Tom Ryan’s Ohio State wrestling squad earned not one however two twin victories this previous weekend, each over Huge Ten opponents from that state up north. In a span of fewer than 48 hours, OSU made a enterprise journey to Ann Arbor, traveled again residence to host the lesser of two evils, and received 16 out of 20 particular person matches alongside the way in which. Consequently, the Buckeye grapplers stay undefeated in convention duals (5-0) and may discover themselves ranked firmly inside the highest 5 of the following NWCA coaches ballot.
Ohio State’s large weekend started with a troublesome matchup towards TTUN. Save for a lopsided loss by the hands of No. 1 Penn State, the Wolverines had dominated different Huge Ten opponents and have been little question trying to defend their residence mat contained in the Crisler Heart. However the Buckeyes rolled up on their rival with dangerous intentions and jumped out to an enormous lead — one which they’d not give up.
OSU’s trio of Malik Heinselman (125 kilos), Jesse Mendez (133), and Dylan D’Emilio (141) staked the Buckeyes to an early 9-0 benefit, every incomes victories over a ranked Wolverine. Mendez’s win over 12th-ranked Dylan Ragusin was key in establishing early momentum, because the latter is a third-year grappler who took third place in final 12 months’s Huge Ten Championships. However Ohio State’s true freshman phenom scored a takedown in sudden victory, persevering with to stake his declare as one of many prime newcomers within the convention, if not all of school wrestling.
Competing subsequent, Sammy Sasso (149) prolonged the Scarlet and Grey lead together with his 20-5 rout of UM’s Fidel Mayora. The win was Sasso’s 12th of the season by both tech fall or pin, giving OSU a snug 14-point lead. These factors offered a pleasant buffer for when the Wolverines inevitably started to claw again… Which is strictly what they did within the subsequent two matches.
Will Lewan earned UM’s first factors of the evening at 157 with a come-from-behind win over Ohio State’s Paddy Gallagher. The previous was taken down early however rallied to earn a 6-4 resolution in sudden victory. It was Gallagher’s third lack of the season, by a complete of 5 factors. And the hits stored on coming at 165, the place OSU’s Carson Kharchla dropped a heartbreaker to the two-time All-American Cameron Amine.
Mired in a 1-1 stalemate for many of the match – and after Kharchla was robbed of a match-ending takedown in sudden victory – the 2 165-pounders finally discovered themselves going toe-to-toe in a second additional (fifth whole) interval. It was there that Kharchla tried a fast reversal, solely to be snatched up and instantly countered by Amine. The Wolverines’ Huge Ten runner-up put Kharchla on his again and scored a six-point fall for the house staff. Fortuitously for the Buckeyes, 14-9 is as shut as their bitter rival would get.
Needing to take again momentum, Ohio State loved the luxurious of turning to confirmed vets who have been greater than able to take the mat. Ethan Smith (174) and Kaleb Romero (184) have been capable of stem the Maize and Blue tide, every incomes a powerful particular person victory whereas combining for six essential staff factors. Smith went on the assault early and sometimes throughout his match, whereas Romero did vital harm late. He scored two third-period takedowns towards UM’s Matt Finesilver, defeating a top-10 wrestler within the course of. It was Romero’s 18th win of the 2022-23 season and 76th as a (non-redshirt) Buckeye!
Gavin Hoffman put a bow on this one for the nice guys, incomes a 5-3 resolution over Rylan Rogers at 191. TTUN then received the final particular person match by way of a Mason Parris (HWT) pin, however solely Friday’s final result had already been decided. In the long run, OSU secured a 23-15 end result, giving Ryan’s staff their first win in Ann Arbor since 2018. It was a heck of a staff efficiency, in addition to a prelude to Sunday’s runaway victory again in Columbus.
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Roughly 40 hours after securing the rivalry dub towards TTUN, Ohio State was shortly again in motion, this time contained in the pleasant confines of Covelli Heart. However frankly, people, there may be not a lot to inform about this match. As a result of OSU dismantled Michigan State by a rating of 36-3. It was the staff’s largest margin of victory this season, placing an emphatic finish to a really spectacular weekend.
The Buckeyes received 9 out of 10 matches towards the Spartans, together with pins by D’Emilio and Sasso. Mendez additionally scored a serious resolution over a top-20 wrestler at 133 (MSU’s Rayvon Foley), whereas Romero added one other tech fall for his team-leading 19th victory. Ohio State’s solely loss on Sunday got here at 157, the place Gallagher dropped yet one more one-point resolution. The redshirt freshman has been on the fallacious finish of too many closely-contested matches, so one would assume breaks will begin to go his method in February and past. Hoffman and Isaac Wilcox additionally impressed, with the latter notching his fifth “pinch hit” victory of the season. There may be merely no different approach to say it: This was a complete ass-kicking by Ryan’s surging squad.
Subsequent on his staff’s schedule is a Friday (residence) date with none apart from Penn State. Cael Sanderson’s Nittany Lions have solely received 9 of the final 11 nationwide championships, so they are going to probably be coming in with just a bit little bit of swagger and/or confidence. However Ohio State is sizzling proper now, and they’ll have the sold-out Covelli residence crowd behind them. In the event that they get just a few wins from the Sassos and Romeros of the world, who is aware of what may occur? I undoubtedly count on the Buckeyes to go in and battle, throughout what is bound to be an entertaining match.
This battle of the titans can be televised on BTN, starting on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. ET. Go Bucks!