Buckeyes' Knowles Speaks on His Unit's Plan vs. Tennessee

Photo by Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK

COLUMBUS, Ohio—No. 6 Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles spoke to the media on Dec. 17. Knowles spoke primarily about how his top-ranked total defense will matchup against the uptempo No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers' (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) offense when the two face off on Dec. 21 at Ohio Stadium.

Knowles on the Buckeyes' Defense vs. Tennessee

Knowles started off immediately explaining the challenge that the Tennessee offense presents for the Buckeyes (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten Conference).

"They spread you out sideline-to-sideline," Knowles said.

The Volunteers split out their wide receivers much further to the sideline than other teams. The receivers set to the far side of the field are outside of the numbers and roughly 1 yard in from the sideline. They make a point to isolate cornerbacks out wide and manufacture one-one-ones. Part of the reason they can do this is because of the impressive arm talent of quarterback Nico Imaleava.

"He's got a really strong arm," Knowles said. "The type of offense that they play, he has to be able to make throws from hash to sideline."

Knowles also pointed out Imaleava's scrambling ability.

"He's faster than everyone thinks," he said.

The Tennessee QB does a good job of extending plays and picking up any yards the defense gives him. With the way they spread out defenses, the Buckeyes will have to rally to him quickly if he does scramble and get outside of the pocket.

Knowles was also asked about the play of cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Davsion Igbinosun, and how they will fare one-on-one with those extremely wide splits.

"Great confidence in both of them, Jermaine (Mathews) also," Knowles said. "Those guys are on an island all the time."

Knowles has a clear trust and belief in his players to hold up on the perimeter. They did begin to rotate cornerbacks more in the middle of the season. That could help in a game where they will surely play more snaps at a faster pace than usual. Keeping defenders fresh could be a huge plus for the Buckeyes if they continue that trend.

The media continued asking Knowles about how they will handle the uptempo offense. He explained that the Buckeyes' defense is "built for tempo." He pointed to his time at Duke under head coach David Cutcliffe as a learning experience in the pace of defesnive playcalling. He said the Cutcliffe wanted the Blue Devils to have "the fastest playcalling defense in the country." He also explained how the fast-paced play of the Volunteers will allow him to communicate to his defense all the way up until the snap. The in-helmet communication that was introduced to the collegiate level this season. It has allowed Knowles to be in the ears of a defensive player up until the 15-second cutoff mark of the play clock. Against a team that will move fast, that tool could be a huge benefit for the Buckeyes as they try to get their keys on the offense quickly.

Knowles also was asked about what himself and the defense felt about the Ohio State offense struggling in a game where the defense played very well overall. Knowles was adamant about the team effort, saying that if the team lost, then the defense didn't play well enough to win. He also pointed out how the defense struggled in the 32-31 loss to No. 1 Oregon (13-0, 9-0) on Oct. 12. Knowles said he told his unit, "Remember we had a game that wasn't so good this year. Remember how that felt. You've been there, so go lift up somebody else."

The Ohio State defense will get their opportunity to prove themselves against the unique Tennessee offense on Dec. 21 in the first round of the College Football Playoff.