Last campaign, Penn State lost to Ohio State, a biting 13-20 defeat. It stung pretty bad. So, to resolve its defensive woes, James Franklin brought in OSU’s defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to University Park. But it’s not working, is it?

With a $3.1 million contract, Jim Knowles came to Penn State, bringing his multi-layered defensive schemes to help Franklin’s roster. A roster that gave up 1,630 rushing yards last season, busied itself, plugging into Knowles’ defensive playbook. Franklin had stated that his players need to play with more confidence and speed. But in a recent conversation, he peeled back those layers, where it’s the combination of players’ speed and confidence, along with the new defensive system, which is the crux of the crumbling defense.

“It’s both. Ultimately,

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