The Ohio State Buckeyes just won the College Football Playoff national championship behind the most dominant defense in the country. But it sounds like the division rival Penn State Nittany Lions are sweeping in and stealing the architect of that defense.
According to a report from Toby Rowland of News9/NewsOn6, Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has informed Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin that he will leave Ohio State and take on the role of defensive coordinator at Penn State.
“Reliable sources confirm that barring last second change of heart, Jim Knowles is headed to Penn State. He has notified James Franklin that he’ll accept their offer of well over $3 million to be highest paid coordinator in college football history. Knowles is from Philly,” Rowland said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Knowles, who joined the Buckeyes ahead of the 2022 season, has guided Ohio State’s defense for the past three years, establishing it as the most dominant and reliable unit in the country.
This season, Ohio State was by far the most dominant defense in the country, ranking No. 1 in both yards per game and points per game allowed despite playing six games against top-10 opponents throughout the season and the playoff run.
It’s unclear why Knowles has opted to leave Ohio State despite his remarkable success. Reports indicate that Ohio State offered him a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football.
It’s worth noting that Knowles was absent when Ohio State celebrated its national championship victory at Ohio Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Needless to say, this is a big loss for Ohio State but a pretty significant coup for Penn State.
