Chip Kelly had some jokes for Will Howard in the Cotton Bowl, even with the intense nature of the finish to the win over Texas.

The jokes are understandable in a way, given the context of the moment. On the go-ahead touchdown drive, the Ohio State quarterback delivered in the clutch, but his play also involved a laughable moment. (At least, it remains funny with Ohio State moving on.)

Facing a 4th-and-2 in Texas territory, the Buckeyes chose to go for the first down instead of trying a long field goal. The play was a great one with a QB keeper to Howard hitting a big hole and rolling into the open field.

Initially, it looked like Howard might make it all the way for a touchdown, but he went down around the 20-yard line with ESPN’s Chris Fowler shouting out the “turf monster” for the fall.

On Tuesday, Chip Kelly was asked if it was true that the OC had any jokes he delivered over the headset to Howard.

“I could have,” cracked Kelly with a smile. “He can’t respond so I can say whatever I want. It’s kind of like being married — reversed!”

Kelly was then asked if that’s a common tactic he uses to lighten the mood throughout games. It’s not anything specific he would agree to, but Kelly confirmed he did crack some stuff to Howard in between the next series.

“It all depends on the situation, I can’t really pinpoint one thing or another,” said Kelly. “It was just a huge play for us, it was 4th-and-2. We had to convert to keep the drive alive. I talked to him but it wasn’t the next play, it was in between series. We still had to go down and score.”

Hopefully, there’s something for Howard and Kelly to laugh about after the national title game where Ohio State enters as an 8.5-point favorite per DraftKings. Fans can check out our DraftKings promo code Ohio for the best offers on all things Buckeyes.