Tag: Chip Kelly

Chip Kelly vows to learn from Michigan mistakes for CFP battle with Tennessee

The Ohio State Buckeyes, especially offensively, came up short against the Michigan Wolverines, and Chip Kelly is taking the blame for it.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have had one of the most aggressive and efficient offenses in college football this season; however, that wasn’t the case in their final game of the regular season.

The Buckeyes failed to really do much of anything against Michigan, and the worse part is that they failed to really change much of anything throughout the game either.

Chip Kelly, the team’s offensive coordinator, who was an elite offensive mastermind at Oregon years ago, is taking the blame and also preparing for the College Football Playoff, where’s he hoping to do “what it will take” to put them in a position to win.

Will Howard, the Kansas State transfer turned Ohio State starting quarterback, finished with two interceptions, 175 passing yards and one touchdown. Quinshon Judkins, the team’s leading rusher, had just 46 yards, and freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith had just 35 yards.

Things must be better than they were on November 30, and Kelly clearly realizes that. Let’s hope he finds a way to change it for the team’s Saturday battle with Tennessee.

UCLA finishes 84th in USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank

The Bruins make a jump in the final re-rank of the regular season.

The UCLA Bruins’ first season in the Big Ten has come to a close. Finishing their 2024 campaign on a high note with a win over Fresno State, the Bruins end the year with a 5-7 record.

Though the Bruins are not eligible for a bowl this season, UCLA did receive a bit of recognition on Paul Myerberg’s college football re-ranking. The USA TODAY Sports reporter bumped the Bruins nine spots in his re-ranking, with the Bruins landing at the 84th spot in the country at the end of the season.

The Bruins still find themselves in the back half of Myerberg’s ranking, but the 2024 season was still a success. After losing Chip Kelly to Ohio State, UCLA’s coaching experienced significant turnover as first-time head coach DeShaun Foster took the reins of the storied program.

In his first season, Foster, at the very least, instilled a culture that the Bruins can build upon. With work to be done on the recruiting front and in the transfer portal, expect to see the Bruins rise in ranking across the country next season.

Fans were furious with Ryan Day and Chip Kelly over Ohio State’s play-calling vs. Michigan

Ohio State’s offense was disastrous in so many ways against the Wolverines.

Unranked Michigan pulled off a stunning (albeit ugly) upset over No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday, winning 13-10 on the road in Columbus in a game where, at times, it seemed like neither team actually wanted to win.

Throughout the game, Ohio State fans online were becoming increasingly frustrated, particularly with head coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and the Buckeyes’ offensive play-calling with a bunch of run plays for a couple yards here and there. Two missed field goals didn’t help either.

MICHIGAN UPSETS OHIO STATE: An Ohio State-Michigan sideline scuffle knocked a ref to the ground

With a 10-10 halftime score, the Buckeyes failed to post a single point in the second half in their disastrous defeat.

Yes, it was windy in Columbus, and yes, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard threw two interceptions and may have been a little rattled after a very hard hit in the first half. But fans couldn’t believe how seldom the Buckeyes were looking to pass to wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.

Their frustration was fairly warranted when Ohio State finished with just 77 total rushing yards while moving the ball relatively easily through the air — Howard’s interceptions aside. Some fans just vented their frustration online, while others called for Day’s and Kelly’s jobs regardless of the final score.

Either way, angry fans absolutely torched the two Buckeyes coaches throughout the second half and after the game.

Ohio State fans roasted Ryan Day and Chip Kelly for the Buckeyes’ woes against Michigan

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Rose Bowl fan attendance rises in DeShaun Foster’s first year

Despite their record, fans showed up for the Bruins in droves.

The UCLA Bruins have not given fans at the Rose Bowl much to cheer about this season. Only 1-4 at home this season, the Bruins’ lone win over Iowa was the only game where UCLA fans left satisfied.

