Chip Kelly's Value Will Be Determined in 2010

Two years after accepting the job of offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly found himself on the sideline as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks. His opening act, an embarrassing 19-8 loss on the road at Boise State. What made the loss worse, was his starting running back had just made himself the opening highlight across the nation by sucker punching an opposing player.

When Kelly entered the visiting locker room that night, he told his players that people will come to find out that this is a team with character and not a team of characters.

Months later, Kelly had led the Ducks to a Pac-10 championship and their first Rose Bowl since 1995.

After a disappointing loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, the Ducks and Kelly headed to the offseason with high expectations for the 2010 season. To get to his second season as coach, Kelly had to get through his first offseason.

The first blow came when reports started to surface out of Eugene that starting quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli, had been involved in the theft at a school fraternity. Masoli later pleaded guilty and was initially suspended for the entire season but was later dismissed from the team for other legal issues.

Lightning struck again when starting running back, LaMichael James, was arrested for a domestic issue. After the legal process was over, James pleaded down and after a couple days in jail was released and given community service. In addition, Kelly suspended James for the season opener against New Mexico.

Eventually, time moved on and Kelly found himself in spring drills and moving forward. The Ducks had a great spring. They were able to display the program to the nation when ESPN covered their spring game.

Now that spring has come and gone and summer is almost over, Kelly finds himself ten days away from the start his second season as head coach and it will be a season in which Duck fans and the nation will truly be able to see his worth.

The main issue that Kelly will deal with is the ongoing stories of this past offseason. It will start with getting past the opener without LaMichael James, which shouldn't be a huge obstacle but it will be something that is talked about nationally.

More importantly then the James suspension will be the continued discussion of former Duck, Jeremiah Masoli. With the departure of Masoli, Kelly will be turning to either Nate Costa or Darron Thomas. This story will only get worse if whoever Kelly chooses to start fails.

Kelly has found ways to transform Oregon Football in the past three years. He got Heisman numbers out of Dennis Dixon, transformed Masoli from a fifth-string junior college quarterback to a top dual threat player in the nation, and kept the Oregon offense among the nation's elite for all three years.

Regardless of past success, Coach Kelly has never experienced such high expectations both locally and nationally as this year. The Pac-10 race is wide open and the Ducks still have the talent to compete for a national title. Kelly has always stuck to his guns and this will be the year in which Kelly's true value will be decided.