It should come to no surprise there is no love lost for Penn State DC Jim Knowles from the Ohio State fanbase.
As Penn State fans have come to know about frustrations of the installation of Knowles complex defensive schemes – Ohio State has lived through them.
Today was Knowles first appearance back in Ohio Stadium since Ohio State’s win over Tennessee in its College Football Playoff First Round matchup.
Ohio Stadium’s video board operators have a knack for playing mind games with their opponents by triggering the fans emotions.
Last season, during Ohio State’s matchup with Indiana, the video board operators trolled the Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti during the fourth quarter with a message: “Extra! Extra! Buckeyes Win???? Google It!” – a maneuver trolling Cignetti’s “Google Me” hype.
Saturday was similar.
During the fourth quarter of No. 1 Ohio State’s 38-14 win over Penn State, the video board operators displayed an image of new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who through eight games has coordinated a defense that has surrendered under a touchdown a game, to a hero’s welcome with cheers.
Then came the troll of displaying a photo of Knowles, whose relationship with Ohio State deteriorated following the Oregon loss last year that led to his departure to Penn State, was received with heavy boos and jeers.
Knowles defense had bigger problems on Saturday with handling Ohio State’s dynamic wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, who combined for 11 receptions, 247 receiving yards, and three touchdowns.
Penn State hopes to avoid their first six-game losing streak since 2004 when they host No. 2 Indiana next week in Beaver Stadium.