That said, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, the Bruins have seen an uptick in attendance at the Rose Bowl in their first season in the Big Ten and are close to reaching a notable benchmark.

Bolch wrote on X Monday afternoon, “UCLA’s average of 49,162 fans for home games this season at the Rose Bowl is on pace to be its highest since 2018, when it averaged 51,164 during coach Chip Kelly’s first season.”

The uptick is not a surprise, however. With new excitement surrounding first-year head coach DeShaun Foster paired with marquee match-ups on their schedule like USC, Oregon, and Iowa, fans had good reason to show up and show out for the Bruins.

Ryan Day embraces Chip Kelly in must-see moment after Ohio State win

Ryan Day and Chip Kelly have been under scrutiny the last few weeks, and this massive win was clearly an impactful and emotional one.

While Ohio State has been a top-ten team for the entire season, it certainly hasn’t been an easy one for the coaching staff.

The off-field noise has been loud as their early-season schedule and loss to Oregon have both been the main topics of conversation, not the dominant play in almost every game other than versus the Ducks.

That could be why the Buckeyes 20-13 win against the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium Saturday seemed so important to the duo of head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

Here’s their embrace following the gritty, defensive-minded win.

Kelly’s offense put together a few magnificent drives, especially right the Buckeyes went down 10-0 in the first quarter, and his play-calling helped create some clear opportunities for Will Howard and the team’s talented offense.

This was also the biggest win the duo has had together with Kelly having joined the staff this past offseason.

They’ll look to have more of those marquee wins as Ohio State will inevitably sustain its spot as a top-five team and look toward high-profile battles with Indiana and Michigan later in the season.

Ohio State OC Chip Kelly still seeking first win against Oregon since leaving the program

Oregon has not been kind to Chip Kelly since he left in 2013.

Current Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly had a marvelous run as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009-2012, going 46-7 (33-3 Pac-12).

His teams earned wins in the Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl to go with a BCS National Championship Game loss in 2010.

Kelly’s Ducks were known for innovative offenses, absurdly talented running backs and, above all else, so many wins.

But that run came to an end as Kelly’s years-long flirtation with the NFL reached its inevitable conclusion as the Philadelphia Eagles made him their head coach ahead of the 2013 season. It was good timing, too, since the NCAA was just about to hit Kelly with an 18 month show-cause penalty for recruiting violations.

But just six years later, Kelly was back in college football on the West Coast as the head coach of UCLA. And whatever weirdness there was with Kelly taking over one of the Ducks’ biggest conference rivals was quickly replaced with a different kind of weirdness.

Try as he might, Kelly could not defeat Oregon.

From 2018-2022, Kelly’s Bruins teams faced the Ducks four times. Here’s how they went:

  • 2018: 42-21, Ducks
  • 2020: 38-25, Ducks
  • 2021: 34-31, Ducks
  • 2022: 45-30, Ducks

UCLA didn’t face Oregon in 2023 and by the end of the season Kelly was on his way out, leaving the Power Four program to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State under his New Hampshire disciple Ryan Day.

Now the Buckeyes head to Eugene in Week 7 for a matchup of the No. 2 Buckeyes against the No. 3 Ducks. It’s one of the most anticipated matchups of the year as the newly minted Big Ten rivals face each other for the first time as members of the same conference.

We’ll see if Kelly’s team can finally do what was once taken for granted: Win at Autzen Stadium.

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What exactly is wrong with Eric Bieniemy’s offense?

What is going on with the offense?

The UCLA Bruins coaching staff went through a large overhaul following the departure of head coach Chip Kelly. In his wake, the Bruins elevated running backs coach DeShaun Foster to head coach and hired Eric Bieniemy to head the offense.

Thus far, both have struggled mightily in the Big Ten.

The Bruins offense ranks 126th in points per game and 125th in yards per game in the country. Which begs the question: What is wrong?

To start, Bieniemy did not inherit an overly talented offense group. From passable receiver play to below-average offensive line success, UCLA is hardly one of the Big Ten’s most talented offensive rosters.

