Former Oklahoma State DC Set to Coach National Championship Game
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A former Cowboy coach is set to compete for the national championship.
On Monday night, the first champion of the 12-team College Football Playoff will be crowned. After disappointing regular season losses pushed them down the rankings, Notre Dame and Ohio State will match up in Atlanta for the national title.
In the old four-team format, neither Notre Dame nor Ohio State would have made it in, but the new format allows for teams with bad losses during the season to stay in contention for a title. Of course, Ohio State’s defense has helped it reach this point, led by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Knowles joined Ohio State in 2022 after spending four seasons with Oklahoma State in the same role. Knowles is arguably the biggest coaching loss in the Mike Gundy era, with Todd Monken being the main competition. There is no question that Knowles is the best defensive coordinator the Cowboys have had under Gundy and perhaps ever.
His time in Stillwater was highlighted by his final season in 2021. The Cowboys ranked among the top defenses in the nation and did its part in trying to deliver OSU its first national championship. However, the OSU offense was abysmal in the Big 12 Championship and failed Knowles’ defense.
While that pushed OSU out of the College Football Playoff, Knowles’ final game with the Cowboys was a memorable one. His defense locked down in the second half of the Fiesta Bowl, as OSU came back from a 21-point deficit to defeat Notre Dame.
That matchup was also Marcus Freeman’s first game as the Fighting Irish coach following Brian Kelly’s departure to LSU. Knowles and Freeman will meet in the postseason again on Monday, which will mark the fourth time those two have matched up in a defensive coordinator-head coach battle, with Ohio State beating Notre Dame in 2022 and 2023. Knowles’ defense has held Notre Dame to 24 points across his two games with the Buckeyes.
With rumors of Knowles heading to Oklahoma to coach the Sooners’ defense after the season, a postseason matchup with Notre Dame could again be his final ride with OSU. But if he can come out on top this time, he will have the claim of the best defensive coach in the nation.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.