into next season? Will they still be able to chuck it down the field to Jeremiah Smith? Or is Bo Jackson now the focal point of the offense?

What offensive stats to expect from the Ohio State football team

This past season, the Buckeyes were far from elite offensively. They were the 26th-best total offense in the country. What made them so dangerous was the defense. With Smith calling plays, Jackson and the running game can expect an increase in rushing opportunities.

Ohio State was not even in the top 70 when it came to rushing yards per game, averaging just over 155 yards per contest. Expect that number to go up. Smith is good at scheming up running plays, even for players who aren't just in the backfield. Expect Ohio State to get more creative in that regard.

From a passing game standpoint, Smith will not abandon the pass. He understands that Smith is his best player. Expect Julian Sayin to put up even better numbers than he did a year ago. Another year of development should help both him and Smith be Heisman contenders again.

Ohio State should be a top 10 offense when things are all said and done next year. Smith has called plays before, and that counts for something. Brian Hartline was a first-time play-caller, and it showed. That experience alone should keep the Buckeyes with a powerful offense.


Newest Ohio State hire could have massive NIL impact for Buckeyes

Arthur Smith's nepotistic ties to FedEx may be the greatest asset he brings to his Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator job in Columbus. That wasn't the most satisfying sentence for most to read, but it's one OSU fans are probably okay with, given the potential ROI.

Ohio State Buckeyes On SI's Nick Pedone believes Smith's hiring could bring with it the financial spending power of his late father's "multinational conglomerate holding company specializing in transportation, e-commerce, and business services."

"While it’s wildly unfair to suggest that the Buckeyes hired Smith because of his late father’s wealth, it certainly will not hurt Ohio State to have that close of connections with one of the richest men in the country's history," Pedone wrote.

"Ohio State has a robust NIL program already. It’s partly how the team has been able to stockpile talent like Smith and Sayin. But this is an ecosystem that isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s continuing to expand with college football player salaries increasing rapidly."

Money may be more important than coaching in College Football

It's getting to the point where money is more important than coaching. It makes you wonder if that was always the case, with the SEC building its reputation with guys who oftentimes couldn't hack it in other conferences or leagues. Let's not forget Nick Saban wasn't a legend with the Michigan State Spartans or the Miami Dolphins in the NFL.
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Former Ohio State football player sings praises of Arthur Smith hiring as OC

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Former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry loves the hiring of Arthur Smith

While speaking on Bishop & Friends on 97.1 the Fan, Perry explained why he liked the hiring of Smith for Day and the Buckeyes.

"This is a guy who is known for aggressive run schemes and is known for great play-action passing. And I think it complements what Ryan Day wants to do in his own philosophy, where he's great in the pass game."

Perry believes that there will be an improvement in the run game, which is something Day doesn't always emphasize in the offense. He doesn't believe that will come at the expense of the pass game, which has been the backbone of the Buckeyes for the last five years or so.

Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are the two best offensive players Ohio State will have next season. Smith has to make sure he keeps those guys engaged in the offense. They both should be better than they were this past year, especially Sayin. Smith is already a dangerous player.

At least Smith has called plays before, which is not something Hartline had experience with prior to this past season.
 
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What’s worse.

Having excuses for when he didn’t do well?

Or ignoring his offenses when they were good?

Can’t do both man. You can’t say “you’re making excuses!” And then say “well the stats aren’t telling the story”

It’s probably somewhere in the middle. When Arthur has good players he does well it seems. When he doesn’t have good players he doesn’t do well. Here at OSU he’s going to have the best players so I bet he’ll do great.
I'm still not willing to accept he's had good offenses. Definitely not since he took the Atlanta job.
 
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Per 11w poster:
I won’t do a position by position breakdown but the Steelers lacked high-level talent at QB, WR2, especially WR3, and RB.

Caveats: a) Warren is talented but probably best suited as a team’s RB2 in today’s committee-focused NFL. b). Gainwell had a very good season. He is a reason to be excited for the Smith hire. That being said, he was RB3 and RB4 in Philly even before Barkley. c) DK is talented but no one has accused him of being a good route runner, leader, etc. and he needs a side kick to achieve high-level production. Teams took him away for long stretches because of these factors.

Steelers were bad offensively and I give Tomlin credit for eeking out a few wins he shouldn’t have. Bad offensively IMO due to talent and so the playcalling leaned safe to maximize wins of scoreboard.

https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/2950/2025-nfl-offensive-spending#:~:text=Table_title: Average: $57M Table_content: header: | |,QB: $7,455,366 | TOTAL OFFENSE: $189,057,859 |
And to provide another point, he’s being judged on the same metric as coaches who have tens of millions more being spent on their offense. Seattle is a massive outlier (I know someone would mention them) as their best offensive players are all on rookie contracts. The only serious weapon Pit had was DK, and an old Rodger’s who earned far less than any elite QB. Out of the bottom 10 salaries for offense, 5 made the playoffs. And the Steelers were the only team with veterans at skill positions. Everyone else is heavy on rookie offensive talent. Pittsburgh in turn though had one of the most expensive defenses in the NFL. Tomlin gave the defense ingredients to make surf and turf and the offense ingredients to make hamburger helper.
 
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Yet those 2 helped a team win the division and make the playoffs.
See.....this is what I mean when I say stats lie. The Steelers sucked this year. But you can hide that with sentences like this. That division was pure garbage. At one point LATE in the season, it was possible that the winner of the division could have a losing record. But they still would've been able to claim a division win and a playoff birth. Making the playoffs as a division winner was not because of Arthur Smith.
 
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See.....this is what I mean when I say stats lie. The Steelers sucked this year. But you can hide that with sentences like this. That division was pure garbage. At one point LATE in the season, it was possible that the winner of the division could have a losing record. But they still would've been able to claim a division win and a playoff birth. Making the playoffs as a division winner was not because of Arthur Smith.
If Day would have only sought your counsel we wouldn't be in the mess we are currently in.
 
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See.....this is what I mean when I say stats lie. The Steelers sucked this year. But you can hide that with sentences like this. That division was pure garbage. At one point LATE in the season, it was possible that the winner of the division could have a losing record. But they still would've been able to claim a division win and a playoff birth. Making the playoffs as a division winner was not because of Arthur Smith.
lol. I get it man, you’re not a fan of the hire. And nothing will sell you on it until games are played. My main point is, I think Smith’s play calling and scheme can see success in college. And it can see success with the most talent he’s ever had.
You may still be right in the end. And unfortunately if you are, it would mean another year where OSU doesn’t win the B1G or another Natty
 
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