After its 22-12 win over Iowa last weekend, Cael Sanderson’s Penn State wrestling program wasn’t about to kick back this week.
Numerous wrestlers went to early individualized practice Tuesday afternoon as the Nittany Lions prepare to take on fifth-ranked Ohio State on Sunday at Rec Hall.
The 2 p.m. dual sold out of all but standing-room-only tickets in December, and those standing-room tickets left were quickly eaten up when they went on sale last week.
Asked if PSU wrestlers had begun picking teammate David Taylor’s brain about the Buckeyes line-up, Sanderson, the Penn State head coach, said: ‘I think all these guys have had different experiences. And I think it’s important as a team that we communicate and help each other out as a team.’
Taylor was a four-time Ohio championship winner at three different weight classes and compiled a 180-2 mark during his four-year career at St. Paris High School in Ohio.
‘We can’t lose to the Ohio guys; we have to go out and beat those guys,’ Taylor said. ‘That’s our rival, and we have to go out and take it to them.’
He along with fellow Ohioan Cameron Wade, from Twinsburg, were recruited by Ohio State out of high school, but turned the offers down to come wrestle for Sanderson and a budding Penn State program.
‘They were definitely one of my final choices, being close to home, and they have a great coaching staff and great program,’ Taylor said of Ohio State. ‘But it just didn’t work out, and this is my home. And now we have to beat them.’
Wade, a senior, was recruited by the Buckeyes to play football and wrestle. His plans to attend Ohio State fell through, too.
‘Things didn’t work out, so I’m pretty glad I came here,’ Wade said.
Wade was recruited by the Nittany Lions early before being pursued by Ohio State.
‘I committed to Penn State pretty early in July when we can actually commit, and Ohio State came along a little after that, but I think this (Penn State) is a good fit for me,’ he said.
Wade never truly pursued football, as he felt wrestling was his destiny.
‘I just felt wrestling was my calling; there are just so many people who play football,’ he said.
‘You got to be one of the top guys in football to ever make it anywhere, and I thought I had a better chance in wrestling to start all four years,’ Wade went on. ‘And that’s what I wanted to come to college to do.’
The Buckeyes will be no slouch, even though they have to follow up Iowa, as Ohio State took down the Hawkeyes last Friday, 21-9, in Columbus. They will bring nine ranked starters into the match.
The match of the dual could very well fall on Morgan McIntosh’s shoulders again, as the true freshman, ranked 12th in the country by Intermat, will square off against 20th-ranked Andrew Campolattano, who sports a 13-7 record.
Weight by weight, it appears Ohio State should have an advantage with the Steiber brothers, back to back at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively. Logan Steiber is ranked third at 133 pounds; Hunter Steiber, sixth at 141 pounds.
Penn State, meanwhile, appears to have an advantage with first-ranked Taylor, at 165, taking on Ohio State’s unranked Derek Garvia.
Outside of those two matches, Penn State will have a rankings advantage in every bout, with 125-pounder Nico Megaludis, ranked eighth, taking on 15th-ranked Johnni Dejulius, and 174-pounder Ed Ruth, ranked second, taking on eighth-ranked Nick Heflin in the only two bouts that have both wrestlers ranked within 10 places of each other.
It should be a fantastic test for the second-ranked Lions, who will be off until they travel to Nebraska on Feb. 3.
‘I’ve seen three of the dual meets this year, and they (the Buckeyes) have a really solid team,’ 149-pounder Frank Molinaro said. ‘They have a lot of guys who win matches they aren’t supposed to win, and a lot of guys that are just good wrestlers.
‘They are a young team, and they’re going to come out and fight,’ he added. ‘We have to come out and show up.’
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