“This is not a small loss”: CFB insider minces no words while assessing Chip Kelly’s move from Ohio State to Las Vegas Raiders

Days after Ryan Day's Ohio State secured a thrilling CFP national championship against Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame in a 34-23 showdown, the Buckeyes have lost a pivotal part of the team.

Apart from Will Howard, Jack Sawyer, Jeremiah Smith, and a roster worth $20,000,000, Ohio State's offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was a big key to the Buckeyes' success in 2024. Even the last big play during the national championship showdown, where the Buckeyes went over the top, had Chip Kelly written all over it.

On Sunday, it was announced that Kelly is returning to his roots and joining Pete Carroll at Tom Brady's Las Vegas Raiders.

Discussing this move, college football analyst J.D. PicKell spoke about how big of a loss it is for Ohio State to lose Kelly as its offensive coordinator.

"Let me be very clear, this is not a small loss by any stretch of the imagination," PicKell said. "You do not minimize losing Chip Kelly, even though you might have seen it coming, this isn't a little hole have to fill now with what he brought to the table."

Talking about November's Ohio State-Penn State matchup, PicKell said (1:28):

"Creative with the play calling, found way to attack weak spots in the defense, Chip Kelly masterclass. End of the Texas game. Ohio State lost their gas offensively towards the end of the game, you see Chip Kelly start dialing up the quarterback runs, there were plays to clearly where you could point and say, that's Chip Kelly.

"That last play, that last big play, the national title game, that game where they go over the top, Jeremiah Smith, like, again, you have Chip Kelly's fingerprints all over this national title run, to be clear."

Josh Pate makes thoughts clear about Chip Kelly's move to the Raiders

Kelly is set to return to the NFL for the first time since 2016 and has reportedly been paid $6,000,000 to do so. While it's a great opportunity for Kelly to be a part of an organization looking to turn things around, it is quite a big hit for the Buckeyes.

On Monday's "College Football Show," analyst Josh Pate had the same advice he had for Michigan after it won the national championship in 2023: there's no need to panic right now; after all, the team has just won the national championship.

"I am not coming with you tonight to incite a panic," Pate said (1:40). "I'm coming to you tonight, at least if you're an Ohio State fan, with a very calming and reassuring message.

"Just like I said to your neighbors to the North this time last year, you just won a national championship. That's worth a lot of runway. That is worth a lot of time for you to sigh and breathe out and kick your feet up and enjoy it.

"It may happen again next year, it may not happen for a decade, but you don't wanna spend February freaked out about coaching changes. Worry about that in the spring."

Meanwhile, the latest reports suggest Brian Hartline could become the Buckeyes' new offensive coordinator.