Deepening into the 2024 NFL playoffs, there is a void for the Faithful. The San Francisco 49ers are noticeably absent from the playoffs this year, their first time missing the postseason after three straight trips.
In addition to the NFL playoffs, this was the first season of the 12-team College Football Playoff.
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish will play in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Jan. 20.
For Niners Faithful, there will be some familiar faces on Ohio State's sideline with the coaching staff.
Let's take a look at some Ohio State coaches who were previously on San Francisco's coaching staff.
Chip Kelly
Ohio State's offensive coordinator is none other than Chip Kelly, the 49ers' head coach for a lone season in 2016.
His Niners squad finished with a record of 2-14, the franchise's worst finish in the past 10 years.
For an offensive-minded coach, Kelly's 49ers was at the bottom of the league in many offensive categories.
They were ranked 27th of 32 teams in point-per-game average at 19.3, and 31st in yards per game at 308.1.
However, Kelly was not the only current OSU coach on the 2016 staff.
Ryan Day
The Buckeyes' head coach, Ryan Day, was the Niners' quarterbacks coach in 2016, again for a lone season like Kelly.
Day coached two starting quarterbacks that season. Blaine Gabbert began the season as the starting quarterback, and he started the first five games of the season.
Gabbert went 1-4 in those starts throwing for 925 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. He had a 68.4 passer rating for the season.
Colin Kaepernick started the next 11 games for the 49ers in 2016. He went 1-10 in those starts, passing for 2,241 yards. He also had 16 touchdowns and four interceptions for the season, finishing with a 90.7 passer rating.
Although the 2016 49ers offense didn't have as much talent on their roster as some other seasons, the NFL is a results-driven industry. It's not difficult to see why Day and Kelly were gone after one season.
While they didn't have much (or really any) success on the Niners in 2016, what Day and Kelly have achieved with the Buckeyes is undeniable.
We wish them success as they seek a CFP National Championship.