Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles talks defense, improvements during team's 1st off week

All right, we're going to one and done 15 minutes start here in the front. I put it from your perspective with Denzel's injection. Is there, is that avoidable? Is that something you can work out with for? Did you make it that way there? It's unfortunate. Um, I understand and trying to protect players just have to keep your head up, you know, how to gray area. You know, just I think if anything we can learn is keep your head up. You know, it's, uh, been something I think since football players put on pelvic, you know, the natural tendency, I kind of dropped it like that. Can, you know, that can eliminate a lot of errors and potential injuries and just see what you keep your head up. I don't go to Wefi Jarret small IJ. Uh, if you look at the stats after the game and see that, you know, Cody had, you know, three tackles and a sack and those are the mes. But can you explain the, the things maybe we wouldn't see statistically that he can make such a difference for you with his experience and ability to get people lined up. Uh, having been there. But how valuable a commodity is he? Yeah, Co Cody is the, you know, the leader of the defense, the quarterback for the defense, um, conscientious yelling, bleeds Ohio State. I mean, there are, as you said, so many more things that he gives the team aside from statistics and I think it just brings a, uh, general confidence to everyone when he's out there. Go in the middle here to be it, Jim. Uh, having somebody like Jermaine Matthews. I think some people would call that a luxury. I think it's more of a necessity in today's game. I know you weren't concerned about him coming onto the field. But what did you think of his response? How did he stay? How did, how did he stay ready? And then do you agree that it's a necessity to have something like that? Yeah, I mean, this is a long season. Um, strange things can happen, unfortunate things. So depth is critical. Yeah, we, I mean, Jermaine is in that, uh, area I talked about before guys who, you know, might not be a starter but in our mind, he's considered one. So if you don't blink when he goes in, I mean, he's a guy who has proven to be able to compete and, you know, the toughest games situation. So he's kept himself prepared, prepared with a good attitude and, um, you know, came in and did a good job. Go here in the front Big bill asked about a couple of other young second year backups Arville Reese and Katie mcdonald. What are you seeing out of Arval Reese and mcdonald? And do you see the roles continuing to grow this season? Yeah. So in both, I mean, Arvell has, he, has made um, tremendous improvements since he's arrived here. Um, you're seeing him play fast, he, he's got tremendous physical tools. So for a linebacker, it's just a matter of, you know, knowing what to do and not having to think about it. So what you see in how the heart valve now is, he's understanding where all the pieces go and he's able to play fast without thinking. Um, you know, K Mac has been doing a great job since he got here, even on scout team and given our offense fits. So, you know, we've been expecting him to have a break out here and he, and, and he showed it last week, made a lot of twice instead of the front road over middle one. I asked a similar question of why giving up six points, two long field goals. I don't think you had anybody in the red zone. And what's, yeah, what's your top concern about this fee? That's if there is one at this point, I don't, they just keep doing what you're doing. Yeah. You know, I, I see a lot of things, um, formation, I see things that, um, maybe other people don't. So that's really, my biggest concern is just staying top on top of things that maybe didn't show up in the game. But I saw the possibilities for, you know, down the road and how other people are gonna scout us and self scouting, you know, seeing what I called and, and how, how I can have the, you know, more changeups available when you need them. But it's just, it's just trying to look at every play and see what we did, which for the most part has been good and, and, you know, one of the other things that can come off of it, how are, how are other team gonna look at us a couple of weeks ago? We were actually once, maybe there's a bit of a gap between obviously what Cale and like all his experience, the best guys in the country and the work guys behind are getting Jen and on the field the last two weeks. Are you seeing some promise that maybe some depth is starting to build up? Yes. Yes. I mean, uh, both of those guys are, are, are coming along and, uh, the more reps they get, they've been showing up and, and, um, doing all the right things and playing hard and making the checks and, and making plays when their numbers called. So the more reps we can get them the better because like I said, football is a, it's a tough game all season and we need them third row. So when you don't, when we don't hear a guy's name in the press box, is that, is he not making plays? Is he's doubled from your experience? Is it just the way the game's going, it's played out? What combination of all those things? Yeah, I mean, it's, uh, so much happens in, in our game that, uh, you know, most of us can't see and you never know what the guy's assignment was, what he was taught, what he was trained to do. So it all comes down to the evaluation by the coaches and, you know, we have those ipads now, so we're getting everything in real time. So, you know, you could really pretty much grade, grade a player after hour series. I mean, you can, so you can see what his value is to the defense based on the call, but whether his name gets called or not is really not important to us. It's more how is he functioning in the scheme back in the front row? You c Jim, what have you seen, um, from Ty Hilton, uh, he's, he's made that impact and to your home. Yeah, I mean, he, he's, he's been making an impact since I've been here, but he has, um, developed into AAA dominant player. I mean, you know, he's