Jim Knowles is still building his defense.
But instead of speaking in hypotheticals and in terms of what his defense could look like down the line like he did when he first arrived, the Ohio State defensive coordinator spoke as if the defense was installed, that everything he wanted to see was on film and that the next part of the process is fine-tuning, preparing for Notre Dame Sept. 3.
“They were able to learn that we do a lot of things. It’s simple, but it looks complex. I think they were able to get to the heart of it and get excited and say, ‘OK, we can show a lot of different looks.’ But it was easy for them to learn,” Knowles said. “It can be overwhelming in the beginning because it looks like a lot. But when you get into the nuts and bolts of it, they were able to follow along at a rapid pace. And that’s a credit to our players too. They soaked it up and they really wanted to learn.
“I think now they got a taste of how good the system can work.”
Knowles’ approach for his defense is the same as what it was when he was first hired in January, arriving with a cloud of expectation after successful remodels at both Duke and Oklahoma State.
Now, it's a defense the Buckeyes have been able to replicate.
It’s a defense that can now pursue the football with "smart form" and the right angles, playing with an understanding that it’s an 11-man game where there is help to be had.
It’s a defense that can adjust to what opposing offenses are doing, developing a system that has the foundation of adjustment.
It’s a defense with a trademark of pressure not just through blitzing, but by making the quarterback hold the ball longer, slowing down the pace and allowing defenders to finish the rush.
All were things Knowles has preached since Day 1. Now there’s evidence on tape of it working.
“It’s not something you can manufacture week by week. You do it by how you build a system from the start and you’re constantly practicing that against our offense,” Knowles said. “And we got a great offense, so you can get feedback from them in terms of ‘What do you see and how are you seeing it?' That helps us grow by going against that.”
It’s all about giving defenders that extra step, that extra chance for an advantage against an opposing offense to achieve the unit’s overall goal.
The players who achieve those steps are the ones who are going to play extensively, even if it’s a long list of players.
“Playing defense at Ohio State, you have to earn it,” Knowles said, calling out Tommy Eichenberg, Kye Stokes, Zach Harrison and Caden Curry as players who he’s seen that initiative from.
“You have to be able to show it in practice and understand the defense: where you fit, how you fit, be able to explain it. There’s a process, but if a lot of guys have earned that level, I’m up for playing a lot of guys.”
Coming out of spring, Knowles sees an Ohio State defense that accomplished more than he could ask for.
He saw a defense that was open and eager to learn, picking up things ar a rapid pace and showing off their football intelligence.
Now, in the summer, whether it’s during one-on-one sessions or in the limited amount of group activities he’s permitted to have, Knowles is continuing to grow his defense, molding it into what fits Ohio State.
While there may be expectation surrounding him after what he was able to do at Duke and Oklahoma State, it’s not something the players feel.
“I don’t think the players feel any pressure on that because they believe and they are confident and they’ve seen how the whole system works and the quality of our program,” Knowles said. “The challenge is just to be the best we can be. That’s all. If we’re the best we can be, we’ll be fine, so we just have to get better every day.
“I say get better, they say every day. That’s one of our sayings. They say it back to me and that’s all we have to worry about.”
