The Ohio State Buckeyes have lost both of their coordinators from their National Championship campaign. Jim Knowles departed for Big Ten rival Penn State to become the Nittany Lions’ new defensive coordinator. Then, this past weekend, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly made a surprising move back to the NFL, hired by new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, his former Pac-10 rival at Oregon.
This move, which comes with a lucrative paycheck, means that Kelly is once again stepping away from college football. Ohio State sensation Jeremiah Smith greatly benefited from Kelly and his offensive strategies. Upon hearing the news of Kelly’s departure, Smith reacted as one might expect: “Nooooo,” he posted on X, accompanied by a broken heart emoji.
Smith had incredible success as a freshman at Ohio State. Although the Buckeyes have produced many outstanding wide receivers over the years, Smith truly stood out this season, becoming a formidable challenge for opposing defenses, who sometimes struggled to cover him at all. Regardless of Kelly’s absence, expect Smith to continue shining for Ohio State.
Kelly first ventured into the NFL after a successful tenure at the University of Oregon, but his time with the Philadelphia Eagles ended in disarray. Following that, he returned to college football at UCLA, where he was unable to replicate his previous success. Kelly joined the Buckeyes’ coaching staff before the 2024 season and played a pivotal role in leading Ohio State to its first National Championship in a decade.
