Quite a culture they developed in Columbus, huh? Turns out “the greatest national championship team of all time” is losing some key coaching talent in the wake of their national championship. Not uncommon, mind you, given Lanning’s departure to Oregon after the 2021 season and Monken heading back to the pros after 2022.
So who is heading to the pros or becoming a head coach at another college program for the Suckeyes? No one is…it’s way better than that:
Penn State is offering over 3 million for a defensive coordinator. Quite frankly, I didn’t see Penn State’s woes as one from the defensive side of the ball, but the Shittany Liars lost their DC to Clemson (?). No doubt Knowles shores up the Ohio State defense, but can he do it with less NIL and possibly less talent?
Can you imagine winning a NC and get pantsed by James Franklin in the same week? How’d the world’s classiest program take the news. Let’s say not well:
Because of this, the Buckeyes made a simple requestto Knowles, according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network. His tweet states “He was asked by the school not to attend Buckeyes’ national title celebration while he deliberated his options, the source said.
“Knowles’ representation tried to reach a deal with OSU the week before the title game & immediately after, but the eventual offer was ‘well below’ the competition, the source said.”
Although seen as a “all in” investment made by the university akin to OSU’s investments in the off-season to “acquire” a national title, Penn State might need to realize that the problem likely ain’t the coordinators, it’s the head coach.
I will say this: if Penn State and James Franklin win a national championship in 2025, it’s just proof that you can buy titles and that actual coaching and development are no longer skill sets required by a head coach. With enough money, you could just hire a middle aged man with a PlayStation to run the program and the rest would take care of itself.
No, a random middle aged man with a play station and an unlimited budget can’t win an ugly cfb playoff trophy after navigating a 12 game season, likely a conference championship game and at least 3 games in the ESPN invitational.
There are a variety of reasons. Some are these.
Players are young men with alpha male personalities. Managing people is a skill. Pushing buttons on a Playstation does not develop those skills. If a bunch of talented players, all of whom believe they are the most important players on the team, can’t be managed to work together the result can be a disaster.
Second, championship teams have to prepare for opponents. Numbnuts on Playstation don’t learn what to do Sunday through Thursday to prepare for an opponent.
Third, an unlimited budget doesn’t mean unlimited talent because of roster limits. There are other teams with great players lead by real coaches.
Fourth, real coaches with real game experience can detect nuance. Remember Kirby Smart detecting something and calling a timeout an instant before Ohio State would have run that successful fake punt? A goober with a Playstation does have those deductive skills learned by actually coaching.
Texas A & M under Fisher (not a great coach but not an amateur, either) should be a cautionary tale to those that think any clown with enough money can win a championship.
Hearing Scott Cochran to be the head coach at Univ of West Alabama
While chucking massive sums of cash at a problem does not always solve it, it damn sure gives you a much better shot. Love the Braves, but I would take that pricey Dodgers roster every day of the week and twice on Sundays. I do not think the money is the only thing, but it is moving toward being the most important thing. If you think it is not important, watch the schools that can’t do it and see where they are in five years. I hate it.
My bet is Knowles had the offer from Penn State and brought it to Ohio State expecting they would match or beat it and they called his bluff, and now he’s stuck having to leave.
Usually when a coordinator leaves, there’s some player movement as well. Chip Kelly might be outta there too. Kirby’s roster management staff will be keeping an eye on the portal I’m sure.