Penn State might be in the middle of a bye week, but defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is far from idle.

His fertile mind is busy evaluating what he’s seen in the Nittany Lions’ first three games and preparing for a much-anticipated Big Ten opener against Oregon next week.

“You truly don’t know (what the defensive players can or can’t do) until you face the top-level competition,” Knowles said Wednesday during an interview with Penn State beat reporters. “You keep trying to put them in different situations. It’s an ongoing process.

“Seeing them each week and then against better competition helps me figure it out.”

Knowles and the Lions expect to learn much more about themselves against the Ducks in the annual White Out Game Sept. 27 at Beaver Stadium.

In his first season in Happy Vall

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