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DC Jim Knowles (Official Thread)

Ignore the stats. I get that the B1G doesn't have elite offenses. Coverage was better, their success in limiting big plays was incredible, the secondary was great. The main issues were lack of pressure and how the LBs fit in the running game.

OSU did what they couldn't do and got down to Michigan. We knew that if they got the lead it would be very difficult to dictate the game. The defense didn't win the game, but they did give the offense a chance at the end. They also only gave up 330 yards, so they weren't letting Michigan constantly drive the field.

What do you gain by firing Knowles after a huge jump in year 2? Michigan has had a 3 year resurgence by cheating and using the transfer portal. Two unsustainable things. Maybe they get hammered by sanctions, maybe not. You can hate Day and the staff for not figuring things out, but panicking and turning over a defense that's finally improved and found some stability is counterproductive.
I never said anything about firing Knowles. I did say earlier in the season while I liked what I was seeing, Michigan would be the final exam. I didn’t grow up in the participation trophy era.
 
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Kids that were on campus in 2020 still have the Covid loophole year. Each year we get further away from 2020, that number shrinks.

I say Michigans window closes after 2023 season because the kids graduate transfers they can bring in are minimized to 1 season in most cases. And 1 year rentals is not nearly as beneficial as transfers that get at least 1 season in system and the weight and conditioning.
Idk if I agree with your last 2 posts fully. I do agree that we need to step back from the ledge, and look at this all from a 20,000ft view.
But where I disagree, is that scUM will just fall off. If Hairball is retained, he can replicate this offense every year. Since it’s a simplistic, smash mouth offense from the 90s, you don’t need OL there for multiple years. And if they’re getting upperclassmen through the Portal yearly, these guys are already college ready S&C, maturity, intelligence and football IQ. They can also play with the odds for skill position players of a mix between Portal veterans and HSers. There’s been nothing special about any of their skill position players, least of all Corum. But they’re tough, believe in their coach and scheme, and don’t deviate from the plan. No way do they have more overall talent than OSU, but sometimes OSU gets too cute, and Hairball feasts on that. If OSU was ever able to get an early lead the past few years, I think they would’ve won. But that didn’t happen.

Knowles needs a hard convo with his coaches, because the film don’t lie, and there were obvious issues. If you can’t get to the QB, or make his life miserable, you will get killed. McCarthy played out of his mind because OSU played scared at times. Knowles should’ve found spots to blitz the hell out of McCarthy. Make him know that you’re there. Sawyer and JT just sat on the edge and gave him nothing but time. Hall was too little too consistently cause a pass rush on nis own. Tommy and Steele played a step slow too many times and would get wiped away from plays too much. The DBs played well, but they didn’t need to do a whole lot when the game plan for scUM was to just punch OSU in the mouth.
 
Ignore the stats. I get that the B1G doesn't have elite offenses. Coverage was better, their success in limiting big plays was incredible, the secondary was great. The main issues were lack of pressure and how the LBs fit in the running game.

OSU did what they couldn't do and got down to Michigan. We knew that if they got the lead it would be very difficult to dictate the game. The defense didn't win the game, but they did give the offense a chance at the end. They also only gave up 330 yards, so they weren't letting Michigan constantly drive the field.

What do you gain by firing Knowles after a huge jump in year 2? Michigan has had a 3 year resurgence by cheating and using the transfer portal. Two unsustainable things. Maybe they get hammered by sanctions, maybe not. You can hate Day and the staff for not figuring things out, but panicking and turning over a defense that's finally improved and found some stability is counterproductive.

I’m actually with you on the part. I don’t t think Knowles is all that but you don’t fire him until you fire Day at this point.
 
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Even though Jim Knowles interviewed for Duke’s head coaching job late last month, the Ohio State defensive coordinator is in no hurry to leave Columbus.

In his first interview session since the end of the regular season at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday, Knowles chose not to specifically address why he interviewed for the head coaching job at Duke, where he was previously an assistant coach from 2010-17, including seven years as the Blue Devils’ defensive coordinator. Duke ultimately hired Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz as its new head coach to replace Mike Elko, who left to become the head coach at Texas A&M.

