OSU Wrestling: Cowboys Stay in Top Five in Final Rankings after Suffering First Loss

Oklahoma State wrestling never dropped in the rankings this season until the very end.

The Cowboys fell two spots to No. 4 in the last NWCA coaches poll of the season that was released Tuesday. OSU descended after suffering its first and only loss of the season to then-No. 4 Iowa 22-9 on Sunday inside a sold-out Gallagher-Iba Arena.

OSU started the season ranked 11th before a 14-1 campaign escalated the Pokes up to as high as No. 2. The Cowboys’ 14 wins included 12 victories over ranked opponents and three wins over top-five teams. However, two of those ranked wins were against Oklahoma, which dropped out of the top 25 this week with a losing record.

Iowa switched spots with OSU after the win to finish the season at No. 2. Penn State was atop the rankings wire to wire as the only Division-I team that didn’t suffer a dual loss this season. OSU was the only one-loss squad in the country, as every other program had at least two losses.

With Penn State, Iowa and Nebraska at the top, the entire top three in the final rankings comes from the Big Ten. OSU is the top Big 12 team after going undefeated in conference duals. Iowa State is right behind OSU at No. 5 to round out the top five.

Here’s a look at the final rankings, with teams that OSU beat in bold.

With the dual season complete, the Cowboys will get a week off before the postseason begins with the Big 12 Wrestling Championships on March 9-10 in Tulsa.