Tim May: Buckeyes seeing good results from new approach, dialed-back blitz tendencies

COLUMBUS — Let’s say one caught Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles in a moment of meditation [hard to fathom, granted, what with all the coffee he seems to consume], the mantra he keeps repeating might go something like this:

“Stay on course. Stay with the plan. Limit the explosive plays. Win third and fourth down.”

His boss Ryan Day knows Knowles is champing at the bit to unleash waves of blitzes and the like, the exotic schemes he nurtured at Duke and Oklahoma State that played a large role in turning around those defenses, that emanating from a 4-2-5 alignment featured, among other things, a wildcard “Leo” player intent on pass rushing one play, dropping into coverage the next, etc.

The approach had its moments in his first year at Ohio State in 2022, but by season’s end, especially in the losses to Michigan and Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal, the sometimes all-out tact revealed vulnerabilities that coupled with gaffes by players, left the Buckeyes chasing on explosive plays that turned incendiaries. They reached the end zone.

It’s no secret head coach Day has asked Knowles to dial it back this season. Oh, there is still some trick stuff going on out there from time to time, and there will be some Saturday when the No. 4 Buckeyes take on undefeated and volatile Maryland at noon for homecoming in Ohio Stadium. 

But the new Knowles has learned to trust his players — almost across the board higher ranked prospects than what he had to work with at Duke and Oklahoma State — to get the job done just by playing the game.

Like the way safeties Sonny Styles and Lathan Ransom read their keys on a fourth-and-one at Notre Dame two weeks ago as quarterback Sam Hartman danced left down the line on a keeper before turning up. He then ran into Styles, who had mirrored Hartman’s dance, and Ransom, who had recognized the ploy from pregame preparation and fired forward to help in the stop.  

Or the way, after the Buckeyes had given up a lead-taking touchdown drive to Notre Dame on its previous possession, they forced a punt to set up Kyle McCord and the offense for the game-winning march. Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau forced his way in to make a sack then read a screen attempt and knocked away the pass on consecutive plays.

Again, there was nothing exotic about the defensive approach; just a former can’t-miss, five-star prospect taking care of his responsibility and making great plays when needed.

“Coach Day talks about it all the time, competitive excellence,” Knowles said. “It’s stepping up in the most important moments. I don’t know that you coach that as much as you just have a faith in it.

“He’s a guy that has shown to do that, right? A lot of times, it goes back to your last question, I spent a lot of my career trying to [play] call guys into things. With a guy like that [Tuimoloau] you’ve just got to let him play and just believe he’s going to show up when it counts the most.”

Will that be enough for Ohio State against the Terps and their playmaking quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa? The game will dictate it. No doubt there are things Knowles would like to call, in fact is itching to call.

“The honest answer is yes,” Knowles said. “But what matters is what works.

“You like to have enough [blitzes and such in the repertoire] because if you need to enact it you want to be able to enact it.  There’s always that balance of practice time of how much do I work on all these things that I have or would like to do, some day we’re gonna need it, and how much is it like, you know what? Stay on course. Stay with the plan. Limit the explosive plays. Win third and fourth down. 

“But the answer is yes. It’s a constant battle … fought by myself … somewhere.”

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