The Ohio State Buckeyes won the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff in dramatic fashion. A team loaded with talent stumbled in a stunning upset to rival Michigan before being granted an at-large bid as the No. 8 seed. Fans were calling for Ryan Day‘s head, but then came the improbable run that culminated in a championship for the ages.
A big part of that title came from a stout defense led by then-defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Knowles had a tumultuous time in his three years in Columbus, with many believing his stubborn attitude kept the Bucks from winning much sooner. A disagreement during contract negotiations saw Knowles do the unthinkable, leaving Ohio State just weeks after hoisting the CFP trophy for conference foe Penn State. The Nittany Lions fell far short of expectations in 2025, opening the door for Buckeye Nation to take shots at the former Silver Bullet DC.
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After James Franklin was fired midseason, Knowles found a new home in Knoxville with the Tennessee Volunteers, but not everyone was done throwing shade at the former OSU coach. Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun, who came back for one more season in Scarlet and Gray and is one of many seniors who will most likely be drafted into the NFL next month, had some words for his former coach as well.
Igbinosun was asked about a rumor that he had to wear oven mitts during practice to aid in keeping him from grabbing receivers, a problem he had much trouble with in both his sophomore and junior campaigns. But Iggy was having none of it and called the rumors “cap”, saying it wasn’t true and even went as far as to say that Jim Knowles made that story up.
“No, that’s cap. That’s not true,” said Igbinosun. “I just started looking around for the football. I don’t know who made that up. I think it was Jim Knowles who said that, but that’s cap. I’ve seen that narrative. I came back to change that narrative.”
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Igbinosun certainly performed much better under new defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, than he did under his former coach. He was the most penalized defensive back in college football in 2024 with 16 flags for pass interference or holding, but 2025 saw him lower that total to just five. It was such a vast improvement that Igbinosun could see himself drafted as early as the second round of the NFL draft.
The NFL draft will take place April 23-25, where as many as five Buckeyes are expected to go in the first round. Be sure to follow us as we’ll have coverage all draft weekend of landing spots for each one.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State cornerback says Jim Knowles made up oven mitts story
