Seems like the flight from San Diego in route to Madison, WI is a good time to offer up some observations on the B1G Wrestling Championships I am about to enjoy. But first let me direct you to some excellent detailed previews of the tourney. First is Dan Vest’s complete breakdown at landgrantholyland.com. I cannot really quibble with any of Dan’s OSU perspective. I do think Logan Stieber revenges his lone loss to PSU’s Zain Retherford and I agree that a commanding decision is very possible. This is a very highly anticipated match–if you cannot get to Madison, find BTN on Sunday and don’t miss this one. I also agree that Johnny DiJulius and Ian Paddock have the potential to break through but both have not exactly lit up the B1G this year, so if they do shoot to a high finish it will mean they surprisingly showed something they have not for several months. Which would be really cool because these are two very talented and likable young men who are easy to root for.

My quibble is not so much with Dan’s discussion of Nick Heflin, but I will go one better and predict Nick wins his first B1G championship. I agree that any one of three competitors including Nick could win the B1G and the NCAA titles. I also agree that Nick’s win over Minnesota’s Scott Schiller was closer than it looked because of a five point throw. But Nick was not the one who got thrown, he is the one who pulled it off–it’s not a fluke. And here is the thing. Nick has clearly gotten over the fear of shooting from his feet, something that has caused his matches to be close. I actually think Nick is the best athlete of the group—so once he threw off his mental block he has been a bit of a wrecking ball. A third place finish is entirely possible for Nick, but his trajectory has been steep and forceful. Our boy is on a mission and I expect that to continue.

Also, please enjoy a round table from Dan and a few other of his cohorts for both the lighter and heavier weights.

Ok, we have also said, ad nauseam perhaps, that this is a year in which Ohio State sits on its firepower as several high performers redshirt, including defending B1G champ at 141 and third place NCAA finisher Hunter Stieber. Oh, and the studs that arrive on campus next year are headlined by current junior world champ Kyle Snyder.

But there are many reasons to be interested in, and still believe in the team potential of Ohio State this year. First, let me draw a parallel between this tourney and international soccer leagues which, because of their habit of relegating the least successful teams to lower divisions for the following season, and promoting successful teams from lower divisions to higher ones, create excitement at the top and bottom of the “table” (to use the cute phraseology of the Brits).

What am I babbling about? This:

“This” is the NCAA allocation of NCAA Championships by conference. There will also be a few at large bids extended (which make for some interesting non-placing exhibitions at each conference tourney) but it means for example, that in the 149 weight class, the top six finishers in the B1G Tourney will receive a bid to the big dance, to borrow from college basketball.

Ok, I have said this before, but if you step on any mat with an Ohio State singlet, you are one of the best wrestlers in the country competing in far and away the best conference (see the allocation of 74 NCAA slots to the B1G compared with 47 for the number two conference). So don’t feel too sorry for the likes of Randy Languis at 157 or Joe Grandominico at 167. Despite their lack of success within the B1G dual meet season these are two very good wrestlers who competed well and fought very well. I am sure Coach Tom Ryan bursts forth with respect and gratitude for the efforts these guys have been giving. Joe is not going to derail Ohioan David Taylor of Penn State from becoming the next four time B1G champ, but it will be exciting to watch him and Randy compete for one of the eight tickets in their respective brackets to Oklahoma City in two weeks.

The same can be said for Ian Paddock as he competes to squeeze into one of only six spots at 149. The B1G enjoys a whopping nine slots at 285 where the competition is fierce. Nick Tavanello has really competed well this year and I expect him to make a fun run to pick up an invite for himself. So obviously the point is—don’t just look at the championship matches—points can be scored, meaningful matches can be won, respect can be earned and lifetimes of satisfaction can be enjoyed with what is happening up and down the brackets.

Take a moment and listen to this short interview with Tom Ryan. It is impossible not to like Coach Ryan. He is an intense and thoughtful man enlightened and hardened by the trials of having given all he had while competing: and enjoying and suffering the highs and devastating lows the sport has to offer (this is a guy who gave up a full ride at Syracuse to walk onto Dan Gable’s Iowa Hawkeyes, where he had a brilliant career, losing a National Championship in the final seconds of his bout with Oklahoma State’s Pat Smith). He is speaking with love for his wrestlers but there is also a hope and frustration that fairly leaps out between the lines. I had written with high hopes of the strides which the Buckeyes could take over the recently concluded B1G dual meet season. Frankly, with the exception of Nick Heflin throwing off the doubt, growth was not apparent and in fact some backsliding was disheartening to see. Obviously Logan Stieber continued to motor on—these comments are largely directed at about half the team, the half which has the potential to burst through but never really showed much during the dual meet season. Comparing results to potential, one has to be disappointed, but still hopeful, and my guess this is what weighs on and encourages Coach Ryan.

