Though the Ohio State wrestling team beat Cornell for a second time last weekend, the true test of the team begins with their Big Ten Conference schedule.
The team beat Cornell Sunday with a 22-15 decision over the Big Red. The Buckeyes had beaten Cornell earlier in the National Dual Tournament, which was held at OSU on Jan. 19.
Now the No. 3 Buckeyes’ (8-3, 0-0) focus shifts to Indiana (15-4, 0-1) as OSU kicks off their conference schedule at 7 p.m. tonight at St. John Arena.
While the Buckeyes are favored over the Hoosiers, they know they can not afford to look ahead.
“A lot of the Big Ten is important,” said OSU coach Russ Hellickson. “We take them all seriously.”
The match will feature a couple high-powered match-ups.
At 141 pounds, OSU’s Jeff Ratliff (22-11) will face Coyte Cooper (27-5), who has 15 pins this season.
With that number, Cooper is now third on Indiana’s all-time single season pins list.
Hellickson said Cooper will be a tough test for Ratliff.
In the 197-pound class, OSU’s Anton Talamantes (22-5) is matched up with Indiana’s Pat DeGain (26-2).
DeGain has had a lot of success lately, riding an 18-match winning streak into today’s meet.
“DeGain is very tough,” Hellickson said.
After the Hoosiers, the Buckeyes still face a tough schedule. Traditional powerhouses Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan remain at the top of the Big Ten Conference, but other teams aren’t out of the running yet.
Penn State, who beat Indiana 37-4 on Friday, looks very good this year Hellickson said.
OSU will also face Minnesota on Sunday at 2 p.m. at St. John.
