After winning the national championship a year ago, the Ohio State football team had to figure out a way to replace defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Knowles decided to leave the Buckeyes despite the fact that they wanted to sign him to a contract extension.
Knowles eventually landed with Penn State and became the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football. It hasn't gone well, as the Nittany Lions have lost four straight games, and James Franklin was fired. Now, Knowles has to visit the Shoe as an opponent.
Ryan Day made it clear that he and Knowles aren't exactly friends following his departure. He ended up replacing him with Matt Patricia, who seems to be even better than what Knowles was. Day's recent comments might hint at a big day from the Buckeyes on offense.
Ryan Day might try to have the Ohio State football team beat Penn State by 50
During his weekly press conference, Day seemed to hint that he wants to put Knowles' defense in the dirt on Saturday afternoon.
"I think it goes back to what we were saying earlier, just about how college football and how it's changed, and the money and everything like that. It's just you're seeing some things that maybe we're not used to. But I guess when you look at the NFL, you see more of that than you would in college. But I guess we're getting more like the NFL, so we try not to take those things personal, but we are human."
That last comment seems to indicate that the Ohio State Buckeyes are going to try to embarrass Knowles for leaving. Freshman cornerback Devin Sanchez has had this marked on his calendar for quite a while. Everyone on the roster is keenly aware of the opportunity they have.
Members of the defense seem to love Patricia a lot more than they liked Knowles. It's up to the offense to convey that point on the field on Saturday afternoon. Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith are going to try to make everyone in the stadium happy that Knowles left, if they aren't already happy about it.