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Chip Kelly debuted his new look offensive attack at the Ohio State spring game over the weekend. In doing so, he also offered a blast from the past while paying homage to former coach Woody Hayes.
Early in the action, he lined his unit up in the Wing-T formation! Three backs and a signal caller under center? Not what you’d anticipate seeing given Kelly’s patented high-flying spread approach.
But that’s what the Buckeyes got!
Single Wing ➡️ T-Formation
Chip Kelly starting off the Ohio State Spring Game with some Old School Football! pic.twitter.com/6ooJHfegGh
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) April 13, 2024
He broke down that surprising look after the game. As it turns out, there were a few different reasons for using the package.
“Mr. Hayes,” Chip Kelly said when asked about his inspiration for the Wing-T. “There’s a looming figure around this whole program. We get to work every day at the Woody Hayes athletic center. If it was good enough for Woody, we’re going to do it.”
While the formation was a shoutout to Hayes, Kelly also fully plans on installing it as a short-yardage tool.
“We ran some last year,” he continued. “I think we did 21 snaps at UCLA. It’s been a short-yardage formation for us. We’ve done some different things with it. Also, I think our players had a lot of fun practicing that… It’s a small part of our offense, but we may get it in some short-yardage situations.”
Chip Kelly said Ohio State opening in T Formation was a tribute to Woody Hayes, and it will be part of short-yardage package this season pic.twitter.com/CAMdLFSewJ
— Marcus Hartman (@marcushartman) April 13, 2024
That could be beneficial considering the Buckeyes struggled at times on the line of scrimmage, and they were called out for it by national media members.
Chip Kelly hopes to change that narrative following a six-year stint as head coach at UCLA. While some saw the move as a downgrade, he seems excited about the opportunity to implement his gameplan for one of college football’s most notable programs.
The Wing-T won’t be something seen each game for the Buckeyes, but it should give Ohio State fans something new (and old!) to look out for in the 2024 season.