“Penn State Nittany Lions moving like Saquon Barkley.” When the confetti fell in Atlanta after Ohio State Buckeyes’ 2024 CFP national championship victory over Notre Dame, if you’d have cared to notice, a glaring omission stood out amidst the hurrahs. Missing was the defensive mastermind behind the Buckeyes’ suffocating season—a unit that held opponents to just 12.9 points and 254.6 yards per game. Clearly, as there seemed to be tensions within the Ryan Day led camp with Jim Knowles, Ohio State’s heralded defensive coordinator, wasn’t there to bask in the glory of the moment.

And now, with the dust settled, it’s clear that his departure for Penn State wasn’t just a tactical loss for Ryan Day—it was a strategic coup orchestrated by James Franklin. Ohio State’s decision to keep Jim Knowles out of the spotlight during the championship celebration raised eyebrows, but the writing was already on the wall. Penn State, long tired of being the bridesmaid in the Big Ten, swooped in with a three-year, $9 million deal to pry Knowles away from Columbus. Per these Yahoo! Sports insiders gave voice to his intentions. “They keep backing up their messaging from the fall. We’re going to spend money and go toe-to-toe with Ohio State in the revenue-sharing world.”

An era where dollars often dictate dominance, Penn State is positioning itself to challenge Ohio State’s throne. Knowles’ deal, which averages $3.1 million annually, makes him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in CFB history, per Pete Thamel. It’s a staggering sum, but Franklin isn’t playing coy about his intentions. The move not only strengthens Penn State’s defense but “Along the way, perhaps hurt your competition in the coaching department.” The Buckeyes, fresh off their first national title under Ryan Day, suddenly find themselves on the defensive hot seat.

Knowles was the architect of a defense that dominated their regular and postseason, representing the best marks in the nation. His absence from the championship celebration was a clear signal that Ohio State’s administration was already grappling with his impending departure. Knowles was already the highest-paid CFB defensive coordinator, with a $2.2 million annual base salary with Ohio State. They contributed with 4 wins out of the 6 amongst B1G teams, in the CFP generating the 2nd most revenue of $20 million for the conference.

Penn State’s ambitions for 2025 are crystal clear. As the insiders put it, “It feels like Penn State right now is that team for next year. Seems like a pretty good way to build a championship contender in a lot of different areas.” With Knowles calling the shots on defense, now he’ll be joining a PSU squad that was ranked No. 8 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten by allowing 16.5 points per game. It’s worth noting that the Nittany Lions will be losing a major piece of their defense in 2025, as standout pass-rusher Abdul Carter declared for the 2025 NFL draft on Jan. 10.

Replacing Tom Allen, who departed for Clemson. The pieces are in place, and Franklin has no intention of squandering the opportunity.

There were strains between Knowles and Ryan Day at OSU per On3

While Jim Knowles weighed his options before accepting Penn State’s offer, things got a little awkward in Columbus. According to reports, Ohio State requested that Knowles sit out the school’s championship ceremony. College football insider J.D. PicKell shed some light on the situation during his On3 segment after the Nittany Lions’ Monday announcement, and it’s safe to say this wasn’t your typical ‘amicable split’.

“To put it simply, it sounds like there was a strain between Jim Knowles and the Ohio State staff,” PicKell explained. “The strain seems to be enough that, from what I can gather, Knowles had already made up his mind. Whether Ohio State won the national title or not, he was planning to coach somewhere outside of Columbus next year.”

It’s not every day you hear about a coach potentially skipping out on a championship celebration, but this situation seemed to have deeper roots.