Ohio State’s offense has hit the gas ever since the team lost 32-31 to Oregon on Oct. 12, going 6-1 and outscoring opponents 211-79.
A late penalty helped the Ducks run out the clock on a win, but the No. 8 Buckeyes will get a chance to avenge the loss when they face No. 1 Oregon during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
“We’ve made adjustments coming off of that game. And we worked hard to make sure that we’re putting our guys in the best position to be successful,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “After the game that we played with these guys last time, you can see every week has gotten stronger and stronger.”
The strong stretch is highlighted by their explosive offense, led by offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who will return to the Rose Bowl to face his former team.
Read more: Oregon coach Dan Lanning expects to be tested by Ohio State at the Rose Bowl
Kelly was Oregon’s head coach from 2009-12, leading the Ducks to national prominence and two Rose Bowl appearances (1-1) during his tenure. He was also on the Rose Bowl sidelines last season as UCLA’s head coach, a role he held for six seasons.
“[Kelly’s] now got a full understanding of who we are personnel-wise in the Big Ten,” Day said. “He has evolved. He has a great understanding of offensive football.”
In his first full season with the Buckeyes, Kelly has orchestrated the nation’s highest-scoring offense, averaging 42 points per game, while overseeing quarterback Will Howard’s development.
Howard has thrown for 3,171 yards, 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.
“I think he has good size, obviously, and he’s a big body,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said of Howard. “He’s hard to get down. More than that, I think he’s built a lot of confidence in the guys he’s able to throw the ball to, and even some confidence in the quarterback run game. I think you see him utilized a little bit more in the QB run game later in the season.
“But he does a good job throwing good balls. He certainly threw a lot of good balls the other night down the field and was able to target the wideouts for explosive plays down the field. Playing really good football right now. Certainly played really good football against Tennessee.”
Kelly said after the win over Tennessee that Howard has developed to the point the coordinator doesn’t need to finish the play calls because his quarterback knows them so well.
“Our challenge to Will going into the last game was that he had to be the best leader on the field,” Day said of Howard. “I thought he was. I thought he played well, got into a rhythm early on. But I think for Will, understanding exactly how we’re trying to attack defense is a critical part of being successful. And when the play caller and the quarterback are on the same page, … the minute they hear the formation, they can finish it. That means he’s got a great grasp of what we’re trying to get done.”
Etc.
Historically, the Buckeyes have been a hurdle the Ducks have struggled to overcome in the postseason.
Oregon lost 42-20 to Ohio State in the 2015 national championship game. The Ducks have also never defeated the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl, falling in 2010 under Kelly’s tutelage and in 1958.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
