Jim Knowles’ Ohio State betrayal benefits Penn State more than you realize

While everyone in college football is already talking about Penn State's new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, it's possible that not everyone is realizing how much his betrayal of Ohio State benefits his new club.

As many have noted, Nittany Lions current offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has only been held without a touchdown twice with both of those games coming against a Knowles-led defense. In 2021, Oklahoma State kept Kotelnicki's Kansas offense out of the endzone. In 2024, Knowles did it again with Ohio State against Penn State.

James Franklin's squad spent $3 million dollars per year to get the 2024 Ohio State champion defensive coordinator, with the Buckeyes likely being unable to match the offer due to financial constraints.

Knowles went to another level in the playoffs with his defensive play-calling being a huge reason why the Buckeyes were able to win a national championship after losing to Michigan in their final game of the regular season.

While Knowles' mind is a great add for the program, it's clear that the Nittany Lions will need to slightly retool their defense next season with star defensive end Abdul Carter leaving for the draft this season. Despite the personal additions that will have to be made by Penn State in the offseason, it's clear that the addition of the defensive coordinator benefits the Lions more than you may realize.

Addition of Jim Knowles allows Penn State to avoid his defense next season

While it's extremely too early to tell if Kotelnicki's offense will fall flat at some point this season, the addition of Knowles to the staff likely weakens the Buckeyes defense next season. For a program that is probably set to compete with the Buckeyes for a conference championship and a likely first round bye, taking away their defensive mastermind is huge and could be a huge difference.

It'll be tough for the Nittany Lions to get much better on the defensive side of the ball with the program already playing elite ball on that end. PSU only allowed 16 points per game this season, which was sixth best in the country. Additionally, the Lions averaged less than 300 yards allowed per game with only seven other schools able to make that claim.

Still, it's possible that a slight change in defensive Xs and Os could be a huge difference as the coach did have the Buckeyes raise to another level defensively in the playoffs. How much Knowles improves an already elite defense is up in the air, but it's important to remember that the coach betrayal of Ohio State benefits Penn State more than you may realize.