Chip Kelly shares joy seeing Ryan Day prove doubters wrong in College Football Playoff

Chip Kelly is pretty joyful about Ryan Day proving doubters wrong throughout this College Football Playoff.

It was the doomsday scenario for Ohio State after losing to Michigan. They would host a first round game, have no Big Ten title to their name and went into the postseason with everything very grim.

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But Kelly wasn’t surprised at the turnaround for the program and Day over the last three games.

“I think the one thing about knowing him for so long, I’m not surprised, you know, I told him a long time ago, he was built for this,” Kelly said. “You know, he understands the gravity of what you have to do to be a head coach here, and I think he’s handled it tremendously. You know, he’s the same person every day. I think the consistency and how he shows up here every day, and what his mission is, and how he drives this entire program, coaches, people in the building, players, whatever is very, very evident, and we get a chance to play one more game.”

Onto the next one, turn the page, one more game, whatever the case may be. Ohio State and Kelly are looking forward in this playoff.

You have to imagine Day is doing the same as the Buckeyes are one win away from glory.

“That’s what the mantra had been since the last game of the regular season,” Kelly said. “You know, we got to keep this group together, and everything he’s talked about since that day, we’ve done so, you know, we got to continue it.” 

But as far as the stress levels, well, everyone’s on high alert.

“I do not sense a load off his shoulders right now,” Kelly said with a smirk. “Ask me that question next Tuesday, but I do not sense any load off of his shoulders right now.”

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles also defended his boss Day amid all the outside noise.

“I’m happy for our coach,” Knowles said. “He really is a great head coach. He’s involved in all aspects. He’s in touch with the players. He knows your problems. He knows your struggles. Whatever was going on there, I don’t get to pay attention to it because I’m involved in my own world, but thanks for telling me people abuse me too. I didn’t know.”