Now things can be misleading. If for example a wrestler says, “look, my target dates are mid-March. I am going to work my ass off every day, including days before and maybe even days of dual meets. Maybe that means I’m a little out of gas for a dual, but I cannot afford to take any days off getting ready for March.” I want to think that has been happening, but human nature is to want to be ready for every match. I suspect what we saw with this portion of the team is where they are. And to me, Coach Ryan is speaking to the same disappointment.

There is a point here and it is at times a subtle one—one needs a mental commitment to winning. On the one hand that sounds too much a cliché—certainly the guys want to win and I am guessing they train to win. So fighting hard with determination is almost a given. But the opponents at this level come with the same intensity. Invariably one will wear the other down and when the crushing starts, the aggressiveness gets wiped away, heads fall and energy gets trumped by a stronger opposing energy. It has been Ohio State wrestlers who have too often this year had their attitudes set back by their opponents.

Former Buckeye great JD Bergman once said at a certain point he just decided, in tough matches he was no longer going to settle for losing by a point. If he loses by a point, why not win by one. That sounds more like a conclusion than a strategy—a conclusion that can be countered simply by an opponent who is determined not to let you write your own conclusion. It is kind of like saying, “ok, I am going to make myself invisible.” Nice to say, but how are you going to do it? How do you make this more than words? But to anyone who has gotten to a similar point and made the same determination, it is a state of mind that resonates and can translate into a meaningful difference.

To decide to win is not a conclusion, it is a process. The process starts with being as fit as the other guy, working hard and competing hard and staying determined but it is more. But more importantly, guys who make this determination, as suggested by former Buckeye great Reece Humphrey, go in with a plan and they make that plan stick. They know where they are strong and where they are weak. It is not so much about the other guy, though knowing tendencies, strengths and weaknesses is important. But the bigger key is to know your game, what works, what doesn’t and how to game manage the two (William Sherman once said about Grant, “I’m a damn bit smarter than him but where he beats me and beats me soundly is he doesn’t give a damn what the enemy is doing out of our sight and it scares me like hell”).

That winning mindset means fighting hard to make the match go as you want it to, fight for a lead and defend that lead so that you can continue to wrestle your match. It is a subtle distinction about how to turn a match in your favor. It involves being disciplined about what you have to do and fighting to enforce that. And as Logan Stieber says, it is about not making little mistakes. At this level, the guys are good enough to make their own things work if you give them any opportunity to do so.

No, this is not as strong as a Tom Ryan team can be, but it has the talent to be a very successful team if each member of the squad can tell himself he has earned the right to win by a point.

The Buckeyes lost 28-12 to the Huskers. I suppose one could be disappointed by that but the truth is, there was much for a Buckeye fan to be pleased with. Certainly a lot for a wrestling fan to be pleased with. That’s a curious observation but I think it speaks well to what a marvelous sport wrestling is.

Why is that? Well first, I wish the sport were called something else because it is nothing short of fighting in the most basic human way—much like the 100 yard dash is running at its essence. True, punches and kicks are mostly, but not entirely, disallowed, but once two combatants have a hold of each other, around the world, the fight quickly becomes what wrestling is: two individuals trying to inflict maximum harm on each other. But of course done with the utmost of sportsmanship. Usually.

In the crucible of the fight experience you get the passion that people associate with other fight venues—boxing, or MMA. I think of the Iowa team that mirrors their seemingly half crazed coach, the always entertaining but thoroughly likable Tom Brands, himself an Olympic gold medalist. You cannot help but love the sheer fun of the despotism a team like Iowa brings any time they are on the mat.

But as a sport you get the best of all worlds. If the team is great, that means the team has very strong wrestlers up and down the lineup. But even if the team is not great, it can have individual wrestlers that can scale the heights and provide all the excitement a school partisan could want. I think of a few years ago when a Harvard wrestler stood on top of the podium at the NCAA tournament. Crimson partisans had a blast that weekend, and that fun centered around just one fighter.

Once you become a fan, you simply root for other wrestlers. One of my favorite Buckeye fighters is the currently red-shirting Josh Demas who wrestled at 157 last year. Josh did great, but in following him I could not help being a fan of the harrowing style of Northwestern wrestler Jason Welch. So when Welch ascended the elevated stage in the NCAA finals, I felt as if I had a wrestler in the finals and it was as fun as rooting on a Buckeye—it would have been a lot more fun if a faux one point penalty had not been assessed against Welch for a hand lock.

Ohio State is a GREAT program. It is a little down this year due to red-shirting, but next year when those wrestlers return and new super star recruits show up on campus, Ohio State fans will have all they can handle in excitement. But even this year, in the midst of a 28-12 loss to a very strong Nebraska team, there is much to be thrilled about. Wrestling is truly a sport where the Ohio State focus is on the March B1G tourney and the NCAA tourney. Ohio State is not stacked up and down the line-up this year. Rather it has one fighter, Logan Stieber, shooting to become one of the iconic figures of all-time, and supporting cast members in other weight class who are either a rung below or who seem on the verge to elevating themselves in status.

