Nine months have passed since Michigan exploited Jim Knowles’ Ohio State defense with big plays in a 45-23 rout of the Buckeyes.
Eight months have elapsed since Georgia scored 42 points in the College Football Playoff semifinal to deny the Buckeyes a chance for the national title.
The scars remain fresh.
“I won’t be over that until we write a new script,” Knowles said. “That’s the way it should be.”
Ohio State begins training camp on Thursday, and no coach is more in the spotlight than Knowles. Sure, Brian Hartline has added the offensive coordinator title to his duties as wide receivers coach. But Hartline isn’t expected to take over play-calling duties, at least not immediately. The defense falls squarely on Knowles’ shoulders.
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Statistically, Ohio State’s defense improved significantly last year in Knowles’ first season. In 2021, the Buckeyes ranked 59th in total defense (327.9 yards per game), 44th in yards allowed per play (5.33), and 38th in points allowed (22.8). Last year, OSU was 14th in total defense (321.5 yards per game), 34th in yards allowed per play (5.18), and 25th in points allowed (21.0).
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Knowles believes he was successful in instilling a new culture and installing his system, as well as bonding with players and getting them to believe in him.
But he doesn’t hide from the fact that in the games that mattered most – against Michigan and Georgia – the defense cracked.Get the OSU Headlines newsletter in your inbox.
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“You can look at it statistically from someone who didn’t know any of the games or anything that happened,” Knowles said, “and they would say, ‘Oh, you got really you really got better across the board.’ But we’re at Ohio State, and it’s different, and that’s what you sign up for. Got to do a better job.
“This is my profession. You go at it as hard as you can and, yeah, it’s not going to be perfect, but you never admit that to yourself. You never take any shortcuts and say, ‘Well, it’s the first year and growing pains (are inevitable).’ No, you just push as hard as you can, get to where you get to, and then you re-evaluate and say, ‘OK, what can I do better?’ ”
Knowles is 58 years old, but he said he has not become set in his ways.
“You’ve got to be willing to change,” he said. “You’ve got to be willing to grow. You’ve got to be willing to look at things you do. You’ve got to evaluate everything all the time.
“A lot of guys get older in their career and they (say), ‘This is just the way I do it and I’m going to keep doing it.’ That’s not me. I want to keep growing.”
Knowles declined to divulge any schematic changes he’s contemplating. But he knows the Buckeyes must be able to blend his aggressive style with preventing as many explosive plays as OSU did. Michigan didn’t manhandle Ohio State physically in November the way the Wolverines did in Ann Arbor in 2021. But breakdowns on five big plays doomed the Buckeyes.
Day said he expects defensive improvement.
“The bottom line is we’ve got to play with aggressiveness,” he said. “We’ve got to play physical. We’ve got to win games on defense, but we’ve got to avoid the big plays. How does that all tie together? I think that’s the critical part of it.”
Last year, Knowles raved about the caliber of players he had a chance to mold at Ohio State. He didn’t have four- or five-star recruits at Oklahoma State or his other previous stops.
But perhaps the talent was overstated. Defensive end Zach Harrison, a third-rounder, was the only Buckeye player on Knowles’ unit taken in April’s NFL draft.
On paper, this year’s defense is loaded. Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau is the headliner on a line that could have several high draft picks if end Jack Sawyer and tackles Mike Hall Jr. and Tyleik Williams can stay healthy and become consistent.
Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers could be among the top linebacker tandems in the country. Cody Simon is a trusted veteran pushing for time, and sophomore C.J. Hicks looks ready to make an impact.
The secondary has to work itself out, but with cornerbacks Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and Davison Igbinosun and safeties Lathan Ransom, Josh Proctor, Ja’Had Carter, Sonny Styles and Cam Martinez, this is a deep unit.
“The sky’s the limit,” Knowles said. “I feel like we have all the pieces. We need some things to shake out at the safety position. We need some depth on the D-line to step up. But when you look at it, you say, ‘Hey, we’ve got a shot. We’ve got a shot to be great.’ Now we have to make plays. It looks good on paper, but you have to play.”
Last year, Knowles had linebackers as his positional group. This year, former Buckeye All-American James Laurinaitis, hired away from Notre Dame as a graduate assistant, will be mostly responsible for that unit.
“It’ll be great,” Knowles said. “I think it’s just a bonus. I get to walk around more and be around other positions.
“James is fantastic. He’s an Ohio State legend. He’s a really good coach and a really good person. With everything he has, he’s not an ego guy. He’s just genuine. All the Ohio State fans love him, and they should. He is that guy when it comes to just comes being a great representative of everything.”
Ohio State’s players appear eager to take the next step in Knowles’ defense.
“Being in the second year with coach Knowles, it’s very comfortable,” Tuimoloau said. “The first year was kind of an introduction with coach Knowles. This year it allows us to grow even more, grow our relationship more with coach Knowles as a player and coach but person-to-person, too.
“This year our defense is going to play fast, play physical and have fun. Coach Knowles has always preached and is always reminding us what it means to be a Silver Bullet and what it takes.”
During spring practice, the defense looked improved. Defensive backs continually broke up passes. The defensive line was disruptive.
But what should be taken into account is that Ohio State’s offensive line was unsettled, quarterbacks Kyle McCord and Devin Brown are inexperienced, and several key skill-position players didn’t participate because of injuries.
The true measure will come in training camp and when the season begins on Sept. 2. With a salary of $1.9 million, the highest of any assistant coach in Ohio State history, Knowles knows the pressure is on him.
He embraces it.
“Sure,” he said. “This is where as a coach you aspire to be – at the top level.”
He then added with a laugh, “You can’t get here and go, ‘Oh, I didn’t know they were going to expect me not to lose a game.’ ”
