Penn State DC Jim Knowles let the cat out of the bag on why he left Columbus and the Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State opted not to address a new contract during the CFP run but planned to revisit it afterward. However, following the National Championship, Knowles reached out to Penn State. Once the Ohio State staff learned of this, they asked Knowles to stay home during the championship parade in Columbus.

“Maybe I’ll take less because Ohio State’s a great place,” Knowles said. “But then they asked me not to come to the parade. So then you’re like, ‘OK, honestly, the writing is on the wall.’”

“Now it becomes something. It’s always something in the outside world, but now it’s become something here, too. I hadn’t made any decisions, but you just kind of feel like—I wouldn’t say I’m not wanted here—but you just feel like, OK, now it’s gotten awkward.”

Knowles felt that the writing was on the wall once he was excluded from the parade. Perhaps leadership was offended by his contact with a Big Ten rival.

In the end, Knowles returned home to Pennsylvania—and received a significant pay raise to do so. Those factors played a major role in his decision to join James Franklin’s staff. Ohio State found their replacement with Matt Patricia and both sides have moved on.