Ohio State coach Ryan Day spent the weekend celebrating the program's ninth national championship, a crowning achievement for a group that had operated like one of the best teams in the country all year and then played some of its best football in the biggest moments with a challenging run through the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left the Buckeyes program in a surprising turn of events, accepting the same job with the Penn State Nittany Lions

Knowles would fill the void on Penn State’s staff left by Tom Allen, who accepted the same position with Clemson earlier this month.

James Franklin, who had been in hot pursuit of a big-name defensive coordinator to replace Tom Allen, plucked Jim Knowles from national champion Ohio State.

In a shocking turn of events, things appear to be getting worse for Ohio State following its national title. On Sunday, multiple reports have indicated that the

It was the furthest thing from a happy ending between the newly minted Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and his former school.

The 59-year-old Knowles reportedly is signing a three-year contract worth more than $9 million, which makes him the highest-paid coordinator in the country. His hiring, which became official Monday morning, is the clearest sign that Penn State and Franklin are all in for the 2025 season.

Several sources tell FootballScoop that Penn State is working to finalize a deal with vaunted defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, the braintrust of Ohio State's national championship-winning defense. Per sources, the deal is expected to make Knowles the highest-paid defensive coordinator in all of college football.

But the biggest visitor was Penn State head coach James Franklin, who is coming off a College Football ... Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State and Tennessee as his dozen finalists. The two-time Journal Star all-area selection ...

Knowles will make Penn State's defense one of the best in the country, but his addition might help the offense too.

Joel Klatt had a very egregious ranking for Penn State ahead of the 2025 college football season: No. 1 overall.