After Playoff no-show, Ohio State's offensive makeover begins with new QBs coach

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For the first time ever, an Urban Meyer team was shut out. And Meyer promised it wasn't going to happen again.

Meyer's post-Fiesta Bowl vows of getting back to work and specifically improving the Buckeyes' passing attack are already ringing true, with the offensive makeover already underway.

Ohio State announced Tuesday — three days after a 31-0 loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal — the addition of new quarterbacks coach Ryan Day.

Day replaces Tim Beck, the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who will reportedly become the new offensive coordinator at Texas under former Ohio State assistant Tom Herman.

Day spent the past two seasons working as an assistant in the NFL under Chip Kelly, with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 and with the San Francisco 49ers this past season. Day also worked as a college assistant at Boston College and Temple.

While the Buckeyes were good enough to win 11 games this season and reach the Playoff, they struggled to find consistent success throwing the ball behind quarterback J.T. Barrett, who still took home Big Ten Quarterback of the Year honors.

Had the Fiesta Bowl not happened or gone differently, there might not have been such a dire need for change. But on the biggest stage the sport has to offer, Ohio State was shockingly inept on offense, mustering just 215 total yards — and only 88 on the ground — in the program's first shutout loss since 1993.

Play-calling got a lot of attention, with freshman running back Mike Weber getting just three carries. But the Clemson defense was a nightmare for Ohio State, pressuring Barrett on every play and getting into the backfield with ease, recording 11 tackles for loss.

Though offensive coordinator Ed Warinner is still on the job, a Tuesday report indicated his role could change. That and Day taking on just one of Beck's former titles has sparked speculation that there's another big hire to come, someone to fully take over the Buckeyes' offense.

And of course that speculation has grown to typically lofty levels, with Kelly's name being thrown around as a preferred choice of many on social media. Kelly is newly jobless after getting fired by the 49ers, and Meyer has brought on former big-name coaches in the very recent past. Former NFL head coach Greg Schiano is the Ohio State defensive coordinator.

Whether or not a huge splash comes, Meyer has already begun the work of retooling his offense in the aftermath of the worst loss of his career.

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