Ohio State Buckeyes players lost weight to keep up with Oregon Ducks

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive players each lost five pounds in the ten days between the first round of the College Football Playoffs and their matchup with the Oregon Ducks in the national championship

Prior to the national championship game Monday night, the Ohio State Buckeyes coaching staff asked defensive players to shed five pounds each to help their endurance for Oregon’s up-tempo, fast-paced offense, according to a report from SI.com.

Ohio State strength coach Mickey Marotti told the Wall Street Journal the Buckeyes thought the extra five pounds could make a big difference over the course of the game.

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“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,” Marotti said.

I guess you can’t argue with the results!

Ohio State held the Oregon offense to a season-low 20 points and looked energized throughout the entire game. While Oregon’s defense was huffing-and-puffing, Ohio State’s defense was getting after Ducks quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mariota all the way through Oregon’s final drive.

I was especially impressed with how fast and quick Ohio State’s defense looked against Oregon’s super-fast offense. Defenders were breaking on the ball, staying low on their tackles, and firing across the line to make life extremely difficult for Mariota.

Oregon still racked up 465 yards of total offense against the Buckeyes defense, but they struggled on third down, going only 2-for-12 in the game, and in the red zone, converting only 1-of-4 trips for a touchdown.

Even after Oregon’s defense forced four turnovers, the Ducks offense couldn’t capitalize.

Ultimately, Ohio State looked much better than Oregon on Monday night. Instead of considering the Buckeyes the best team in the nation, I think of Ohio State more like the best survivor in college football. While other teams, like Oregon, were banged up and dealing with injuries across the depth chart, Ohio State was getting healthy and improving at every position other than quarterback. It’s remarkable how fit and healthy the Buckeyes were for the national championship game.

I can’t say whether those five pounds lost by defenders made that much of a difference, but their strength and conditioning all season has been one of the best in the country. They outlasted Alabama in rough, physical game in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and then they outlasted the Ducks in the national championship game.

(H/T SI)

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