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Ohio State Football: The Buckeyes find their new D-coordinator

By Riley Thomas

STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 27: Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles of the Oklahoma State Cowboys keeps an eye on his team before a game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys won 'Bedlam' 37-33. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 27: Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles of the Oklahoma State Cowboys keeps an eye on his team before a game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys won 'Bedlam' 37-33. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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The Ohio State football team found their guy, the new Defensive Coordinator in Columbus will be Jim Knowles.

Knowles coached one of college football’s most impressive defenses this season — Oklahoma State held opponents to under 17 points (6th) and 270 yards per game (3rd). The Buckeyes’ new Defensive Coordinator will bring veteran experience as he has previous head coaching experience as well as play-calling duties. Knowles is a home run hire and brings much to the table.

What Knowles will bring to Ohio State Football

Knowles managed to coach a formidable defense at Oklahoma State where their talent does not compare to Ohio State. In addition, this was done within an offensive-centric conference. Knowles seems to meet exactly what OSU was looking for.

Similar to what the Buckeyes have run recently, Knowles’ defenses typically run a 4-2-5. This should allow a smooth transition in terms of personnel, especially with the Bucks’ immense talent.

One new position Knowles has utilized is the JACK linebacker position, which teams like Alabama use. This would be new to Ohio State and would entail a standup edge-rusher with the athletic ability to drop in coverage. Simply put, the JACK position is a linebacker and defensive end hybrid.

Hopefully, Ryan Day allows Knowles to bring the JACK position to OSU. This will add another wrinkle to the Buckeye defense and should work considering the athletes Ohio State has at their disposal.

The Cowboys did not have a simple defense that was easy to dissect, which has been part of the problem for OSU. Knowles has done a masterful job of disguising on the defensive end, creating confusion for the opposing offense.

Ohio State’s defense should show great improvement with Knowles as the new play-caller. The 4-2-5 scheme that emphasizes one-on-one tackling and stopping the run is something Ohio State football desperately needs. Plus, Knowles has the chops to add tricky deception into the fold. In modern college football, sound tackling and good disguising is usually the kind of defense that has the most success against high-powered offenses.

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The Buckeyes found their new Defensive Coordinator, bringing in Knowles is a great fit and huge win for Ohio State football.

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