The Ohio State Buckeyes have recruited and landed a different type of athlete since Urban Meyer became head coach. The Buckeyes now recruit SEC type athletes, with big time speed. This Buckeyes team will likely go down as the fastest and most athletic in school history.
The help keep up with the speed Oregon Ducks, Ohio State coaches had various Buckeyes players lose some weight leading up to the matchup.
In order to last through all 60 minutes of fast-paced football, the Buckeyes staff asked defensive players to drop roughly five pounds in the 10 days between the playoff semifinal and the championship game.
“The tempo of their offense, the number of plays they were going to run, we felt it would be better for them to be a little lighter,” Ohio State strength coach Mickey Marotti said, according to the Wall Street Journal. “Just dropping a few pounds can make a big difference
Ohio State held the Ducks to less than half their season average.