Let me also say something about the coaches. Head coach Tom Ryan has said in a self-deprecating way that Ohio State fans should feel blessed that Stieber and his red-shirting phenom brother Hunter decided to come to Ohio State. True, but they are there because of Coach Ryan and his incredible staff of Lou Rosselli and Buckeye great and sartorially magnificent J Jaggers. Ohio is one of the greatest fighting states in the country but until Coach Tom arrived, Ohio State coaches had not been able to keep much of the in-state talent at Ohio State. That has all changed. So, long after the Stiebers have taken their talents to the world stage, Buckeye coaches will be establishing a dynasty for all Buckeye fans to enjoy.

So let’s do a post-mortem of Nebraska as we head to a deliciously fun rivalry match against Michigan at St. John’s Arena next Friday. While I believe some of the brightest moments occurred in the matches with the darkest results, let’s start with the winners.

All Buckeye conversation starts with 141 pound Logan Stieber and rightfully so. People should know, for all his greatness, Logan is simply the nicest, most decent kid you will find in sports. He is not comfortable in the spotlight and rejoices only when the conversation turns to his teammates, a quintessential Ohio trait. In the month of January, Logan has not needed to go past the first period. Last night in the time it took me to tweet out a brief note on the previous match, Logan had drained all the blood from talented Colton McCrystal’s shoulders and pinned him neatly to the mat. The only bad thing about Logan is, right now, if you show up to see him, you better not blink because your viewing time is limited to about 120 seconds.

197 pound Nick Heflin never disappoints. Even when he loses, which is only once so far, he powers through his matches with the consistent drive of a steam engine. Nick says he has a mental block about shooting for takedowns and that was in evidence last night. He took 20th ranked Caleb Kolb to overtime but spent the entire third period on the defensive. That was not a particularly bad tactical move—I contend that Nick is such a good athlete that he can defend any shot and likely scramble for the takedown. Sure enough, Kolb shot and Nick pounced, but unfortunately ran out of time, sending the match to overtime.

Dan Gable once famously said, “I shoot, I score. You shoot, I score.” Nick has the second part down, but after seeing him aggressively hit the takedown to win in sudden victory I tweeted that I don’t know why Nick would ever be afraid to shoot. He may have just seen the weakness he wanted or he just decided what the heck. Now it is really true, especially at the heavy classes, a missed shot can put you on your back. But the better fighters learn how to recover from a bad shot and usually have a back-up in mind. I was proud of Nick for throwing caution to the wind in overtime—he has done it before—but if Nick would only bring that sort of confidence earlier in the match, is there anyone who could challenge him?

At 133, Johnni DiJulius was the only other Buckeye winner. The match should not have been close, but Johnni is coming off an injury. Maybe that accounted for the narrow 2-1 win. Johnni was in control the entire match, even though he was tied 1-1 with a point waiting to be awarded because he had over a minute of riding time advantage. But, if you let an opponent hang around, bad things can happen and they almost did. When Husker Shawn Nagel went for a third period takedown DiJulius found himself in a fix that most wrestlers do not overcome. But DiJulius is obviously one of those wrestlers who is comfortable in a scramble. Time and time again I have seen him wriggle out of impossible looking dilemmas. And, as per his usual, he did it again, staving off the takedown to preserve a win. I don’t have a problem with Johnni’s tactic here—he is a guy who knows how to shoot and he was protecting a lead, but his loved ones must have suffer many near heart attacks as they watch him compete.

184 pound Kenny Courts has lost twice now to talented TJ Dudley, but there is no doubt in my mind Kenny is the better wrestler. I was only afraid of an early mistake and that happened. Kenny executed a lightning quick ankle shot which Dudley countered by locking in a cradle that led to a pin. It happens. Kenny’s task is to use that as a teaching moment to protect himself as he continues to take advantage of his quickness. Beating Penn State’s Ed Ruth is a tall order, but short of that, Kenny, like Nick Heflin is capable of making it to an NCAA final. Yes, the loss must have been painful, but it was a loss borne out of exactly the correct aggressive frame of mind.

At 125, No. 16 Buckeye Nick Roberts had a big task to bring down a really tough and aggressive 9th ranked Tim Lambert but coming out of the first period, Roberts had a 5-1 lead, counting riding time. But then a problem emerged which would haunt the Buckeyes the rest of the night—the inability to escape from the down position in the second period. Now this is no small tactical issue—it takes a very strong wrestler to ride out another at this level—so it does speak to a difference in class. To elevate in class, several Buckeyes will have to at least start with a change in mindset to expend the energy necessary to get out—the failure to do so is simply too tiring as accomplished fighters will beat the tar out of an individual who cannot escape from the bottom position. Nick simply got wore down and pinned. But this kid is not far away and once he elevates in class he can become a terror.

