Ohio State coach Ryan Day spent the weekend celebrating the program's ninth national championship, a crowning achievement for a group that had operated like one of the best teams in the country all year and then played some of its best football in the biggest moments with a challenging run through the College Football Playoff.

James Franklin, who had been in hot pursuit of a big-name defensive coordinator to replace Tom Allen, plucked Jim Knowles from national champion Ohio State.

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left the Buckeyes program in a surprising turn of events, accepting the same job with the Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State officially has its man at defensive coordinator. The Nittany Lions officially announced the hiring of Jim Knowles from Ohio State on Monday morning, completing the poaching of one of the nation's top defensive play callers.

In a shocking turn of events, things appear to be getting worse for Ohio State following its national title. On Sunday, multiple reports have indicated that the

It was the furthest thing from a happy ending between the newly minted Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and his former school.

But the biggest visitor was Penn State head coach James Franklin, who is coming off a ... Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State and Tennessee as his dozen finalists.

Penn State has officially hired Jim Knowles away from Ohio State to be its next defensive coordinator. The news of the massive change broke Sunday and was officially announced by the university on Monday following a Board of Trustees committee meeting.

With most of Penn State's talent returning, tight end-turned-college football analyst Adam Breneman is ecstatic to see whether his alma can again contend for a national championship next fall, making a bold claim about what Knowles' hire truly means.

The 59-year-old Knowles reportedly is signing a three-year contract worth more than $9 million, which makes him the highest-paid coordinator in the country. His hiring, which became official Monday morning, is the clearest sign that Penn State and Franklin are all in for the 2025 season.

Nittany Lions coach James Franklin seeks to make a bold move, hiring the architect of the Buckeyes' championship defense.