The TL;DR version is Knowles defense is bad in the 4th against talent equated teams. Like, awful. They haven’t gotten a stop when we needed one. Can’t get off the field. Day’s offense is slightly better and can move the ball but often comes up empty, like with penalties. 

I don’t think their teams are soft physically but they cannot close. That’s a mental issue to me, plus questionable scheme calls on defense.

Defense:

Ohio State's defense hasn't forced a punt in the fourth quarter of the four games he's called against top-five teams: 2022 vs. Michigan, 2022 vs. Georgia, 2023 vs. Michigan, 2024 vs. Oregon.

11 drives in those four games that ended in the fourth quarter: TD, Missed FG, TD, TD, FG, TD, TD, FG, FG, TD, FG.

Knowles prides himself on Stop Rate, how often you get off the field without allowing points. 

Offense:

In those same four games, Ohio State's offense has had 11 possessions that ended in the fourth quarter: Punt, FG, INT, INT, Punt, FG, Missed FG, TD, INT, FG, Run the clock out.

Offense has moved the ball OK, averaging 5.9 yards per play, though the 2023 Michigan drives are doing a lot of heavy lifting there, and the fact remains that the offense isn't doing its part, either.

whats so depressing to me in the Knowles years, and I have generally been a fan of Knowles overall, save for his refusal to sub more or at the right time, is I feel robbed of being confident that the OSU defense can win a battle.  I always felt they could do this more often than not under Tressel and Urban…. And now we cannot and the end of games feeling both helpless and infuriating.