The story is much the same at 149 with Ian Paddock. Ian fought 5th ranked Jake Sueflohn tough for the first period, ending at 4-4. I did not sense a loss of energy for Ian even as he was put on his back in the third period. He was up against a very tough opponent. But again, he just could not free himself in the second period. Ian is a senior but it has been three years since he has had the benefit of the grind of a full season as a starter. He has the requisite wrestling ability if he just continues to increase his mat stamina throughout the match. If there is one Buckeye I tab for a surprise breakthrough it is Ian.

Mark Martin never got it going against Robert Kokesh at 174, but that’s just a difference in toughness. Kokesh is a talented grinder. Mark is very smooth but until he develops into a more brutish force like Kokesh, he is going to have a bit of problem with exactly that type of opponent. But Mark is young and there is ample time to hit the weight room and throw around a similar kind of force.

Nick Tavanello at heavy started strong but also got punished a bit in the second period and was obviously off his game from that point. That happens too—if you let the momentum swing in the other guy’s favor it is very hard to remember you can still come back and reassert control. Keep grinding Nick and don’t get lulled into thinking a bad change of momentum has to dictate your result—you have the quickness and conditioning to make things happen.

The Buckeyes had a key match with Courts go against them, and in a big way for a pin. They also may not have expected Nick Roberts to win at 125, but they certainly were not expecting him to be pinned. But still they lost each of what might have been considered the toss-up matches, including at 125 and heavy. They also lost the third toss-up at 165 when Joe Grandominico was thoroughly dominated by Austin Wilson. Wilson is very good, don’t get me wrong, but I really had thought Joe would make this a close match—it was not, so “on paper” did not reflect the Husker advantage that actually unfolded.

Finally, in some respects Randy Languis showed what fighting, in the sport we call wrestling, is all about. Again, on paper, Randy had no business competing at 157 against No. 1 ranked James Green, but Randy battled tough throughout. Green pushed his way to a major decision but was never close to extending that to a technical fall precisely because Randy, though likely going down to defeat as the third period went on, kept up his own determined heat as he took valiant shots from his feet and nearly took Green down on a couple of occasions. Coach Ryan posted a Randy Couture quote the other day:

”Bravery has never and will never mean you are not afraid. Bravery is going forward even when you are terrified.”

Randy has been around long enough that I am sure he was neither terrified nor afraid, but facing James Green certainly had to be an unpleasant task. Randy stayed game throughout and managed to deliver his own sting, and that was fun to watch.

To sum up, even in a year of pause, this Buckeye team has a handful of wrestlers with the potential to go deep in a tournament, and that is what a season is all about. So soon enough what seems like a lackluster showing could well prove to be very satisfying.

As mentioned, the Buckeyes face none other than Michigan, a team on a roll, having bested no. 2 Minnesota last week. More on that later.

After more than a month, the 10th ranked Buckeye wrestling team returns to campus Friday night, January 24, to face 7th ranked B1G foe Nebraska, a team that matches up very tightly with Ohio State.

The first thing I do for every match is to see what is in store for seniors Ian Paddock at 149 and Nick Heflin at 197. Ian had struggled in certain respects, primarily with match fitness, but that is looking like a thing of the past. He did wrestle very poorly at Penn State in early December, creating doubt he could regain his All American stature from a few years back. Whether it was just a matter of healing his injured body or whether he took the Penn State loss to heart, Ian has come back from the break to wrestle very well. His 2-1 January record belies the fact that he has regained a third period gear. He did lose to Northwestern’s fourth ranked Jason Tsirtis, but he wrestled him tough. This week he goes against 5th ranked Jake Sueflohn. While I give Sueflohn the edge, that is only because they wrestle this week. Based upon what seems to be Ian’s obvious progression, if this were March I think we would see a different result, and we may yet this Friday. I expect Ian to give Sueflohn a tough match, and Jake has his own energy problems in the third period. This could be a Buckeye upset.

At 197, Nick Heflin faces Caleb Kolb, who happens to be the son of four-time Steeler Super Bowl Champ John Kolb. Although unranked, Kolb is a tough kid who is not afraid to mix it up. As I’ve noted, and it is no secret, Nick tends to be defensive on his feet. Kolb may be tough but Nick is the better athlete meaning Kolb’s aggressiveness could get him in trouble with Heflin. However, Nick came out and scored four takedowns against a game Northwestern opponent. So my hope is that Nick continues to pick up his offensive game and take chances—if he shoots and only gets in a scramble, chances are Nick is going to win that scramble. Yes, he risks a little danger, but at this point, Nick has the goods to focus more on what it takes to stand atop the podium in March.

