Penn State DC Jim Knowles admits what Buckeye Nation already knows about Ohio State, but he had to find out for himself

Ohio State’s defense took a big step forward last season, led by a group of senior leaders who chose to return for a shot at accomplishing what they ultimately did—winning a National Championship.

Jim Knowles’ defense in Columbus improved in each of his three seasons as defensive coordinator. Knowles, an outside hire by Ryan Day, was brought in to replace Greg Mattison in 2022.

Now that Knowles has moved on to Penn State and the Buckeyes have a new defensive coordinator in Matt Patricia, Knowles has been asked about his former role. In a recent interview with ESPN, the new Penn State defensive coordinator admitted that Columbus is a tough place to coach.

“When Knowles was first hired at Ohio State, he said former friends and teammates in the Columbus area tried to warn him: “This is an incredibly difficult and highly scrutinized place to coach,” he recalled.

“I kind of blew it off,” Knowles said. “I’m like, ‘I grew up in Philly. I’ve been around Eagles fans. We threw snowballs at Santa Claus.’ But yeah, when you’re in, it’s really tough.””