When the Buckeyes break you: Did Ohio State break Jim Knowles? And is it now personal?

"We try not to take those things personal, but we are human," Ryan Day said of the Buckeyes facing their former defensive coordinator against Penn State on Saturday

Jim Knowles before an Ohio State game in 2024, which was his third season as the defensive coordinator at Ohio State. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State)

COLUMBUS — Jim Knowles might coach an underdog defense. And if he’s not at an underdog program, striking the right balance to bring out the best of a Knowles D, while limiting its worst instincts, might take time.

That’s time that Penn State didn’t have.

As the latest entry in our “When the Buckeyes break you” series, Knowles is a complicated subject. He’s the first that might have been broken while inside the program, and the break might be in the perception of him.

The Buckeyes Breaking Series

• Breaking Penn State

• Breaking Wisconsin and Bret Bielema

• Breaking Texas and Arch Mannning