Another power match-up is at 184 pounds where eighth ranked Kenny Courts goes against the Huskers’ 11th ranked TJ Dudley, an impressive red-shirt freshman. These two guys have similar styles, and they are both unafraid to take risks. But I don’t even see this one being close. Kenny is the stronger wrestler from start to finish. Unless he gets in trouble early, by the time the third period rolls around I expect Kenny to be punishing the Nebraska wrestler.

The Buckeyes should not struggle at 133 and 141. That is not to say the Nebraska wrestlers are not strong. At 141 Colton McCrystal is a four time Iowa finalist and two time state champion who gamely fought and lost to a ranked Iowa wrestler. But he is no match for Buckeye Logan Stieber. Much the same could be said at 133 where I expect Buckeye Johnni DiJulius to overpower his Nebraska opponent.

Two Buckeyes face extremely stern tests: Mark Martin who goes against the fourth ranked, grinding Robert Kokesh at 174 and Randy Languis, who has a huge mountain to climb against number 1 ranked James Green. Green (whose training partner is none other than the best wrestler in the world, former Husker, fellow New Jerseyite Olympic gold medalist and internationally undefeated Jordan Burroughs) just took it to defending national champ and previously undefeated Derek St. John. I always think Mark Martin has a chance to win, so don’t assume that one away, but Randy, for all his talent and determination, will do well to make his match competitive.

At this point, on paper at least, the Buckeyes would seem to have a 4-3 match advantage, leaving three pivotal matches. The first could occur right at the start when No. 16 Nick Roberts will tangle with No. 9 Tim Lambert of Nebraska. Nick has his work cut out for him—Lambert is an aggressive fighter who seems to pick up steam as the match progresses. This will be a good test of where young Nick is at this point. If we start with a pivotal match, why not end with one: Buckeye Nick Tavenello? This freshman continues to impress—he is quick on his feet and shows good match stamina. He wrestled fourth ranked Mike McMullan of Northwestern very tough. If the three Nicks can go 3-0, the Buckeyes win this meet going away.

Finally, at 165 Buckeye Joe Grandominico goes against Austin Wilson. This match is just too close to call. Wilson can wrestle with anyone though he lets himself get lulled to sleep on his feet, and gives up takedowns that he seems positioned to defend but just does not seem to see the attack coming in time to respond. Joe is a well-schooled and smart wrestler who should match up well against a determined Wilson.

This will be an exciting fight—go see it on a Friday night. The fun starts at 7 PM at historic St. Johns Arena (you can also watch live on the Big Ten Network). I don’t think you will be disappointed.

The Buckeye wrestling team finished the weekend with a very strong effort at Illinois despite the fact that Johnni Dijulius did not go once again at 133. And this was a meet that had everything–individual and team drama. Trailing by a team score of 16-9, the Buckeyes rallied to find themselves down 16-15 with a heavyweight match tied 1-1 after regulation. In the opening sudden death overtime period, with time about to expire, Buckeye redshirt freshman Nick Tavanello (Wadsworth, Ohio) countered a takedown attempt with a sweet and lightning quick single leg which he worked down to an ankle and finished with a match ending dump for the overtime win. It was a marvelously fun match as both heavies were quick on their feet, explosive and in great shape throughout the match. With big Nick’s win, the Buckeyes departed Champaign with a hard fought 18-16 team win over 10th ranked Illinois.

As was true at Wisconsin, much went well for the Buckeyes, even in some losing efforts. Logan Stieber completed his less than six minute effort over the weekend of long travel with a first period pin and Ian Paddock followed with another strong effort in beating 16th ranked Caleb Ervin. Ian has come back from the break looking healthy and showing a dominance throughout his matches that suggests he may be ready for an exciting run in the last two months of his collegiate career.

At 125 pounds, Nick Roberts rebounded from Friday night by taking defending national champ Jesse Delgado to the very end before surrendering a last second takedown for an 11-7 loss. At 157 and 165 pounds, Randy Languis and Joe Grandominico also competed in very tight and competitive matches against ranked opponents. The disappointment of the day was at 174. Mark Martin, appearing with a heavily bandaged left leg was in seemingly in control until a riding mistake in the third period led to a succession of points for opponent Tony Dellago. A clearly fatigued Martin hung on as best he could in overtime, and dodged a few bullets, but in the end just did not have enough left in the tank, losing by a point.

Kenny Courts started the comeback at 184 pounds. Clearly in control late in the match, Kenny displayed courage and fearlessness as he risked his own match in an attempt to secure potentially vital extra team points. With a third period ride-out looking like a clear possibility to put away the match at 6-1 with riding time, Kenny secured a tight arm lock on his opponent and then proceeded to actually perform several do or die headstands in an attempt to use his leverage to expose his opponent to his back for near fall points. After several such daring attempts he succeeded but unfortunately there was only enough time for a two point near fall, rather than the three he was seeking—leaving him with a win, but at 8-1, just that one point short of a major decision and the extra team point it would have garnered.

