With nearly 6 months before the game on November 1st, the highly anticipated match up between Penn State and Ohio State was ratcheted up after the publication of a story by Heather Dinich of ESPN.com on May 6th. Dinich’s story gave college football fans, most notably Ohio State and Penn State fans, insight into the reasons why Jim Knowles left his position as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator to join Jim Franklin’s staff at Penn State for this upcoming season.

In the article, Knowles explained to Dinich his reasoning for leaving Ohio State, despite the Buckeyes’ recent national championship success. Essentially, Knowles wanted a contract extension/adjustment prior to Ohio State’s national championship game versus Notre Dame, and when the adjustment did not happen, Knowles felt that it was in his best interests to look elsewhere.

In the article, Jim Knowles stated, “I did not want to put anyone, including myself, in a position to have to deal with it immediately following the national championship game…And that’s the way it happened…Season’s over, everything coming to a head again quickly…Ohio State hasn’t come forward with a deal, and it’s like, OK, if I’m going to act on this or at least explore it, I have got to make the call.“.

Adding to the awkwardness of the situation was how this all played out in the backdrop of a national championship celebration at Ohio Stadium, minus Jim Knowles. Negotiations with Knowles were ongoing, and Knowles was asked not to attend the celebration. In the article, Knowles stated, “I was asked not to go to the parade, and I respect that…I’m not trying to be a secretive guy. Here’s this offer, there were a couple others that were every bit as much money, and then there was Ohio State’s offer, which was still great money, but not as much, so then you have to sit with it.”.

Both Penn State and Ohio State have moved on, with Knowles taking over as Penn State’s defensive coordinator, while Ohio State head coach Ryan Day elected to hire Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator, while also promoting Tim Walton to co-defensive coordinator. Needless to say, the backstory and drama surrounding the departure of Jim Knowles from Ohio State to a rival Big Ten program in Penn State has only fueled the anticipation for one of college football’s biggest games of the 2025 season.

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