Chip Kelly’s Ohio State Move Adds Intrigue To Big Ten Rivalry With Oregon Ducks

750 The Game Staff

Chip Kelly will visit Autzen Stadium again this fall. Not as a head coach, not at UCLA, but as the offensive coordinator of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Kelly’s exit from UCLA was met with raised eyebrows especially considering he was not moving for another head coaching job. But once you factor in the strained relationship between Kelly and athletic director Martin Jarmond, as well as Kelly’s longtime friendship with Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, and the move makes more sense.

“I remember where Chip Kelly was when he found out UCLA was leaving the Pac-12 to go to the Big Ten,” John Canzano said Tuesday on 750 The Game. “He was playing golf with Ryan Day. They were on the golf course.

“Ryan Day played for Chip Kelly at New Hampshire. They’ve known each other for years. They’re close. This is a solution for Ryan Day that was a no-brainer. Chip Kelly was off interviewing for all these NFL coordinator positions. He obviously wanted out at UCLA. He’s got Ryan Day with a problem at the offensive coordinator position. This is a good fit. It allows Ryan Day to focus on the other things that a head coach needs to focus on. He should not be sitting there worried about what you’re doing on second down, third down. Ryan Day needs to be the CEO of the program and he’s getting, I think, a really talented play caller in Chip Kelly.”

Ohio State will have a new quarterback in 2024 in Kansas State transfer Will Howard, who set the Wildcasts program record for career passing touchdowns and now has Chip Kelly as his offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

“I’m really interested to see how this reunion in Columbus works out for the Buckeyes,” Canzano continued. “Because I think there’s a potential that this is a game-changing hire for Ryan Day.”

As for how this impacts Dan Lanning and the Big Ten-bound Ducks, Canzano says Kelly’s move will make things interesting for an Oregon program aiming high in their first year in the conference.

“I had said weeks ago I thought Oregon had pulled even, or maybe in front of Ohio State,” Canzano said. “I’m now going, I don’t know.

“These two teams, I got to see them in the spring. I need to see Oregon’s quarterback play in the spring. Dillon Gabriel, is he the guy? If so, what can he be? But I also need to see what Ohio State’s going to look like next season. And I got to be honest with you, October 12th, Autzen Stadium, Chip Kelly and the Buckeyes coming to play the Ducks. Keep an eye on it.”

Listen to Canzano’s comments on Kelly in Punch It Audio at the 29:45 mark of the show podcast below.

John Canzano delivers the Bald Faced Truth afternoons 3-6 p.m. exclusively in Portland on 750 The Game.