But Knowles did talk at length about the factors he would have to consider if he was offered the opportunity to become a head coach elsewhere.
While becoming a head coach at the FBS level has long been one of Knowles’ aspirations – his only previous head coaching job was at Cornell, his alma mater, from 2004-09 – so too was the opportunity to coach at one of the top programs in the country. Now that he’s there, Knowles says it would be hard for him to leave Ohio State for any job.

“I’ve really worked my whole career to get to a place where you're expected to win all the time, where you're given the resources, where you have a shot to play for the national championship every year,” Knowles said. “So any of those opportunities, while you're always grateful, I try to look at it from ‘This is where I always worked to be.’ And you have to judge that against the benefits of being a head coach vs. being at a place that's top-five, premier all the time with high expectations and talent.

“From where I started to get here, I don't take that lightly. That's not something you leave easily for any job, head coach or not. I mean, I see myself as being at the best place right now. So I have to always look at that and say ‘Why would I want to go anywhere else?’ Ohio State is the top of the top.

“When you're a young coach and you aspire, yes, you aspire to be a head coach and all that, and I've done that. But once you get to a place where winning is expected, where it's a purpose-driven program with a great head coach and a chance to run the defense, I mean, I couldn't imagine anything better when I was a young coach. So you look at all those things, and all those opportunities, but I really appreciate where I'm at.”
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I know position coaches are responsible for rotating players, but at the end of the day the DC is in charge. Knowles has done an amazing job tranforming this defense. The one glaring issue we've had is wearing down late in games. ND, ttun, and Miz all pushed us around in the 4th quarter because our front 4 was clearly gassed. You have to rotate players in throughout the game, especially at DT. Hopefully this gets addressed next year.
 
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I know position coaches are responsible for rotating players, but at the end of the day the DC is in charge. Knowles has done an amazing job tranforming this defense. The one glaring issue we've had is wearing down late in games. ND, ttun, and Miz all pushed us around in the 4th quarter because our front 4 was clearly gassed. You have to rotate players in throughout the game, especially at DT. Hopefully this gets addressed next year.
Most defenses wear down late when your offense is inept. The fucking 2021 Georgia D wasn’t winning that game last night. At best they hold Mizzou to two FGs instead of TDs.
 
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I know position coaches are responsible for rotating players, but at the end of the day the DC is in charge. Knowles has done an amazing job tranforming this defense. The one glaring issue we've had is wearing down late in games. ND, ttun, and Miz all pushed us around in the 4th quarter because our front 4 was clearly gassed. You have to rotate players in throughout the game, especially at DT. Hopefully this gets addressed next year.
Front 4 did get rotated this game. I saw Jackson, Curry and Hamilton in there on plays.
 
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JAMES LAURINAITIS’ PROMOTION NOT A HUGE SHIFT, BUT ALLOWS JIM KNOWLES TO FOCUS MORE ON OHIO STATE’S DEFENSIVE SCHEME​

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James Laurinaitis’ coronation as linebackers coach occurred this offseason, but he ruled as the room’s regent in all but name in 2023.

Recruiting to whatever extent a graduate assistant can, heavily involved in the position’s on-field development and even dictating some of the in-game rotations, there are only subtle ways that Laurinaitis’ promotion changed the alignment of Ohio State’s coaching staff.

“I don’t think a lot is different. I certainly felt like the linebacker coach last year,” Laurinaitis said after being named full-time linebackers coach. “I think the guys would have said the same thing. It’s the little things to me, maybe not doing some things in the breakdown that a graduate assistant does. Being able to have my own office, to be honest. ... The title brings that those are your guys, that’s your room. And there’s a responsibility with that, but I cherish that.”

Still, that responsibility carries enough of an unburdening on defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to be notable. With Laurinaitis now fully in charge of linebackers, Knowles can step back and focus further on schematics while also roaming the practice field more evenly at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

“Just having James additionally last year was a big bonus because of his experience and the way he works with the players,” Knowles said in March. “He’s a lot nicer to them than I am. Last year it was good cop, bad cop, y’know? Now the bad cop’s left the room so I’m sure the players love it.”
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“YOU ALWAYS WANT TO TRY TO DO WHAT’S BEST FOR THE PERSONNEL.”– JIM KNOWLES ON BUILDING DEFENSIVE SCHEMES
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