On Sunday afternoon, it was announced that Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is leaving the team to assume the same role with the Penn State Nittany Lions, a decision that likely won’t sit well with Buckeye fans. Reportedly, Ohio State had prepared a substantial contract offer for Knowles that would have made him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football, potentially exceeding the $3.1 million offer from Penn State, as revealed by Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch and Alex Gleitman of On3. However, despite this generous offer, Knowles “was fully intent on leaving Columbus no matter what,” according to Gleitman.
Reported tensions between Knowles and head coach Ryan Day escalated following the Buckeyes’ October loss
