USC didn't really try to open up anything so it was kind of hard to tell.[/quote[I'd recommend finding a tape of the 09 Fiesta Bowl. The personnel has changed but the defense is pretty similar, and is against a more venerable offense. The results were the same as when OSU faced Vince Young in 05. Great defense, couldn't quite hold on against a late drive to get to 20+ pts.
How is the conditioning? Can the OSU defense run from side to side of the field for an entire game without tiring?
Excellent. The guys who really get gassed are the big uglies, and that is the strength of the defense. OSU has a deep & talented rotation up front.
DE Heyward is a force and can play inside or outside. Gibson is a 3/4 rush end type who is used in similar fashion. DT Worthington is more of a 3/4 DE style guy. DE Williams is an excellent pass rusher and better suited for a spread offense than stuffing a wisconsin OL (though he's not small). DT Denlinger is a solid veteran, DT Larimore is our best DT, he's been dinged up since midseason. He should be available, at what capacity remains to be seen. True frosh DT Simon also plays a vital role in the offense, which is extremely rare for his age. Worthington, Larimore and others were a liability upfront in 07 because of their youth, and they werent freshmen at the time. OSU also uses Rob Rose upfront, who can line up outside or in.
Or will the strategy be to keep the Oregon offense off the field with ball control?
Tressel is all about controlling the outcome. He loves manipulating the way the game is played, and often he'll use ball control, good special teams (which aren't up to his usual standards this year) & suffocating defense to do so.
However, when the situation calls for it, he'll also show an aggressive side, particularly in bowls. In 05, he was very aggressive against Notre Dame, in part because the opposing offense posed a serious threat to put up points. In 06, he knew he had to protect a young defensse and was aggressive all year, to a fault in the title game (when Pittman our RB was gashing their undersized line, one of the rare good things that day).
Is Prior able to hit the deep routes in order to keep the Ore D out of the box?
Not well. He has the arm strength to make all the throws, but he is still working on his accuracy.