Chip Kelly is headed back to Columbus this weekend, and this time he’ll be on the other sideline when Northwestern meets Ohio State on Saturday.
Kelly was the Buckeyes’ play caller in 2024, the last time Ohio State had an offense that could compete for a National Championship. He arrived to handle the play-calling duties from Brian Hartline, who was moved into the assistant offensive coordinator role.
His connection with Ryan Day goes back more than a decade. Day first worked with Kelly when Kelly got his first NFL opportunity and joined the Philadelphia Eagles staff as quarterbacks coach while Kelly was head coach.
When Kelly later went to the San Francisco 49ers, he brought Day with him to the West Coast. Day then returned the favor by hiring Kelly at Ohio State in 2024.
There’s also another layer to this matchup: the possibility that Kelly could come back to Columbus if things don’t work out this year for Arthur Smith.
Ohio State’s offense has been stagnant and bad this season, to the point that the year is on the brink of being lost, if it isn’t already. Plenty of blame can be spread around, but a lot of it starts on the offensive side of the ball.
Day was asked about whether he had considered Kelly last year when he was making his hiring decision, and he sidestepped the question. He danced his way around, not so gracefully, I might add, which, reading between the lines, made it very obvious that there was something there.
Saturday will be the first time Kelly and Day face each other as opposing coaches, and the stakes feel enormous for both programs. Northwestern has a chance to knock off the giant and push itself into a new stratosphere in the college football landscape.
Ohio State, meanwhile, is on thin ice and needs a win at all costs. A loss to Northwestern would be a major red flag for the program and the direction it is heading.
Wouldn’t it be poetic if Kelly was the one to do it. Saturday means a lot, even though it might not have an impact on anything at all.
In Other News...
Ohio States Quarterback Future Suddenly Has Two Names To Watch
Julian Sayins season-ending injury changed the conversation in Columbus almost overnight, and the Buckeyes have spent the last two games trying to stabilize the offense with Luke Fahey under center. Any time a program like Ohio State has to rework its quarterback room on the fly, the attention quickly shifts from the present to what comes next, especially when the depth chart suddenly feels thinner than expected.
Drake Lindsey of Minnesota and Marcus Stokes of Memphis have emerged as two names worth monitoring if Ohio State decides to look outside the program for help. Both bring production that would make them intriguing options in a future quarterback competition, but for now their transfer status remains speculative, leaving the Buckeyes with more questions than answers as they sort out the position beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Gets A Tricky Northwestern Test Few Fans Saw Coming
Northwesterns visit to Columbus arrives with a different look than the one most Ohio State fans probably expected when the schedule was set. The Wildcats will be without starting quarterback Aidan Chiles because of injury, which means Nicco Marchiol is expected to get the start, and the matchup also brings an old familiar face back into the picture in Chip Kelly, now Northwesterns offensive coordinator after his run as Ohio States offensive coordinator.
There is also a broader backdrop to this trip that makes it feel a little less ordinary than a typical Big Ten home game. Northwestern is still settling into its new stadium, the replacement for Ryan Field, built with major support from the Ryan family, and the program is trying to make a fresh impression in a new era. For Ohio State, the challenge is not just the opponent on the field but the kind of tricky conference test that can sneak up when the focus is elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Turned Jeremiah Smith Into A Massive Second Half Storyline
Ohio State has put a spotlight on Jeremiah Smith in a way that matches the season he has put together, launching a campaign to push the sophomore wide receiver into the national awards conversation. Smith already owns Buckeyes records for receptions, yards and touchdowns, and he leads the Big Ten in all three categories this season, a reminder of how central he has become to an offense still trying to find its footing.
The timing matters, too. With the Buckeyes dealing with recent struggles and a change at quarterback, getting Smith involved has become more than a nice idea, it is part of the offensive identity Ohio State wants to lean on in the second half. However the rest of the season unfolds, the Buckeyes have made clear that their most productive playmaker is now a storyline well beyond Columbus. [Read more 🡒]