Jim Knowles knows “I don't have four years” to turn things around on the Ohio State defense, but thinks the Buckeyes aren't far off from making the necessary changes.
The year before he took over as defensive coordinator at Duke , the Blue Devils ranked 108th in the country in total defense. In his last year with the program , Duke climbed all the way to No. 21 in that metric. Similarly at Oklahoma State, the Cowboys ranked 79th in total defense the year before Knowles took leadership of the defense, and finished the 2021 season fourth in the nation in that category.
“There is a lot of pressure on me, that’s not lost on me. This is not an entry level position,” Knowles said Monday at his introductory press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. “To those that a lot has been given, a lot is expected. I went into Oklahoma State really believing that when we could get the defense to rise to the level and the culture of the offense and the things that they did off the field and in the weight room, that we’d be able to compete for a national championship.
Even with a defense that ranked outside the nation’s top 25 in total, scoring, rushing and passing defense in 2021 – and in many cases, well below that cut-off – Ohio State was just one win shy of the Big Ten Championship Game this past season. Had the Buckeyes gotten past Michigan in the regular season finale, they would’ve been heavily favored to win the conference crown and secure a third straight berth in the College Football Playoff.
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