Ohio State Buckeyes Received Subtle Shade from Jim Knowles

To begin the offseason for the Ohio State Buckeyes, they suffered a couple of major losses. First and foremost, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles decided to walk away.

After Knowles, Ohio State also lost offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and offensive line coach Justin Frye. Losing three coaches after winning a national championship was rough.

Knowles was the biggest loss. Not only did he leave the Buckeyes, he ended up joining the Big Ten contending Penn State Nittany Lions. He will directly face off against Ohio State moving forward.

During his first press conference as the Penn State defensive coordinator, Knowles fired some subtle shade at the Buckeyes.

Granted, he may not have meant it as shade, but Ohio State fans and players have certainly taken it as such.

In that first press conference, Knowles said that to him growing up, the Nittany Lions were the "epitome" of college football.

“Penn State for me, growing up in inner city Philly, was the epitome of college football," Knowles said. “To do it now as a coach, it’s really where I want to be to continue my career.”

Jim Knowles on the decision to come to Penn State:

“Penn State for me, growing up in inner city Philly, was the epitome of college football.“

“To do it now as a coach, it’s really where I want to be to continue my career.” pic.twitter.com/HaesZERuS1
— Lyle Alenstein (@LAlenstein) February 4, 2025

While it's certainly fair for Knowles to speak his mind, he can't expect those words to be taken in a good way by the Buckeyes. Ohio State will now have a chance to face off against Knowles on November 1.

Following Knowles' decision to leave the Buckeyes, incoming freshman defensive back Devin Sanchez fired a pointed message at the former Ohio State defensive coordinator.

That pointed message simply included the date of the game between the Buckeyes and Penn State.

Clearly, Knowles has not made himself any friends at Ohio State. In fact, he may have ruined some friendships. It's clear that the Buckeyes are more than ready already to play against him.

All of that being said, Knowles leaving town for the Nittany Lions has provided a lot more intrigue for that 2025 matchup. It will also be interesting to see which side gets the last laugh in the coming years.

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