Ohio State's Jim Knowles had similar thoughts when starting at Oklahoma State
In 2018, Jim Knowles inherited an Oklahoma State defense that had ranked 85th nationally in points allowed the year before.
As a team, the Cowboys were coming off of a 10-3 campaign capped by a 30-21 victory over Virginia Tech at the Camping World Bowl and which included an overtime upset of Texas at Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium.
However, the program was in need of rejuvenation on the defensive side of the ball. Knowles had accomplished that before at Duke; he could do it again. It’s why Oklahoma State hired him ahead of the 2018 season to be its defensive coordinator.
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But improvement wouldn't be immediate. In Knowles' first season, Oklahoma State fell to 97th in scoring defense, allowing 32.5 points per game. The team's Big 12 record reversed from 6-3 to 3-6.
So how did what Knowles said about the Cowboys before that rebuilding season compare to his confident comments this week regarding the Ohio State defense he's taking over this year?
In 2018, Knowles praised his players' ability to absorb teaching.
“They will go into the first game knowing everything they need to know for that game,” said Knowles. "Will it continue to grow and move forward as the season progresses? Absolutely.”
Similarly, Knowles has liked how much the Buckeyes have been able to master his playbook.
"The players are very open to learning, and they want to be great," he said last month. "That part of it has been exciting, and we've been able to get a lot in."
When installing his defense at Oklahoma State, Knowles acknowledged it would be challenging.
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“This system was built with the number one goal to be the fastest play-calling defense in the country,” he said.
He even seemed to admit that while his goals were high – "We don't want to give up anything." – there would be some growing pains during his first season with the Cowboys.
"Teams are going to score, but you want to be able to just compete for it," said Knowles.
He seems comparatively pleased in Columbus.
“We're ready,” he said. “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 game plan into, so yeah, I'm confident."
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Oklahoma State may have given up more points in his first year, but by the time Knowles departed, it had improved to ninth nationally in that category. He seems to believe improvement will come even quicker in Columbus, where the Buckeyes were No. 38 a year ago.
Ohio State will learn if that's the case starting with the team's season opener Saturday against Notre Dame.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jim Knowles is confident for his first season with OSU
