Chip Kelly is proving to be the perfect mad genius to help Ryan Day's Ohio State offense hit its peak

The Ohio State Buckeyes welcomed their first Big Ten foe with a resounding answer as to whether they'd be ready for battle. Their beatdown of Michigan State went so well that both teams had backups in by the fourth quarter.

While the Ohio State defense represented itself more than well enough with three forced turnovers, the Buckeyes' offense was fast, fluid, and explosive. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly pulled all the right strings in order to maximize his gifted unit.

Chip Kelly Stars in Ohio State Win at Michigan State

On a night where quarterback Will Howard had a few operational errors, including one near-interception in the endzone and a terrible interception that led to a Michigan State touchdown, Kelly never stopped putting the offense into position to score. The Buckeyes' starting unit produced 31 points, and Howard threw for 244 yards.

The running game, where Kelly has crafted a career's worth of success as the architect of efficiency, was fantastic. The Buckeyes' tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins totaled 18 carries for 123 yards, and Jeremiah Smith threw in this 19-yard touchdown.

Kelly is working with more talent than any team in the country, even if Howard is closer to average than special. He's doing a fantastic job prioritizing his key playmakers, feeding his two-headed backfield just enough to create chunk plays, but still getting top pass-catchers heavily involved.

Emeka Egbuka led the team in receptions and yards for the first time this season, hauling in seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Smith went bonkers, catching five balls for 83 yards, including two otherworldly one-handed receptions.

This type of star power makes Kelly's job much easier because there's not a ton of complexity needed to succeed. But Ryan Day has had a lot of this talent available to him since taking over as the head coach, and the run game has never been as effective.

Kelly was brought in to help answer Ohio State's diminished run game returns and give Day some reprieve from weekly tasks. He's done that and more, guiding and evolving a unit that continues to show off new tricks and strategies each week.

For example, tight end Gee Scott broke out in Week 5. The senior caught only three balls for 14 yards but converted one touchdown and moved the chains twice. Finally, Scott looked like a potential weapon for future weeks despite never really putting it together in prior opportunities.

This is just the start for Kelly, especially considering that Ohio State's matchup with Iowa is looming. The early returns are tremendously encouraging, and it could lead to a national title run for the program.