As Thomas Carlyle once said, “No pressure, no diamonds.”

For the Ohio State Buckeyes the diamonds are formed in the weight room with the help of Mickey Marotti. During the winter months, Marotti spends the majority of his time molding Ohio State football in preparation for the fall.

“There are times in the year when the strength staff has more contact with the team than the coaching staff,” former head coach Urban Meyer once said.

Each February, Marotti, the assistant athletic director for football sports performance, or better known as the “strength coach” treats the football team to one of the toughest workouts in the nation.

The St. Valentines Day Massacre is the stuff of legend around the Ohio State program. The highly anticipated workout has been known to bring the best out of players while breaking the will of others. This workout is meant to test the body and the mind. It is one of the biggest off-season tests for the team. On this day Buckeyes compete against each other as well as themselves.

Usually held around Valentine’s Day, give or take a weekend, the players start around 6 a.m. and go until they have appeased Coach Mick.

However, to Marotti it is just another workout.

“No, it’s just the St. Valentine’s Day workout. That’s what it’s called,” Marotti said back in 2019.

The workout has become a legendary here at Ohio State. All the great teams in recent memory have done the workout.

Famously the 2019 workout featured Garrett Wilson hitting a TTUN punching-bag.

❤️😏#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/lrlIKXnine

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 15, 2019

The competition during these workouts are intense as many players are competing for playing time when participating in the mat drills.

Joe Burrow vs. Pete Werner in the tire drill is an example of the intense competition during this workout.

Joe bringing the Cincinnati Bengals out of the Basement to a 5-2 start the next year. pic.twitter.com/pAqh5Qbs0p

— Not Jake 🥷🏻 (@CincyHub) October 27, 2021

The 2022 workout could be the most intense ever to date. After a loss to Michigan in 2021 many fans have criticized the toughness of the program. Marotti will surely have something to say about that. Look for this workout to focus on building a mentally tough football team.

The following are a few key items to keep an eye on when the Buckeyes hit the weight room in a few days:

The top player that will be intriguing to watch during this workout is CJ Stroud. In the Rose Bowl Stroud appeared to be a completely different player. His mentality and demeanor appeared to show a dominant alpha at the quarterback position.

This workout could be a nice follow-up to Stroud’s Rose Bowl performance in earning the respect of his teammates.

As a whole the defense will be intriguing to watch. With Jim Knowles now involved as the defensive coordinator it will be interesting to see if they have adopted a new group mentality. Look for leaders to emerge in this session and a new swagger to this defense during this workout.

Finally, keep an eye on the freshman. Those that thrive during this workout could be ready to make an impact in the fall. Right away coaches will be able to tell which young guys are mentally and physically ready to play in the Big Ten.

Overall the St. Valentines Day Massacre will give this team a chance to compete for the first time since the Rose Bowl. Although it isn’t on the gridiron, do not be fooled. This tradition means everything in Columbus.

Featured image via: Ohio State Athletics