The Ohio State Buckeyes’ championship hangover didn’t last long. Their defense, a fearsome machine under Jim Knowles, was a major reason for their success. But the music stopped abruptly. With teams like Penn State, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma circling around Knowles, Ryan Day faced a serious dilemma.

Penn State, a program on the rise, seems to have played their cards perfectly. After landing offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich a couple of years back, they’ve now snagged Knowles with a three-year deal. It’s like a game of musical chairs, and the Buckeyes could be the ones left standing without a partner if they don’t quickly find a replacement. CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah believes this move could be a game-changer for Penn State in 2025, giving them the edge they need to compete for a national title.

Well, Jim Knowles’ transition from Ohio State to Penn State, potentially filling Tom Allen’s shoes at Happy Valley, is a kind of hard pill to swallow for Ryan Day and the team. But now Coach Day must seek a strong replacement. Enter CFB insider RJ Young, who already has two potential replacements for Jim Knowles in his mind.

So, first up we have Bryant Haines: “The first one is Bryant Haines at Indiana, a relatively new guy to FBS teams and programs. If you’re an FBS fan, you’re just learning who he is based on what he did at Indiana, which is no mean feat. Along with Curt Cignetti, they led Indiana to their first 10-win season, their first 11-win season and their only two losses were to the teams that played in the national championship game.”

That’s a fact. No wonder Young thinks Bryant Haines can fill up Jim Knowles’ shoes at Ohio State. Just look at what he did for the Hoosiers. This guy helped them to reach the first round in the 2024 CFP. The team also had the no. 2 defense in the country with 256.3 yards per game and ranked no. 6 in scoring defense with just 15.6 points allowed per game.

But it won’t be easy for the Buckeyes to poach Bryant Haines from Indiana. The Hoosiers aren’t about to let their defensive mastermind walk away as the Buckeyes did. They quickly locked him down with a contract extension, making it seem like Haines is staying put for the foreseeable future.

So RJ Young has got another name on his radar, and this one could be a game-changer for the Buckeyes’ defense. “The other guy we need to talk about in that defensive conversation is Pete Kwiatkowski at Texas. I have no doubt that since Steve Sarkisian got his raise and extension a couple of weeks ago, Pete Kwiatkowski was supposed to be next in line to do that because no guy was more important to Texas’ success than Pete Kwiatkowski.” Just like coach Haines Kwiatkowski did some major shifts in the Longhorns defense.

Coach Pete’s unit was 10th in the nation, allowing just 104.2 rushing yards per game. Plus, their defense ranked 11th nationally, allowing 3.11 yards per carry. While excelling at limiting big plays, Texas also rose to the occasion in key moments, and that’s all because of their defensive coach. No wonder Young is eager for him to join the Buckeyes. He’s the guy who molded Jahdae Barron into a Jim Thorpe Award-winning defensive star at Texas. Imagine what he could do with a talent like Caleb Downs in Columbus.

Penn State made big moves to get Jim Knowles

While Ryan Day’s success has already made waves in the CFB world, now it’s drawing attention from other teams eyeing his staff. Moreover, it didn’t take long for Penn State to swoop in, making a bold move to steal their defensive mastermind, Jim Knowles. Well, James Franklin initially thought he had a secure situation after Tom Allen contributed to building Penn State’s defense.

However, when Allen left for Clemson, pursuing the opportunity to work under Dabo Swinney and be closer to home, things took a different turn. Now, Franklin is making a strong push to secure Jim Knowles from Ohio State, going all out with his offer. Even the stakes are pretty high, with a nearly $3.2 million deal on the table, making Knowles one of the highest-paid coordinators in the country.

However, Ohio State is not one to lag. As soon as Franklin made his move, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes swiftly countered with a contract offer that would make Knowles the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the game. This new offer might tempt Knowles despite his existing $2.5 million commitment through 2027. But it looks like money is not the only reason behind Knowel’s move. A possible “rift” had reportedly been developing between both of them after the defense failed miserably against the Ducks back in October.

Now, with Penn State potentially announcing Knowles’ signing soon, Franklin’s timing couldn’t be worse for Ohio State. The Buckeyes might be in for a challenging period after their championship victory. As this coaching carousel is spinning, it appears that Franklin has more tricks up his sleeve than Ohio State anticipated.