Nick Heflin bounced back for a win at 197. The exchange was spirited in a scoreless first period, and then Nick rode his opponent Jeff Koepke for almost a minute and a half in the second period. After Nick’s three second escape in the third period, the score stood at 1-1, but with more than a minute of riding time advantage, Nick effectively had a 2-1 lead. Nick parried a desperate Koepke for the rest of the period, mixing in enough shot attempts to avoid a stall point, and won by that 2-1 score. Nick Heflin is a very technically sound, tough and well-conditioned wrestler. Although Nick’s matches are often too close for comfort, I give him a real decent chance to wrestle for a national championship. When you consider the possibilities that Roberts, Dijulius, Paddock, Martin and Courts present, if the Buckeyes just continue on this path of nailing down the finer points of their respective games, this could well turn into a fun Ohio State post-season.

That brings me to a final point. Much of this part of the season is about addressing the little things, getting a little stronger and getting in better match shape. But others are fighting a different battle—not unlike the kind of battle a back-up quarterback fights in football—lots of hard work, lots of support to more recognized teammates and little personal acclaim. As noted, Johnni Dijulius, while making the trip, did not go in either match this weekend. In his stead was Kyle Visconti, a red-shirt sophomore at 133 from North Reading, MA. Kyle lost twice this weekend, but no one steps on the mat in competition for Ohio State wrestling unless he is one of the very best wrestlers in the country. Of the thousands of kids who have journeyed along the same path, and of the many of them who have gone on to be champions in their career, only a few have the ability to fight through to gain even a back-up role at an Ohio State.

Last year Kyle filled in well for an injured Logan Stieber and this year he fills in for a highly ranked Dijulius. Experiencing little of the limelight and no doubt providing the best practice competition to their more recognized teammates, unheralded competitors like Kyle (who, as a sophomore, has his best wrestling ahead of him) are at the top of their sport and pay handsome dividends to their team in performing one of the most demanding roles in sport. In a closely contested match, that effort, even in a loss, can be the difference for his team looking to claim a win. And that was true today. While Kyle lost, he avoided a 6 team point possibility for the Illini (and by staying off his back he avoided a 5 point possibility as well), enabling the Buckeyes to escape with the 2 point win. Winning a meet takes ten very talented individuals giving their best, even those who battle in vain for the win.

The Buckeyes return “home” Friday night for a 7:00 meet against Northwestern. The meet will actually be held at Cincinnati Moeller High School.

The Buckeye wrestling team traveled to Madison Friday night to take on the Badgers, a team like the Buckeyes that has a lot of talent wrestling in the B1G, which is far and away the most dominant wrestling conference in the country. Wiscy prevailed 22-15, but as I said in my last piece, this is a year to focus more on the little gems from each weight class, not necessarily to get too lost in the bigger team picture. The Buckeyes held out rising star Johnni Dijulius, which was too bad—it would have been awesome to see him go head to head with Wisconsin’s Tyler Graff.

What went right? The Buckeyes got a dominating win to start the night from young Kenny Courts, a 184 pound sophomore from Harrisburg, PA. Just as Kenny’s opponent looked like he might be making a late match surge, Kenny kicked up his finish to go on to a major 12-4 decision (a major decision is a win by at least eight points which earns one team point in addition to the three team points for the win). Kenny is currently ranked eighth in the country, trailing only seniors #1 Ed Ruth, the methodical killer from Penn State, and Ethan Lofthouse of Iowa, in terms of ranked B1G wrestlers. Kenny is a guy who figures big in the present and future for Ohio State wrestling. He is strong, quick and a lot of fun to watch.

At the end of the meet, although the Buckeye coaches had suggested Mark Martin would not go if the meet were out of hand either way, Martin nonetheless was sent out and secured a 4-3 victory. Mark, also a 174 pound sophomore from Strongsville, Ohio was a two time Ohio state high school champion at powerful St. Edwards High School. Mark also has a very bright future. He was the only wrestler able to slow Kyle Dake of Cornell last year at the NCAA tournament as Dake went on to become the first wrestler in history to win four NCAA title in four different weight classes.

In between the bookend wins of Courts and Dake, the Buckeyes had more ups than downs, but wresting is a sport where home court can matter quite a bit. A ten hour bus drive followed by a night in a hotel does take a toll in the middle of cutting weight and getting in the right state of mind that makes all the difference during a match. I always cut a little slack to a wrestling team on the road.

Logan Stieber did what he does—stealing a guy’s ankles quicker than Sheriff Bart’s chess piece grab in Blazing Saddles—and ripping shoulders as if he believed all people should walk around without arms. He won a “technical fall” by the score of 18-1 (a technical fall, or tech fall, ends the match whenever a wrestler leads by at least 15 points—and if back points are included in the winners total, the team is credited with two team points in addition to the three points for the win—if no back points are awarded, the team receives only one additional point). It is crazy enough that Stieber scored the win in the first period, but what is really crazy is that his opponent was Jesse Thielke, no less than a 2013 National Team member in greco-roman wrestling who went 2-1 in the recent world championships! I’ll say it again—if you live in Central Ohio and you like any kind of physical combat—wrestling, boxing, MMA, whatever—you are missing a real treat if you’re not getting yourself to Buckeye wrestling matches to watch this guy. He is an Ohio treasure.

