Nine months. That’s how long it’s been since Jim Knowles packed up his playbook, left Columbus with a championship ring, and took his defensive schemes to Penn State. But this weekend, the former Buckeye brain returns to Ohio Stadium only this time wearing blue and white. The irony is that his Nittany Lion defense has coughed up 119 points in four Big Ten losses, a far cry from the dominance he engineered alongside Ryan Day. But there’s one question looming that blends sentiment with rivalry and respect with resentment.

“Should Ohio State pay homage to Jim Knowles on Saturday?” That’s the question Tom Orr, Buckeye Huddle’s podcaster, threw on X on October 28. He didn’t mince words in his postgame segment. “This will not happen. And I understand that this will not happen,” he said, before delivering what felt like both a eulogy and a salute. “Jim Knowles should get a warm welcome in Columbus on Saturday. Like Jim Knowles did a great job for Ohio State for three years… And it ended with them hoisting a championship trophy and confetti falling and everyone lived happily ever after.” But of course, fairy tales fade fast in college football.

In Jim Knowles’ case, it took less than a week. “And then like five days later, everyone was mad at each other. And that’s it,” Tom Orr continued. “It’s like, well, we don’t like the color of the clothes you’re wearing right now, but we appreciate what you did when you were wearing the color of the clothes that we’re wearing right now.” But in Columbus, everyone knows exactly why that applause might not come. Because the DC’s Ohio State exit wasn’t a fairytale ending.

Just days after the Buckeyes’ confetti-filled title celebration, he was finalizing a deal with Penn State, a contract worth more than $9 million over three years, making him the highest-paid DC in college football. He skipped the team’s official celebration while negotiating in State College, a move that didn’t sit well in Columbus. Ryan Day admits it stung. “We try not to take those things personal,” he said. “But we are human.” Still, the request lingers with Orr saying, “It would be great if that was the reception that he got on Saturday.” So what does the Buckeyes’ HC think of all this?

Ryan Day reveals cold contact with Jim Knowles

Let’s just say there won’t be a reunion dinner. Ryan Day made it clear this week that communication between him and his former coordinator has been bare minimum since the split. “Like any relationship, when it breaks off, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad,” he said. “But there really hasn’t been much communication. He did a great job when he was here, helped us win a national championship, and kind of left it at that. And then it was, ‘Hey, we got to go make a replacement,’ and move on from there.’”

If anything, Jim Knowles’ absence has fueled Ohio State’s dominance. Under first-year DC Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes now lead the nation in points allowed (5.9) and yards allowed (216.9) per game. Penn State’s defense, meanwhile, hasn’t lived up to its paycheck. The DC’s complex system has struggled to click especially after James Franklin’s midseason firing. The Nittany Lions rank 90th in rushing defense, 68th in sacks per game, and 80th on third down. 

Still, Ryan Day expects Jim Knowles to bring “some curveballs” Saturday but insists fundamentals will decide the day. “Make it as hard as possible and make it a really difficult environment for them to operate in,” he said. Does that sound like homage? It sounds like unfinished business.