Brian Hartline left OSU, but the success he achieved with the Buckeyes still lives in his memory. In fact, Hartline’s first order of business at USF is to replicate a feat that he achieved at Ohio State. But that’s not from his time as Ohio State’s OC and WRs coach. Instead, he has a plan to guide the Bulls back to the level OSU reached in 2007.

“We’re focused on our spring goals right now, getting some leaders to step up. But be transparent; my focus is on chasing conference championships. That’s where we want to be. We have not done that at USF; Coach alluded to getting all the way to number two in 2007. I remember that in 2007, USF was number two,” said Hartline during his Tuesday appearance on The Triple Option.

“You know who number one was: the Ohio State Buckeyes. So I remember seeing that back when I was playing at Ohio State in 2007, and we’ve never won a conference championship. So for us to do something we’ve never done, we’ve gotta operate like we have never operated, and that’s really our focus going into spring ball.”

OSU’s 19-year-old achievement could become USF’s reality in 2026 with Brian Hartline’s arrival. In 2007, under Jim Tressel, OSU finished 11–2, with their only regular-season loss an upset 28–21 home loss to unranked Illinois. Despite that, they secured the Big Ten title and spent several weeks ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation. That was OSU’s 32nd conference championship win and their second consecutive outright one.

At that time, Brian Hartline was a junior WR who set an OSU record for the longest punt return in the program’s history with a 90-yard TD. However, that season, the Bulls reached No. 2 in the national rankings following their decimation of their rival UCF, 64–12, in Week 7. Still, it was big because they were in their third season in the Big East Conference.

However, a new era begins at USF with Brian Hartline. Still, this path won’t be easy because the Bulls have never won that crown since its inception in 1997, spanning their time in Conference USA, the Big East, and the AAC. Now Hartline is not only determined to end the long drought but also to achieve that 19-year-old OSU-level success. Here’s where Hartline’s 9 seasons of success at his alma mater speak volumes.

Starting in 2017 as an offensive quality control coach, he rose to OC and WRs coach, developing multiple first-round NFL draft picks at WR. But what helps the Bulls more is his experience of helping OSU to get eight Big Ten championships as both a player and a coach. Interestingly, since taking over, his actions have only amplified the possibility of USF’s title run.

He has executed a major roster overhaul, adding over 37 transfers in his first portal cycle. To cap it off, he has brought staff like OC Tim Beck, QB coach Mike Hartline, DC Josh Aldridge, and more to position USF as an immediate contender in the AAC.

USF is set to reach another level in Brian Hartline’s era

In his first offseason as head coach, Brian Hartline made it clear that punctuality isn’t optional, and the Bulls learned it the hard way. After one player reportedly showed up late to a team event, the punishment didn’t stop with the individual. Instead, the entire position group was banned from the locker room.

The incident surfaced through a now-deleted TikTok clip posted by a player, and the caption read, “Whole group banned from the locker room😭😭.” Even when OSU safety Jaylen McClain joked online that it had to be “Hartline and AT” behind the move, the player who posted the video replied simply, writing, “You already know.”

In short, discipline is already the headline of USF’s new era. Now, expectations in Tampa are higher than they’ve been in years. But behind this level of confidence and strictness, Hartline’s vision is clear for spring practice.

“Make the play, and then you do it consistently,” said the coach. “And that’s a really big part of spring for us. Every position is focused in competition right now. I mean, there’s no guarantees anywhere, really, really important. And then, you know, I think individual improvement is just, it’s just all lumped into some of that.”

Let’s see whether USF’s 2026 season matches Brian’s expectations or not.