Rounding out the Buckeye winners, a healthy looking 149 pound Ian Paddock scored a third period takedown to win his match. Even on the downside, things showed some brightness. Westerville native Joe Grandominico battled 10-4 Frank Cousins to the wire at 167 pounds, losing a close 3-2 decision, and Dublin native Randy Languis put up a courageous fight against 7th ranked Isaac Jordan, losing 5-2 at 157 pounds.

From a team and individual perspective, I am sure there is some disappointment that promising “little Nickie” Roberts lost by fall at 125 pounds and that 4th ranked bigger Nick Heflin lost his 197 pound bout in overtime. But to a certain extent, big Nick is going to be close in most matches and he will lose a few just because anything can happen in closer matches. Nick is well known as a defensive wrestler from the neutral position on his feet. I know Nick does not want to be that way—that he would like to carry more offense from his feet, but if you are mostly on the defense, you are going to have close matches. I wonder if Nick could help himself by performing shots (which are a move in an attempt to take down the opponent) that are serious but only intended really as feints to set up a re-shot—re-shots often work right at the moment the first shot is defended because that is the moment a wrestler is most out of position and most unprepared for what is coming next.

I am not in the wrestling room, and I have not the detailed knowledge at that level to pretend I have the answer, but I see athletes do things that suggest to me they are so afraid of failure and losing that they don’t experiment with things that put them in danger but that could help them in the long run. This may not apply to Nick at all, but it seems true across a broad spectrum, even among elite wrestlers (indeed I am suspicious that it does apply to Nick because in his comfort zone at least—i.e., in the case of upper body throws and trips—I have seen him try aggressive moves that both fail and succeed).
But I think back to something that Buckeye greats Reece Humphrey and JD Bergman said. Both had great careers at Ohio State but neither won an NCAA title (each was a runner-up and multiple time All Americans). Yet after college each went on to win two national freestyle titles and each has an Olympic bid still in his sights. The one thing that both clearly said, and almost the first thing they said in describing their own ascension, was to never fear losing. Each hates losing, of course, but in the bigger picture of their goals to stand on a podium, they viewed the process of learning, implementing and experimenting as more important than an individual result. In addition, JD added a subtle point about the psychology of winning and losing:

“People often don’t understand losses. Don’t get me wrong, I really hate to lose and think only about how I win every match, and I drive through each match so that if I am in danger of losing by one point, I win by one–it takes a mindset. But it is important how you handle a loss when it happens and put it in perspective regarding how you are growing. Win or lose you can learn and keep getting better. But if you lose and think that just because you lost you’ve regressed, guess what? You just really did regress. Fear of losing becomes a big liability for a lot of people and it retards their growth and artificially lowers their ceiling.”

Just things I think about.

Ohio State Wrestling has enjoyed a thrilling rise to prominence and fans have noticed as large crowds have started to witness Buckeye wrestling meets. Still, while no one would expect wrestling to rival football or basketball in prominence, what has been happening is still flying under the radar for fans who, if they experienced what is going on, would embrace and enjoy the sport as we figure out how to entertain ourselves in this long winter.

Before an introduction to this year’s team, consider a few reasons why wrestling is worth your time as a fan. First, wrestling itself is enjoying a fascinating re-birth. Almost banned from the Olympics, the sport re-made itself and in the process has cast aside the trappings of tradition and set out a course of making the sport a much more enjoyable fan experience. Wrestling excitement also accrues as a by-product of the growth of MMA—the most successful UFC and Belator fighters are often former wrestlers. The collegiate wrestlers of today are likely the international MMA stars of tomorrow. Indeed, Ohio State national wrestling greats Kevin (the “Monstah) Randleman (an NCAA champion) and Lance (“The Party”) Palmer (an NCAA runner-up) have been among the brightest of MMA fighters.

Closer to home, Ohio has long been one of the best amateur wrestling states in the country, including strongholds in Columbus, Dayton and the belt running from Toledo to Cleveland. Better yet, Ohio State coaches are finally keeping Ohio’s best wrestlers at home: head coach Tom Ryan, an NCAA finalist at Iowa, Lou Rosselli (also head coach at the Ohio Regional Training Center—which was responsible for more than half of the 2013 National Freestyle Team members) and J. Jaggers—himself a two time Buckeye NCAA champion (see JJ win his fourth Ohio High School Championship here). To top it all off, the Buckeyes have turned themselves into a national power, and incredibly, Buckeye junior Logan Stieber (Norwalk, Ohio) is on pace to become only the fourth person in history to win four NCAA titles. More on that in a bit.

