The Ohio State Buckeyes made headlines on Saturday night by hiring former Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to replace Brian Hartline. 

Smith has been in coaching since 2006, when he took his first job as a graduate assistant at the University of North Carolina. Since then, he climbed the ranks and got his first chance as an offensive coordinator in 2019. 

He has spent the last seven seasons calling plays for the Titans, Falcons, and the Steelers. Here's how those seasons rank against each other:

Some context is necessary here.

New coaches rarely go to a team that is in good shape, and that was the case for Smith in 2021. He picked up a Falcons team that went 4-12 the year prior, which led to the firing of Dan Quinn.

Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan could not find the same page, and it led to an abysmal offensive year. The Falcons finished with the 29th-ranked offense in yards, 28th in point differential, the 31st rushing offense, and the 16th passing offense. It was a disaster of a season, but the Birds scraped together a 7-10 record.

In his second year as the Steelers' play caller, Smith got the pleasure of coaching Aaron Rodgers, but it didn't go well for the veteran play caller.

While the Steelers finished with a 10-7 record and winners of the AFC North, it was no thanks to their offense. They finished with the 25th-best offense in yards, 18th in point differential, 26th in rushing, and 22nd in passing yards.

The Steelers' offense was dreadful in 2025, and it cost them a long playoff run.

The end of his time with the Falcons was near for Smith, who needed a big season in Atlanta because his job was on the line. Instead, he threw out another stinker of a year.

The Falcons finished 2023 with a 7-10 record, with the feeling that they left a ton on the table. Quaterback Desmond Ridder was their starter, and he led another tough year of offense under Smith. 

Atlanta finished with the 17th-best offense, which was the 26th-best scoring attack. They failed to score 30 points even one time in the entire season.

Smith was getting a fresh start with a new club and a new quarterback in Pittsburgh, and the excitement for his new challenge was not met with the best production. With Russell Wilson at the helm and him back in the Coordinator position, the Steelers finished 10-7 and made the playoffs, but not thanks to the offense. 

The Steelers finished with the 23rd overall offense and the 16th scoring offense. They were the 11th-best rushing offense but the 27th-best passing attack. 

After a tough first year as the Falcons' head coach, Smith rebounded in year 2 with a solid year. Smith orchestrated a top-10 rushing attack and the 15th overall offense, but it only helped them get to a 7-10 record, good enough for fourth in the NFC South. 

Smith's first year as an offensive coordinator was a good one. The Titans, under Mike Vrabel, were establishing a new, winning culture in Tennessee. Smith established his attack, and the Titans responded with a very good season on offense. They had the 12th-best offense with the 10th-best scoring attack in the League. With Derrick Henry at running back, they had the 3rd best rushing attack in the NFL.

2020 was by far and away Smith's best year as a play caller, and it was his best season overall. The Titans finished with the second-best offense in the NFL, with the 4th best scoring offense. Henry had the best year of his career with 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Titans had the second-best rushing attack and the 8th best scoring offense through the air. 

Smith will need to tap into that 2020 Titans season when he gets to Columbus because the Buckeyes need a shot in the arm immediately. He will be under a strong microscope from day one as the Buckeyes try again to claim the top spot in College Football again in 2026.