For many, Penn State is taking on the wrong team from Oklahoma on Friday night, and a wrestling insider weighed in on the topic exclusively with Nittany Sports Now.
Penn State is the most dominant force in college wrestling and probably college sports as a whole today, having won 12 of the past 14 national titles.
Oklahoma State is, statistically, the most dominant wrestling program historically, having won 34 team titles.
The tradition of both schools– plus Penn State wrestling legend David Taylor now leading Oklahoma State– has fans clamoring for a megadual meet.
FloWrestling’s content director, Christian Pyles, also wants to see it, but told Nittany Sports Now’s Joe and the Fatman podcast that he doesn’t think it’s realistic.
“Of course I want to see this,” he said, “and I’m not on an island here. I think the people listening to this podcast, Penn State wrestling fans, if I tell you David Taylor and the Cowboys are coming to Rec Hall or the Bryce Jordan Center, that’s the biggest dual of the year.
Your fans want it, Penn State fans want it, Oklahoma State fans want it. Everyone wants this dual to happen.”
BUT SHOULD IT HAPPEN?
“Now, the question ‘should‘ is now your like saying, ‘ok, I’m Cael Sanderson, and I need, I have to… no, I don’t think ‘should.‘ I think it would be great, and I think in a more professionalized sport, they wouldn’t have a choice in the matter, right?” But the coaches make the schedule, and he can do what he wants, and their formula works.”
Pyles then pointed out how Penn State’s wrestling schedule has changed since the dynasty started.
“You always had the tough Big Ten dual season, but now, they do the Journeyman Collegiate Duals, which are pretty tough, but there’s just… they don’t see the need for any additional rigor in their schedule. How can you fault the greatest coach in the world right now? I mean, is there a coach in sports having more success than Cael Sanderson?”
Pyles isn’t among the crowd who think Sanderson is obligated to grow wrestling through his program.
But he acknowledges how big a PSU-OSU dual would be.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“There’s a lot of people that would hide behind like ‘oh, grow the sport, do what I want you to do,’“ Pyles said. “I’m not that guy, but come on. Of course, I want to see that dual. Would it be the best thing for wrestling? Of course.”
“We don’t have a lot of “Super Bowl” type of matches. Penn State-Iowa is one of them. Iowa-OKlahoma State, that’s another one. There’s a few. Iowa-Iowa State. There’s a few big-time, must-watch, appointment-viewing duals, and there’s no question that we would have another one of those things, and that could only be a good thing for wrestling.”
Pyles said he isn’t “holding his breath” on whether a Penn State-Oklahoma State dual meet would ever happen.
“They have a tough schedule as is, and they don’t see the need to add that,” Pyles said. “They don’t wanna do it, and I understand those reasons.”
DT WEIGHS IN
Nittany Sports Now asked Taylor about the possibility of a dual meet in the summer of 2024.
“It would be the most exciting dual meet, probably in the history of wrestling,” he said.
“I think both fanbases would really enjoy that,” he said. “I think the wrestling community would be excited about that.”
Taylor did mention that there would be some challenges to making this happen.
“I think, obviously, being a coach, you have to work around your scheduling and you can only have so many non-conference opportunities,” he said, “but if the opportunity presents itself and that’s something we can work out, I think it would be really fun.”
Penn State takes on Oklahoma Friday at 6 in Rec Hall.
