5 Ryan Day replacements Ohio State fans should beg for after another Michigan loss

3. Promoting Jim Knowles from DC to replace Ryan Day would be smart

Whenever Ryan Day recognized the need for Ohio State's defense to improve following the first of now three losses against Michigan (and the entire 2021 season as a whole), he and the administration went out and grabbed a big fish, then-Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

While it wasn't an immediate fix for the Buckeyes defense in the 2022 season, the unit did improve from the previous year. But that group then made leaps and bounds in the 2023 campaign, emerging as a necessary force with the Ohio State offense looking lesser than in previous seasons as Kyle McCord struggled to establish himself at quarterback.

Knowles has been well-traveled throughout college football, serving as the Cornell head coach from 2004-09 before heading to Duke as the defensive coordinator for eight seasons, then spending four years with Oklahoma State before being on Day's staff for the past two years.

Over that time, Knowles has established himself as a great recruiter, a phenomenal schematic mind, and a winner. And given that he's already in Columbus, it wouldn't be a hard sell to try and keep him there -- and it might make a lot of sense given the circumstances.

Especially if Day were to leave for another job instead of being fired, Knowles would be a smart hire to maintain the continuity in terms of both the defense and recruiting. Yes, he would need to evaluate if current offensive coordinator Brian Hartline could continue Day's work with the offense (or even better it), but there are good things ongoing with the Buckeyes that need to remain intact. To make that happen and given what he's earned, Knowles could be the guy in that scenario.