The coaches recognized that Oregon was a fast finesse team that specializes in up-tempo offense that sprints to the line of scrimmage and runs plays faster than anybody else. So, how to go about mentally and physically preparing your defense for that challenge? The Ohio State coaches decided to approach the game by asking their defensive linemen to go on diets — reasoning that, by shedding a few pounds, the big boys on the defense would feel lighter and faster, and therefore better prepared mentally for the game. The rest is history, as the Ohio State defense held the fast-paced, high-powered Oregon offense far below its normal point output.
So, should we all go on The Ohio State Football Team diet? Will the Silver Bullet Regimen replace the Beverly Hills Diet as the weight-loss approach of choice? Probably not, because it likely wouldn’t work for most of us. As the Buckeye players learned, when you’re a 6′ 5″ 300-pound athlete who is running sprints and practicing every day, you can lose five pounds in 10 days just by cutting out honey buns and candy bars.