Jim Knowles leaves Ohio State for Happy Valley

   On a day that should have been filled with celebrating a national championship among their home fans, Ohio State football was dropped for a loss with the announcement that defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was leaving for the same job and a hefty raise at conference rival Penn State.

Knowles arrived at Ohio State for the 2022 season and after an initial struggle in matching his system with personnel has helped Ohio State's defense become one of the best in the nation in the last two seasons and the best in their national championship-winning year.

Ohio State allowed only twelve points and two hundred fifty-four yards per game in 2024, leading the nation in both categories.

Knowles is rumored to have had philosophical issues with defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Johnson is the older man with more specialized responsibilities, but he is far more valuable as a recruiter than Knowles, who has made his disdain for that part of the job clear.

Knowles will make over three million dollars per season for Penn State. While Ohio State made an offer that would have made him the highest-paid assistant in the country, it's unknown if Ohio State matched Happy Valley's offer.

Penn State has upped the ante for 2025 with several players that could have entered the NFL draft returning in an attempt to emulate the success of Ohio State's returning stars in the past season.

Ohio State is losing eight defensive starters but they still have Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles returning and there is still plenty of talent for the Buckeyes, arguably more than Penn State even with the loss of eight starters.

It might not have been any of the reasons rumored.

Not the money, friction with the coaching staff, or issues with the Columbus pressure cooker.

It could be as simple as Knowles, after three years. has nowhere to go but down after this past season.

At best, Knowles's defense could keep the status quo and some of the best coaches prefer the process of building rather than maintaining, Ohio State had someone like that in Urban Meyer, so that's entirely plausible

Several coaches are rumored to be candidates, with Matt Guerrieri and Tim Walton as the leaders if Ryan Day wants to keep the position within the current staff.

From the outside, former Wisconsin defensive coordinator and current Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard, former Ohio State defensive coordinator and current Green Bay Packers coordinator Jeff Hatley, and Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock would lead my list of a crowded field.

Eleven Warrior's Dan Hope details eleven coaches who could be candidates to replace Knowles here.

Ohio State is losing one of the best defensive minds in the game but several qualified men are more than capable of using the talent on campus to retain the Buckeyes' elite defensive level.