Chip Kelly’s Ohio State Offense Radically Different Than His Oregon Ducks’ Blur Offense

Former Oregon coach Chip Kelly is the new offensive coordinator of the Ohio State Buckeyes. While many are expecting a repeat of Kelly's fast paced attack with the Ducks, former Ohio State head coach, Urban Meyer, believes differently. He expects Kelly to run an offense that is more deliberate and based on getting the right play rather than just being fast.

Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks former coach Chip Kelly in attendance before the 2015 CFP National Championship Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Former Oregon Ducks’ coach Chip Kelly has taken the reins as the Ohio State Buckeyes' offensive coordinator. For those who can’t wait to see the latest edition of his fast-paced attack designed to keep defenses on their heels, they are going to be disappointed. Since those "blur" days at Oregon, Kelly has continued to adjust his play calling approach to compete at the highest level. College football fans may be surprised by what they see when the Buckeyes take the field for the 2024 campaign.

Recall that Kelly and current Ohio State coach Ryan Day worked together at New Hampshire before the Oregon Ducks hired Kelly to revamp their offense. He quickly established a pace of play never before seen in college football. The premise was that an approach based on speed and an explosive running game would confuse the defense. Opposing coaches were hard pressed to find ways to stop the Ducks and tried a variety of tactics that included players “lingering” with possible injuries.

Aug 2, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks with Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly during Fall Camp practice Aug. 2, 2024 at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. / Doral Chenoweth / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kelly’s record at Oregon was impressive by any standard. In three seasons, he posted a 34-6 record with two Rose Bowl appearances and a berth in the 2011 BCS National Championship game. Given the attention he received, there were constant rumors about a move to the NFL. In January 2013, Kelly was hired as the Philadelphia Eagles head coach. This started what is considered a disappointing foray into the NFL including just one season in San Francisco. Kelly posted an overall pro record of 28-35. He then returned to the college ranks as UCLA’s head coach in 2018 and the evolution of Kelly’s offenses continued.

Then, in somewhat of a surprising move, Kelly resigned at UCLA following the 2023 season and was hired by Ohio State coach Ryan Day to be the Buckeyes offensive coordinator. While this move started a buzz around what fast-paced approach Kelly may bring to Columbus, one well-known football coach has a different perspective.

Former head coach at Ohio State, Urban Meyer, appeared on Colin Cowherd’s “The Herd,” and offered his thoughts on the 2024 version of Chip Kelly’s play-calling offense.

“I’ve known Chip forever. We’re very close. We spend a lot of time together on the spread offense,” said Meyer. “His philosophy back in the day at Oregon as a head coach and a coordinator was [to] go as fast as you can. That evolved when he went to the NFL, and it really evolved when he went to UCLA.

Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes former head coach Urban Meyer walks by the end zone during the first half between Michigan and Ohio State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han-USA TODAY Sports / Detroit Free Press-USA TODAY Sports

“He is now the perfect play guy. He's a guy that’s going to huddle, take their time, and get the perfect play in. That is drastically different than what he was as a head coach at Oregon.”

One Kelly trait that hasn’t changed is finding the right players to run his offense. These are not necessarily household names, but are quarterbacks who successfully learned his program and took the Ducks to multiple championships. The list includes Darron Thomas who led Oregon to the 2010 Bowl Championship Series title game against Auburn and a Pac-12 title in 2011. Perhaps his best student was Marcus Mariota who started in 2012 and two years later was Oregon’s first Heisman Trophy winner.

While still early and no games have been played, Kelly’s reputation of finding the right player for his system continues. Coach Day recently announced that former Kansas State quarterback and transfer portal signee, Will Howard, will be the starting signal-caller when the Buckeyes open the season on August 31 when they take on Akron.

Aug 8, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) calls out a play during football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Coach Kelly believes that Howard has the skills to run his offense and deliver the wins Ohio State expects.

"It's just as critical to be that guy in the run game as it is in the pass game regarding what we ask the quarterbacks to do here. He's really worked extremely hard in the off-season. From the end of spring ball to now, he's made great strides,” said Kelly. “We gave him a plan over the summer to work on. He took it and ran with it. Where he is now is pretty impressive. He has experience. He's been in the huddle. He's been in a huddle in a lot of games. He's been in a huddle in big games. Columbus is new to him, but playing college football isn't. That experience really started to shine during camp. I'm excited to see where he goes with us."

Following the news, Adam King of 10TV spoke with coach Day about the Buckeyes new quarterback.

“We're excited about Will [Howard] being the starter,” said Day. “Will has really taken a command of the offense I believe. You feel him in the huddle, you feel his experience. He did a really good job, as we talked about, of changing his body in the off-season. He's become a threat both with his legs and with his arm. The more he understands what he's doing out there and what he does, he's really executing very well. I think the guys are excited. When he gets in the huddle, not to say that they're not excited when the other quarterbacks are in there, but they do feel Will. I know he's excited about leading the team.”

Howard’s numbers at Kansas State last year were modest at best: a completion percentage rate of 61.3 (219-357), 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Those numbers will need to be higher to be considered successful, but if there is a coach that can make that happen, it’s Chip Kelly and his ever-evolving offense. Ducks’ fans are going to get a first-hand look at Ohio State’s offense when the Buckeyes visit Autzen stadium on October 12—a game that could very well play a role in determining a Big Ten championship.

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