Five Thoughts on Wrestling’s Bedlam Win

OSU won the second round of Bedlam on Thursday night in Gallagher-Iba defeating the Sooners 26-6 in front of a crowd of 6,373. Here are my five thoughts on the night.

1. OSU’s Best Coaching Job to Date?

Oklahoma State is not where it should be as a program right now. Historically, it’s the top program in the sport and fans should expect that. But the marked improvement we’ve seen this season is undeniable. Just a few months ago this dual came down to the final match. Here, the Cowboys completely blew the Sooners out of the gym.

As they go into the conference tournament, every wrestler on the roster — with the exception of 125 — should be seeded in a spot to get a bid to the NCAA Tournament. They’ve only lost two duals, and both of those were without their current starting 125 in the lineup. I had my doubts going into this season, and there’s still some wrestling left to ultimately determine this, but I think you could easily argue that this is one of the best coaching jobs by the OSU staff in recent memory.

2. Daton Fix Coming Back?

I don’t believe he’s officially announced anything yet, but yesterday OSU hosted their senior night activities and Daton was not included as a part of it. Reading between the lines, it looks like he’s got to be coming back next season.

3. Losses Avenged Pivotal for the Big 12 Tournament

OSU helped itself a lot here when it comes to seeding at the conference tournament. Carter Young, Victor Voinovich, and Konner Doucet all won matches they lost in the first Bedlam. This is pivotal for their seeding at the Big 12 Tournament. The Cowboys have a legitimate shot at a Big 12 title, but they’ll need every single point to be able to do it. These small seed increases they’ll get from these wins will help.

4. 150 on Deck

The win last night made it 149 wins for OSU in the Bedlam series. Even for an in-state rivalry, it’s somewhat wild to wrap one’s head around there being that many matches in this series.

5. Thursday Night Bedlam…

Sounds like there were some scheduling conflicts and the two schools couldn’t find a weekend date that worked for Bedlam so they had to slot it in on a Thursday. Still, it was a solid crowd and good environment for the rivalry, but certainly a unique time slot for a wrestling match as we typically see these on Friday or Sunday.