Sam’s Stance: Ohio State Wrestling’s Imperfect Finish Could Be The Edge The Buckeyes Need In March
After a season of dominance over both Big Ten and non-conference foes, No. 2 Ohio State entered its final weekend of the regular season unbeaten, taking on No. 1 Penn State on Friday and Maryland on Sunday in their final two duals of 2025-26.
However, the Nittany Lions, who capped their sixth consecutive undefeated season in Big Ten play, dealt the Buckeyes their first loss of the year in dominant fashion as Penn State won nine out of 10 matches on its way to a 36-5 dual win.
Ohio State then struggled to the finish line in its season finale, as the Buckeyes looked flat against a Maryland team that had been winless in conference play, despite managing to pull off a 29-16 victory over the Terrapins.
Despite a less-than-ideal finish to the regular season for Ohio State, the WrestleBucks’ season is far from over, with the opportunity to take down No. 1 Penn State, among others, at both the Big Ten Championships on March 7-8 and the NCAA Championships on March 19-21.
On the bright side for Ohio State, the Buckeyes could’ve seen a very different outcome against the Nittany Lions.
At 125 pounds, Ohio State’s No. 2 Nic Bouzakis fell by a tight 4-1 sudden victory to No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, and in the 133-pound division, the Buckeyes’ No. 2 Ben Davino was defeated by Penn State’s No. 4 Marcus Blaze on a late reversal that gave the Nittany Lions a 3-2 victory.
If the results of those two matchups had gone the other way, Ohio State might have been positioned well with a 6-0 lead and top-ranked Jesse Mendez up next to wrestle.
With the two-time national champion Mendez anchoring the lineup at 141 pounds, Ohio State always has a built-in edge at the weight class. Mendez’s ability not just to win, but to pile up bonus points, will be crucial for the Buckeyes come postseason.
That impact was on full display against Penn State. In Mendez’s bout with No. 12 Braeden Davis, he rolled to a dominant 19-2 technical fall to bank five points for Ohio State.
Although Mendez dominated, Ohio State’s slow start prompted head coach Tom Ryan to withhold several top wrestlers at 149 pounds and above, forcing less experienced Buckeyes like Brogan Fielding, Daxton Chase and T.J. Schierl to face top-ranked Penn State wrestlers.
Even though Penn State won the final seven matches, Ohio State’s incomplete lineup suggests that Ohio State could come back stronger after more than three weeks to recover and regroup ahead of the Big Ten Championships.
Against Penn State, Ohio State’s No. 6 Ethan Stiles and No. 5 Carson Kharchla were late scratches at 149 and 174 pounds, respectively, while the Buckeyes have also been without No. 1 Brandon Cannon for its final six duals of the regular season due to injury.
Additionally, Ohio State’s No. 8 Dylan Fishback nearly pulled off an upset against undefeated former Buckeye Rocco Welsh, leading 6-4 late but ultimately falling by a 7-6 decision. Ohio State’s No. 3 Nick Feldman was then upset by a 4-1 sudden victory to No. 12 Cole Mirasola.
With an 18-1 overall finish and a 7-1 record in Big Ten play in the regular season, it’s clear Ohio State has the talent to at least compete with anyone, but the Buckeyes face an uphill battle to beat Penn State.
Still, history suggests that Ohio State could be up for the task. Since Ryan’s arrival in 2006-07, the Buckeyes have consistently performed better in the postseason than in the regular season. Since head coach Cael Sanderson was hired at Penn State in 2009-10, Ryan and the Buckeyes have not earned a Big Ten regular-season title, but won the Big Ten Championships three times and claimed a national title in 2014-15.
The lessons from the late-season struggles could prove invaluable. Ohio State’s close losses to Penn State at 125 and 133 pounds, a nail-biting defeat by Fishback at the hands of Welsh at 184 and the up-and-down performance against Maryland highlight areas for adjustment.
If Ohio State can identify and fine-tune its inconsistencies while returning key wrestlers from injury, the Buckeyes will have the opportunity to turn their regular-season shortcomings into a potential Big Ten or NCAA Championship.
In short, the final weekend of the regular season may not have been satisfying for No. 2 Ohio State, but it could be exactly the wake-up call the Buckeyes need to dethrone Penn State and cement their place among college wrestling’s elite come March.
Image courtesy of Ohio State Athletics