Wisconsin football top 2025 opponent loses both coordinators
Reigning national champion Ohio State’s coaching staff is facing top-down turnover this offseason.
Roughly two weeks from vanquishing Notre Dame 34-23 in the national title game, Buckeyes offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Kelly is reportedly leaving to assume play-calling duties with the Las Vegas Raiders. Kelly joins top defensive coordinator Jim Knowles (Penn State) and offensive line coach Justin Frye (Arizona Cardinals) as major assistants to depart after the title-winning 2024 campaign.
In his lone season in Columbus, Kelly helped guide the Buckeyes to a 14-2 finish with signature playoff victories over Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame. The team also dropped heartbreakers to Oregon and Michigan in the regular season, though it rebounded in the playoff to capture its first title since 2014.
With Kelly calling plays, the Buckeyes scored 30 or more points in 12 of their 16 games in 2024, including three straight games with at least 49 points to begin the season.
From 2018-23, Kelly rerouted UCLA’s program in his first college football head coaching job since his stint with the Oregon Ducks from 2009-12. Kelly went 81-41 overall with the Ducks and Bruins as an NCAA Division I head coach and clinched seven bowl appearances in 10 seasons.
Kelly will now make his return to the NFL for the first time since 2016 — a year he manned the sidelines as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He will call plays for the Raiders under recently hired head coach Pete Carroll. The team remains in desperate need of a starting quarterback.
For Wisconsin fans, the move is noteworthy ahead of the 2025 season. The Badgers are slated to square off against the Buckeyes at Camp Randall on Oct. 18. The matchup will be Wisconsin’s first against Ohio State since 2023. Former five-star recruit Julian Sayin will likely start under center with 2024 starter Will Howard out of eligibility.
Kelly’s absence won’t likely mean much for what Ohio State can accomplish offensively against the Badgers. Wisconsin, alongside virtually every other college program, does not roster any defensive back who can contain superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith on the outside. That weapon, coupled with a bevy of five-star talents, should push Ohio State ahead of Wisconsin by a wide margin.
Still, the Buckeyes’ upcoming hires at offensive and defensive coordinator may define their quest for a title defense. Both Kelly and Knowles were considered among the sport’s best at their positions. Ryan Day will now look to fill both coordinator voids ahead of the 2025 season — a story Badger fans should monitor over the coming weeks.
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