Nebraska’s season is one dual old, and the second one is the kind teams circle in August. No. 3 Nebraska wrestles at No. 2 Oklahoma State on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. CT in Gallagher-Iba Arena on ESPNU.
What Oklahoma State did Sunday
The Cowboys opened at home with a 45-0 win over Drexel. Per Oklahoma State Athletics, they won all 10 bouts, earned bonus points in eight and gave up nothing but escapes. It was their 27th straight home-opener win and their 14th straight win at Gallagher-Iba, and OSU says it is 18-1 in November since 2020. The crowd was 6,870.
Oklahoma State was ranked No. 2 in the first NWCA Division I coaches poll. Its release said all eight of last season’s All-Americans returned, from a team that finished second at the NCAA Championships with three individual champions.
Weight by weight
These pairings use the wrestlers each team sent out Sunday and the rankings listed in each school’s own release. Lineups can change before Friday.
- 125: No. 4 Vincent Robinson vs. Rocklin Zinkin, who won his opener by major decision. OSU’s Nov. 4 release also listed Troy Spratley at No. 7 here.
- 133: No. 7 Jacob Van Dee vs. No. 1 Jax Forrest, the reigning NCAA champion, who won Sunday by technical fall.
- 141: Lincoln Sledzianowski vs. No. 15 Jayden Raney, a true freshman who won by technical fall in his dual debut.
- 149: No. 5 Anthony Echemendia vs. No. 2 Sergio Vega, last season’s NCAA champion at 141. OSU says Vega has not been taken down in his college career.
- 157: No. 3 Antrell Taylor vs. No. 1 Landon Robideau, the reigning NCAA champion, who had the only fall of Sunday’s dual.
- 165: Meyer Shapiro vs. No. 5 Casey Swiderski. Both won by technical fall Sunday.
- 174: No. 2 Christopher Minto vs. No. 12 Alex Facundo.
- 184: No. 6 Eddie Neitenbach vs. Michael White, a true freshman who won by technical fall. OSU’s Nov. 4 release listed Bennett Berge at No. 10 here.
- 197: No. 5 Camden McDanel vs. No. 2 Cody Merrill, last season’s NCAA runner-up.
- HWT: No. 14 Cade Ziola vs. Dreshaun Ross, who beat a ranked Drexel heavyweight by major decision. OSU’s Nov. 4 release listed Konner Doucet at No. 1.
Where it gets decided
On paper, the middle of the lineup is the toughest stretch for Nebraska, with a reigning NCAA champion at 133 and at 157 and an undefeated former champion at 149. The Huskers’ best chances to bank points may come at 125, 174 and 184, where Nebraska had the higher-ranked wrestler on Sunday’s lists. Nebraska won eight of 10 bouts against Wyoming. Oklahoma State won all 10 against Drexel. Friday is the first real measure for both.
Featured image: Photo: Chris Hunkeler. CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Body-lock_throw_in_wrestling.jpg.
