College football fans who grew up watching Chip Kelly’s Oregon Ducks would remember that there were two staples of his offense that made those teams so explosive and fun to watch.
Kelly was ahead of his time when it came to the read-option, using it not only on the ground but to set up the passing attack as well. The other thing that those Oregon teams were known for was their speed. Kelly recruited fast athletes to play for his offenses, ones who operated in and out of the huddle at breakneck and oftentimes no-huddle speed.
It was a thing to see and for years the Ducks were the most exciting offensive show in town.
Both college football and the NFL (to some extent), learned from what Kelly did at Oregon and adapted many of his tactics. As Kelly went on to coach in the NFL and then back to college as head coach at UCLA, his scheme continued to adapt and change as well. Kelly will now bring that experience and strategic philosophy to play in Columbus as offensive coordinator of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
“This Chip Kelly offense is completely different than the so-called radical offense that he ran when he was the head coach at Oregon,” former Ohio State head coach and current FOX Sports analyst Urban Meyer said when discussing OSU’s offense with Colin Cowherd (h/t On3). “It’s completely different. And I do believe it’s going to help Ohio State. They’ve got the quarterback that fits this scheme.”