a guy that can control the interior of the line of scrimmage and that's a big deal. You know, I've always said when your defensive tackles make tackles, it allows you to do other things and coverage and how many people you commit down to the box. So I, you know, he's ty is quiet but he's like a cold blooded gentleman. I mean, he just, he, he really, um, is a force that I think is sometimes it may be difficult to see. Um, but when you watch the tape, he, he is knocking people back and really just creating some difficult situations for the offense. So deep center field, Jeremy Birmingham, you, uh when you're talking this week, week, you guys, obviously I've shut out, you know, 99 points and all that stuff. How do you guys get better? Where's the biggest area that you're thinking about editing to this extended time off? Yeah, it comes down to fundamentals. One, right, all those things that, uh um and match up games are gonna be critical, you know, whereas maybe we had, you know, a decided advantage in certain areas. Um But when I watch the tape, I can see how we have to, you know, fix certain things or be on top of certain things, slight adjustments here and there, um because it'll be critical when we get to the matchup game. So, and then, yeah, it's all, again, it's all looking at what we did and how future offenses are gonna view us and where I'm predicting that the attack will come from. So we try to stay ahead and work in those areas call me. I don't hear Phil and this Jim, um, with our bell kind of making the push he seem to be making and obviously Cody and, and Sonny and linebacker, any discussions about different ways for CJ to still impact things through the defenses. And I was wondering if you could potentially be more of a line of scrimmage guy than a, than a linebacker. We haven't, uh, discussed that because, you know, CJ is still developing very well and, and, you know, he's considered very much a part of, of that mix, um, with those guys at linebacker, but, you know, I've said it before and it's, it's always in the back of my mind because, you know, I think he has those gifts and tools to be able to do something like that. So it's nothing we really, uh, discussed, but it's, it's always there for me because I know it may come into play at some point. What, what brings it to the front of your? Well, I would have to, you know, you would have to, um, maybe, uh, experience some depth issues in other places, you know, I mean, we're, we're so, uh, talented on the, on the edge right now with, and our depth is, is so good that it's not something that we need to do right now. But, you know, if, if something comes up, it's always a possibility at time of three more, we'll go to camp, take up j kind of continued on that. And I think a lot of times this summer we thought of the linebackers, Sony Cody and CJ. How much is our Bells growth and such? And that rotation helps you find different ways to rotate them and give you more freedom of what you can call. It. Just not catching for perhaps too much in place. It's just, it adds another guy and our bell, you know, like I said, his growth has, has really been, um, fantastic and, and he's gone through some lulls, you know, as a, as a younger guy, you know, he's gone through some ups and downs and it's like, you know, it's like a daily thing in practice and now he's on a path of, uh, sustainment production and, and you see them kind of jumping off the V plan fast. So that adds to our depth of that position, which is really important, particularly when you get into three linebacker looks, you know, um, it's an extra guy and, uh, we need four, we need five. You know, I've like, actually I really liked what Gabe has done and limited rep, you know, he's had limited reps, but really done a good job. So I'd like to see him starting to get into that next, but RL has suddenly helped us. Yeah. How is it this week? During the improvement? We could get red zone defensive reps against the offense. We have. Yeah, we do. It all the time. Yeah, we do it all the time and, and Coach Day puts that in, um, constantly, we do it every week, you know, of course we do it against the scouts when we're going against the opponent, but we do it against our offense too, you know, good on good. Um, we don't pass stuff and, you know, regular red zone, you keep it in against good competition all the time and we'll wrap it up in the front too. So two games in, what is the great luxury of the way Lake and Ransom and cable dams are played. They played up the standards you expected. You understand what I'm saying? Where does it go from here? I guess that's it. They have and, um, we just keep pushing, you gotta push everybody, you know, and striving for perfection. And, um, you know, those are two guys that, you know, let's face it. We haven't had to unleash very much so to speak. But you've seen, you know, those, uh, specific examples while we have unleashed them, you know, they go from A to B pretty quick, you know. So, uh, I think it's just a, a matter of, uh, continuing to push, put some tweaks in keeping their aggressiveness alive through the different call. I just haven't had to do it very much, but when it, when it shows up it's pretty cool. Like you said, you don't, you don't, you hardly ever sleep you like off order but is there any kind of comfort of having those explain the comfort level of having two guys like that on the back side of your? Yeah, I think you just um I don't wanna say take it for granted but you don't sweat it. I mean, it's just you, you know, you know, you can go in to those two and say, hey, hey, this week we wanna do it this way and by the way against this, I want you to make this call. Ok. But, you know, you know what I mean? You know, when you have to put in these, uh, slight adjustments, week to week, um, it's not something, you know, and they, I handle that, you know, you just kind of roll, you just kind of roll. Ok, here's what we're gonna do and then, ok, got it, coach and that's it. So it makes, it certainly makes it easier to make adjustments. Thanks you. Thank you. Thanks, you.