Kelly, Knowles Preview Notre Dame Matchup for the Buckeyes

Photo by Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State (13-2) offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles met with the media at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Jan. 14. The two spoke on their momentous win over Texas (13-3) and previewed their matchup against Notre Dame (14-1) in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

Chip Kelly

Kelly opened the news conference talking about how his star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has responded since being held to only 1 reception for 3 yards against the spectacular Texas secondary.

“He was flying around (at practice), excited about the opportunity to go play in a national championship,” Kelly said. Kelly seemed confident that Smith's maturity and mindset will allow him to bounce back with a more productive game against the Fighting Irish.

That question was quickly followed with inquiries of how they could use Smith and their other weapons to attack a Notre Dame defense that plays the majority of their snaps in man coverage. Kelly stated that the team is aware of how often they present man looks and that they will still disguise coverages while creating pressure up front with defensive coordinator Al Golden’s NFL-esque scheme. Kelly also once again repeated his sentiment that each game presents its own unique challenges and the opposition somewhat determines the game plan. The Buckeyes’ offense has had success in one-on-one matchups this year against man coverage-heavy units. It appears that Kelly is ready to attack again, but still is preparing for any of the Fighting Irish’s various looks.

Kelly was also rightfully asked about his offensive line’s success despite having two starters in Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin going down for the season with injuries. He was first asked about how impressive left guard-turned left tackle Donovan Jackson has been since his position switch caused by those injuries.

“Donny’s really been an unsung hero in terms of what he’s done," Kelly said. "Switching from guard to tackle is not as easy as maybe some people think it is.”

Jackson did not give up a single sack or a pressure against the stellar Texas defensive line. Kelly continued speaking on the unit, praising offensive line coach Justin Frye.

“I think Justin deserves a ton of credit for what he did and how he worked with all those guys," Kelly said.

Many people thought the line would be the Achilles' heel of the team after the injuries. Instead, it has proven to be a strength in the postseason. Sliding Jackson out to tackle and rotating three guards throughout each game in the postseason has went as well as anyone could have imagined.

Jim Knowles

Knowles took the podium and was immediately asked about his unit’s game-saving goal line stand that was capped off by the Jack Sawyer 83-yard strip sack return for a touchdown. Knowles was asked to summarize the four plays in the goal-to-go situation, and stated with the first down stop.

“First play, we got into big people and BOOM, stopped them,” Knowles said laughing. He said the Buckeyes ran a red zone coverage they have never used before on the third and fourth down plays. They had everyone covered on both plays with Sawyer also getting pressure on both snaps. He batted the ball down on third down. He then had the play of the season on the next play.

Knowles also was asked about how advantageous it has been for his defense to be fresh  at this point with the extended season.

“I’ve been in situations where your offense is hurry-up and trying to get as many plays as possible," Knowles said. "That takes its toll over the course of the season on a defense. Coach (Ryan) Day, with a lot of forethought about a long season, really had a great strategy and its helped us a bunch.”

The defense is still explosive and very healthy through 15 games this year. Day’s plan and slow pace in the regular season is allowing both sides of the ball to reap the benefits now.

When asked about what he generally thinks of the physical Notre Dame offense, Knowles said “They have a great running back. Great quarterback who is an incredible competitor. He’ll scrape himself off the ground and keep playing."

Knowles was clear about how highly he thinks of the Fighting Irish's QB in Riley Leonard. He was adamant that they need to limit him when it comes to both his ability as a designed runner and as a scrambler. The Buckeyes’ execution of stopping the effectiveness of his legs will be integral to their defense’s success.

The Buckeyes' Challenge

Both coordinators appeared to be absolutely laser-focused on the task at hand with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame is phenomenal on both sides of the ball. Their defense is aggressive and does everything at a high level, similar to Ohio State's. Offensively, they run the ball perhaps better than anyone in the country. Ohio State stops the run as well as anyone in the country. The battle on both sides of the ball will be intense and entertaining for all fans.

Chip Kelly summarized it best at the end of his news conference.

"Its going to be a battle. I think that's the great part of it," Kelly said. "You have the two best teams in football playing against each other. And it wasn't voted on, it was earned."