Though not the fault of Bieniemy, even teams stripped of high-end talent can devise schemes to generate offense and points. For Bieniemy, he and the Bruins have lacked in both categories.

Moreover, rather than running a varied or unique offense, many of Bieniemy’s play calls look very “vanilla.” With simple schemes and little misdirection, UCLA’s already depleted roster is very predictable. The combination of low-end talent and poor schemes is likely the culprit for UCLA’s anemic offense.

If by the end of the year, UCLA’s offense continues to show little sign of improvement Bieniemy could be in the hot seat much like Foster.

Chip Kelly calls Autzen Stadium, home of Oregon Ducks, “truly special”

Chip Kelly, at one point in his career, coached at Oregon. Now, he’s with Ohio State football trying to take down the Ducks this weekend.

Ohio State football added former Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly to its staff this offseason, bringing him on as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Kelly brings a slew of experience at both the collegiate and professional levels, and he’s undoubtedly been a huge plus for the Buckeyes’ dynamic offense, one that has benefited from Kelly’s immense desire to have a strong run game.

Having coached at Oregon and having been in big games with the Ducks, he’s undoubtedly going to feel some type of special way when he walks back into Autzen Stadium on Saturday for a matchup between a couple of powerhouse programs.

Kelly was asked about his return, and he certainly didn’t say anything too crazy. He did speak about some of the coaches he still knows in the area and his family that’s around there.

Here’s the entire clip of the question from Dillon Davis.

The Buckeyes are going to have their hands full on the road against the No. 3 team in the country. Ohio State has looked virtually unstoppable on both sides of the ball over the last few weeks, beating Iowa at home 35-7 Saturday.

Let’s hope that continues into the Buckeyes’ first real challenge of the season.

Chip Kelly gives hilarious response to change from HC to OC

The Ohio State football added a key personality in Chip Kelly, and he gave a hilarious comment about the change from HC to OC.

The Ohio State Buckeyes added Chip Kelly to their coaching staff this offseason.

With experience as a head coach at both the collegiate level and professional level, Kelly comes braced with a chance to rewrite his legacy and win a national championship for one of the most high-profile programs in the country.

With the move, he went from being a head coach to an offensive coordinator, having spent from 2018 to 2023 with the UCLA Bruins prior to joining Ohio State.

When asked about the biggest difference between being a head coach and now working more behind the scenes, his response was legendary and should give most a good chuckle.

Kelly enjoys a good bathroom break, and I’m sure Ryan Day may say something similar in that position.

That said, Kelly has been a key addition for the Buckeyes as he has fostered an offensive built on the team’s dynamic backs, one which will get a first real test this week against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

One huge question looming over Ohio State football in Week 6

Ohio State football is going to be tested in Week 6 against Iowa, its first real matchup of the season. Can it answer this massive looming question though?

Ohio State football has dominated early in the season. But, considering who it has played, that’s not too shocking. Even against a Big Ten foe like Michigan State, the Buckeyes were still more than three-score favorites.

While they will undoubtedly be expected to win by double figures against the Iowa Hawkeyes in their Week 6 battle, there are going to be a few areas to keep an eye on.

The main question to watch for is how dedicated will Chip Kelly be to the run game.

The Hawkeyes beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers last week 31-14, and they were able to be taken advantage of through the air; however, Minnesota ended the game with 21 carries for just 79 yards.

Iowa has the size in the trenches to stop the run, something Ohio State has tried to do early and often this season. Let’s just say Kelly is focusing on his humor going into the matchup as well as the Hawkeyes.

Nonetheless, Iowa ranks 10th in the country in opponents yards per rush attempt, a category the Buckeyes rank 4th in. Ohio State sits 11th in rushing yards per game. There’s going to be a clash Saturday in Columbus.

Something has to give as Ohio State faces its first real test Surday.