Jim Knowles won’t get romantic about the moment when he steps on the field for his first game at Ohio State Saturday. That would only distract from his singular focus.
Asked Tuesday if he would take a second to soak in the stage and circumstance at Ohio Stadium ahead of the Buckeyes’ season opener against Notre Dame, the first-year scarlet and gray defensive coordinator said “no. I'm going to stay focused in and in a locked-in mindset and do my job. That's what the players need.”
That’s not for any concern that the Buckeye defense Knowles has reconstructed over the past eight months won’t be well-prepared for its grand unveiling. In his past two press conference appearances before Ohio State’s matchup with the Fighting Irish, Knowles has expressed nothing but confidence in his unit and built in no excuses about the short time period he’s had to ready the Buckeyes for a full-scale defensive turnaround.
Knowles said the Buckeyes left no stone unturned in preseason preparation, which fuels his belief in what Ohio State is capable of amid its defensive debut.
“We're ready. We're 100% ready to go. … We've put them through the crucible, we go against the nation's best offense every day, we've pushed and prodded and poked and tried to stretch them as far as they can go. So wherever they're at right now, it's 100%. And that's what I dial the gameplan into. So yeah, I'm confident.”
Last year, Notre Dame finished with the 19th-ranked scoring offense and No. 20 passing offense in the country. In those same categories defensively, the Buckeyes ranked 38th and 96th, respectively. But for many reasons, this year isn’t a replica of 2021 for either unit.
The Fighting Irish have lost several key pieces from last season’s offense, and will have a first-time starting quarterback under center in Tyler Buchner. Ohio State returns most of the same pieces from last season’s defense, but its new scheme under Knowles is expected to lead to sweeping statistical changes. Ryan Day said in July he’s aiming for a top-10 overall defense by the end of the year, and Knowles said he’s thinking top-five.
There's just an energy level to them, a confidence, guys buzzing around playing fast, playing violent, creating chaos out there. And that's gonna be fun to watch.”– Ryan Day on the OSU defense
That’s a high bar for a group that finished 59th in total defense a year ago, but nothing either coach has said this week contradicts those expectations – even ahead of a matchup with the No. 5 team in the country.
“I think we've had an excellent preseason. I think the attitudes have been excellent. I think the toughness has been excellent,” Day said. “I think their attention to detail, the edge that they've had, this team wants to be good. And they have an edge to 'em. They feel like they have something to prove. But that doesn't mean anything until you go play the game on Saturday night. So we'll keep working on that and try to figure out a way to get to 1-0.”
Of course, the Buckeye offense is of little concern for most as the 2022 season begins. The reigning national leader in total yards per game last year, and Day’s unit may be the favorite to finish this year atop that same category when all is said and done.
For that reason, Ohio State’s national title hopes may hinge on the defensive changes Knowles is able to make. But while some head coaches may be watching their defense through their hands given that premise, Day said he’s excited to see the Buckeyes bring what they’ve shown on the practice field to the Horseshoe on Saturday.
“It's gonna be great to see. Just a bunch of guys running around with great energy and great confidence,” Day said. “And that's what this thing is going to be and that's the way they practiced, just the whole group in general. You know, if you come out and watch practice, you can see it. There's just an energy level to them, a confidence, guys buzzing around playing fast, playing violent, creating chaos out there. And that's gonna be fun to watch.”
What’s stood out to Day and company in particular during the past couple months? It starts with the defensive line, which has earned superlative praise from just about every Ohio State coach and player who’s been asked about it of late. Fourth-year safety Ronnie Hickman said the front line has a “different feel” this season, and third-year center Luke Wypler said he’s “sick and tired of watching film and seeing them doing great things on that side of the ball” in Buckeye practices.
Given Buchner’s inexperience and Notre Dame’s commitment to running the ball, the performance of the Ohio State defensive line will be especially important against the Irish. But Day also tipped his hat to the improvements made by other position groups on defense as well.
“I think when you look at the front, I think that they are certainly creating a lot of disruption up front and getting after the quarterback and creating problems up front in the run game,” Day said. “Linebackers are much more improved. They're seeing things and diagnosing things faster. But the secondary as well is playing at a pretty high level. So I think across the board, it's just an overall improvement. I think that the guys are playing with more confidence. I think it's probably the combination of guys on that side of the ball with more experience and then embracing the new scheme.”
Knowles said it’s more than just the new scheme that the Buckeyes have embraced ahead of the season. Several Buckeyes said the 2022 team has a closer bond than the one that preceded it, and Knowles is impressed with the mentality the group has cultivated over the offseason.
If everything comes together as planned on Saturday, the Buckeyes appear poised to make a defensive statement against a top-flight opponent at the start of the season.
“You're installing your scheme, but the whole time you're building a mindset,” Knowles said. “You're building a mindset of excellence and this is how we do it and this is how we're going to do it every day and we're going to do it on the grass in practice and that's how the game is gonna go. So it really is about expectations.
“Once the players know that you care, they'll go to the wall for you, and I believe we're at that point.”
