No way OSU was faster or more physical than we were. More prepared, maybe so. In fact, that would be my opinion. We just got beat. Too many mistakes, too many injuries, and a very motivated team that had at least equal talent and coaching. That's not a recipe for a win.
It is obvious we don't have the same mojo that we had from 2008-2012. But what we have to remember is the turnover in personnel that has happened. We lost a lot of really good leaders from those years. Now, we've had great leaders in 2013 and 2014, but not the same ones and perhaps not as many. We've also lost some good coaches and while the replacements aren't chopped liver, it's difficult to replicate what was built during those earlier years.
I saw someone mention the rules changes and that is a definite factor. The hard hitting game is a thing of the past. The HUNH has been a big change on the offensive side.
Having said all of these things, the past two seasons were 11-2 and 12-2, and perhaps a couple of plays away from playing for the NC both years. Maybe we haven't gotten our identity back yet, but we're awful close.