But, haha, a cautionary note is in order. In 2013-14, the road to potential greatness will probably take a detour. For reasons unique to each individual wrestler, several key contributors to the would-be Buckeye bullet train are taking a redshirt year, including Logan’s brother Hunter—ranked #1 most of last year before finishing third at the NCAA tournament in Des Moines. Also, several very talented recruits, including junior world champion Kyle Snyder, will not arrive on campus until next season. So 2013-14 is likely a season to watch individual achievements and growth, as we all prepare for what looks like a super-fun 2014-15.

So what do you look for this winter? Let’s start with Logan Stieber. Buckeyes everywhere need to know we are witnessing greatness. It doesn’t come around that often—cheat yourself at your own peril. From Late 2011 to late 2013, Urban Meyer and Logan Stieber had exactly the same number of losses, which is to say, zero. Logan has won the NCAA title as a redshirt freshman and sophomore at 133 pounds, first over rising national freestyle star Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State and then over combative and feisty Tony Ramos of Iowa (here is Logan’s 2013 win against Ramos—you cannot help but also love Iowa Coach Tom Brands– ). Like Urban, Logan lost late in 2013. In Logan’s case, the loss came shockingly to Penn State freshman Zain Retherford in Logan’s first B1G match at a new weight—141 pounds. All credit goes to Retherford. He resisted Logan’s attempt at a pinning turn (with the assist of a dangerous move call by the referee) and Retherford seemed to wear Logan out with a second period ride-out on the strength of a bold and punishing figure four leg hold that Logan probably never saw coming. But one has the feeling Logan will learn from that overtime loss to come back stronger than ever—and I mean strong in all respects—Logan is pound for pound perhaps the strongest athlete in the country. Logan Stieber projects as one of the very best wrestlers in the world (a junior world runner-up himself)—expect him to grow into his new weight and regain his place at the top of the podium on an historic run.

To my mind, the most intriguing wrestler of all is 149 pound senior Ian Paddock. Ian is a wrestler you cannot help but root for from the bottom of your heart. A two time All-American, injuries and personal near-tragedy sidelined Ian, who was then beaten out by Stieber high school classmate, Cam Tessari. But before last year’s B1G tournament, Tessari was suspended (he has since transferred to Hofstra) and Ian found himself pressed into emergency service. He responded with an emotional win over Michigan’s highly regarded (and sometimes highly boorish) Eric Grajales. If wrestling matches lasted no longer than 2-1/2 minutes, Ian might well be the best wrestler in the country at any weight. For whatever reason though, Ian consistently fails to take his overpowering first period effort into the second and third periods. There are two months before the B1G tourney starts. Ian is capable of greatness if he can find that later period gear that has escaped him. Hopefully it will be fun to watch him do just that.

The most pleasant surprise of this young season has been the emergence of 133 pound red-shirt sophomore Johnni Dijulius. Winner of the Cliff Keen Invitational (watch this quick but crazy amazing pin) in Las Vegas and otherwise off to a great start, Johnni has come back from his red-shirt year a new man and has rocketed to a surprising #5 national ranking. After watching his dominating performance at Penn State, one has to think the ceiling for Johnni is not in sight. He will be a fun young man to follow.

Finally for this installment, let me point out the self-proclaimed dark horse, the irrepressible senior, Nick Heflin. You always know when Nick is wrestling—no matter how intense or large the crowd, somewhere you can hear the Heflin family cheering section put forth an encouragement that must do justice to the rebel yell. Nick has moved up not one but two weight classes, now performing in the 197 pound class. Last year at 174 pounds, the separation between Nick and a national championship was negligible—eventual champion Chris Perry edged Nick 3-2 in overtime. Nick then went on to score a dramatic cross-face cradle pin for fifth place over tough, trash talking, chest pumping and 70’s mustachioed Mike Evans of Iowa. Nick is ranked fourth this year, is unbeaten (other than three medical defaults) and win or lose is one of the most entertaining wrestlers to watch. He always gives everything he has and is not afraid to take a shot even to his peril, as once happened in overtime against Evans in the dual meet with Iowa last year (meet the Darkhorse, an obvious Buckeye warrior, after his last match against Evans).

This is the first of a series of articles kicking off the Ohio State run to the B1G tournament. In dual meets the Buckeyes are 5-1. The Buckeyes do not return home until January 17 against Northwestern. They then face Nebraska at home the next week and on January 31 they host Michigan, a meet up which always mirrors the intensity of the gridiron rivalry. Although the Buckeyes submitted a sub-par performance in their B1G opener against defending national champion Penn State, one has the feeling that even if this is a year when the team takes its breath before daring to take huge steps, these young men are on the rise. It will be fun while watching various individuals grow and compete. But it will also be worth the effort just to watch one Buckeye in particular as he attempts to stride into history.