Penn State has a new weapon to worry about—our old defensive coordinator.
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When Ohio State welcomes Penn State on November 1, 2025, there will be a familiar face on the Nittany Lions’ sideline—former Buckeye defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
One of the top defensive coordinators in the country, Knowles built the Buckeye defense into one of the best, if not the best, in the NCAA. In 2024, Ohio State led the country in both points and yards allowed per game (12.9 and 225, respectively), as well as yards allowed per play (4.2) and red zone touchdown percentage (42%).
Additionally, the Buckeyes were known particularly for their goal-line defense. Against any other team, getting to the goal line all but guarantees a touchdown. Not so against the 2024 Ohio State defense.
Perhaps their most memorable performance came against the Nittany Lions, in which the Buckeyes held Penn State to a field goal after first down on the 1-yard line, and then later in the game, prevented them from scoring altogether after four consecutive plays from the 2-yard line.
This year, the tables will turn, after Knowles departed for Penn State due to the timing of OSU’s contract extension offer. His departure, which was announced shortly after the Buckeyes’ 2024 National Championship win over Notre Dame, came with a price tag of $3.1 million annually for Penn State.
The Buckeyes have found an excellent replacement for Knowles in Matt Patricia, whose extensive NFL experience includes three Super Bowl wins with the New England Patriots. In 2016, the Patriots led the NFL in scoring defense on their way to winning Super Bowl LI.
Knowing this, many actual concerns about having to face Knowles’ defense in November are mitigated.
Still, it’s something to keep an eye on, and the concerns are almost twofold: How will the defense fare overall, and how will the Buckeyes fare against a Jim Knowles defense in November?
While Patricia certainly brings a fresh perspective, it’s too early to tell how the defense will adapt to a new defensive scheme while replacing key players like Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Cody Simon, among several others.
We won’t have to wait long on this front: Week 1 against Texas should tell us a lot of what we need to know. While I do believe a lack of defensive line depth could pose some challenges for Patricia’s defense, I’m ultimately not too concerned about this one. Patricia is the guy you want replacing Knowles, long-term.
I also don’t think we’ll have the full scope of how successful Patricia will be with the program until his recruiting is able to bear fruit. Right now, he’s working with primarily Knowles’ recruits, so at least this season, defensive success or failure (though I do believe it will be the former) can’t be pinned entirely on him. Patricia’s track record has earned him the benefit of the doubt and the entitlement to realize his own vision.
The secondary concern is how the Buckeyes will fare against Penn State with a Knowles defense. The Nittany Lions are one of the primary hurdles the Buckeyes will have to clear if they want to repeat their 2024 title, and Knowles is certainly an asset for the Nits in their bid to get in our way.
In 2024, Penn State’s defense struggled against Ohio State’s pass game and gave up a few key runs that ultimately helped the Buckeyes secure their win. Will Knowles’ guys be able to make some big stops that thwart Ohio State’s plans?
Ultimately, I think Ohio State has more than enough offensive weapons to get the job done against Penn State’s defense, but again, it’s something I’m keeping an eye on, especially since Penn State is due for a breakthrough.
On the plus side, though, if Knowles is the ultimate defensive asset for Penn State, the Nits also have to claim the biggest liability—head coach James Franklin. No matter how concerned the lack of defensive unknowns might make us this year, there is always some comfort in that.