Ohio State’s Chip Kelly Fires Back at Oregon’s Dan Lanning Over Controversial Penalty

The Ohio State Buckeyes’ razor-thin 32-31 loss to the Oregon Ducks in October featured one of the most controversial coaching decisions of the season. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning intentionally invoked a 12-men-on-the-field penalty to strategically burn a few seconds off the clock, denying Ohio State a potential game-winning opportunity. The move, while legal, left Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly less than impressed.

In a pointed postgame comment reported by Sports Illustrated‘s Pat Forde, Kelly didn’t hold back in addressing Lanning’s tactics:

“It was a unique message to our players, that you can’t stop us with 11,” Kelly said. “You had to stop us with 12. And then you saw the final result of 11 vs. 11.”

Kelly’s remark highlighted Ohio State’s commanding 41-21 victory over the Ducks in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, played at the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes, determined to prove their mettle, surged to a 34-0 lead before Oregon managed to find the scoreboard late in the first half.

A Penalty That Changed the Game

The intentional penalty during their October clash came at a critical juncture. With the play clock winding down, Lanning’s calculated move exploited a loophole: live-ball fouls do not reset the clock. As a result, Oregon shaved four seconds off, leaving Ohio State with only six seconds to attempt a game-winning field goal. The Buckeyes ran one final play but couldn’t stop the clock to set up a scoring chance.

After the game, Lanning didn’t shy away from the situation, offering a subtle confirmation of the penalty’s intentionality:

“We spend an inordinate amount of time on situations,” Lanning said. “There are some situations that don’t show up very often in college football, but this is one that obviously was something we had worked on.”

While the move might have won Oregon the regular-season game, Ohio State ensured their rematch in the playoffs left no room for doubt.

Kelly vs. Lanning: A Coaching Chess Match

Kelly, a former Oregon head coach from 2009 to 2012, is no stranger to bold strategies. During his tenure, he led the Ducks to three Pac-12 titles and earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors twice. However, his familiarity with Oregon’s program added extra intrigue to the postseason matchup.

Ultimately, the Buckeyes’ emphatic playoff win spoke louder than words, cementing their dominance when it mattered most. Kelly’s jab at Lanning may resonate with Ohio State fans, but it also underscores the chess match inherent in football—where coaches’ decisions can change the game in a single moment.

Ohio State’s triumph over Oregon in the postseason solidified their season’s legacy and proved that, at least this time, 11 men were enough to get the job done.