Originally published at: https://pistolsfiringblog.com/osu-wrestling-cowboys-fall-to-iowa-23-9-in-bout-at-the-ballpark/
The Cowboys won at 125, 133 and 184.
Well no body upset no body.
I think the outcome of the dual was as coach Smith explained in his opening answer. You have one or two guys out and that can be a determining swing in points. I doubt if Mastro was really healthy enough to be out there. Rex Holt said he was limping at one point. So a gutsy performance, especially after not being able to be on the mat all week. I agree that this team needs to take more shots-risks, especially when they were going up against higher ranked guys. You are not expected to win, so go for broke, nothing to lose by doing that, since if you don’t try something, you are going to lose anyway. But even so, I think those guys lost because Iowa just has better talent this season than the Cowboys. So I would not get down on those guys that lost. As for not having a true heavywt, we have to remember that we did recruit one of the top heavywts a few years ago or more, I think his name was Kirklevet, but he decomitted, and that has really made a difference in lost points for the team during the past few seasons. With AJ not injured and Kirklevet in the lineup, we would not be losing any dual meets probably. It’s just the way things go sometimes. And then that heavywt from Purdue who lost his mind and got kicked off their team was supposed to transfer to OSU a few years ago, but that did not happen. I say this to show that Coach Smith had things in place to make this team really good this season, but a few unforeseen things happened, and instead we have what may turn out to be one of the worse Cowboy teams we have had, not counting the team that was on probation in the early 1990’s that John Smith inherited.
So tired of seeing single leg takedown attempts being easily countered by the opponent reaching over the other guy, grabbing an ankle for a stalemate. Let’s see some different takedown moves, such as more power double legs. Or else have the coaches teach a way to prevent the reach over counter move. Some coaching finally will come up with something soon for that.