Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma
Bedlam heads to the mat
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Posted: Saturday, February 7, 2015 10:05 pm | Updated: 12:27 am, Sun Feb 8, 2015.[/I]
By Christian Potts For The Transcript
It's been a season of ups and downs and growing pains for an Oklahoma wrestling team loaded with newcomers, including several true freshmen thrust into big roles.
And it hasn't all gone the way the Sooners would like to see. Following a close dual loss Friday to Wyoming - the Sooners' third straight dual defeat, which dropped OU to 6-8 on the season - Coach Mark Cody and his staff spent quite a bit longer than usual in the post-match debriefing with their troops.
"I just think that somehow with these guys we just have to make sure that we get them to be less fearful when they walk out there and try to squeeze any anxiety out of them," Cody said. "They are a hard working bunch of guys. This sport is 99 percent mental and you really have to believe that you're going to win and go out and fight like you're going to win."
He hopes that message translated Sunday, because oh, how a victory against Bedlam rival and 7th-ranked Oklahoma State could be a big turning point for Cody and his squad, who get that shot at 2 p.m. inside McCasland Field House.
In OSU's 25-11 victory in Stillwater Dec. 7, the Cowboys won three matches by 3 points or less and picked up a six-point boost in the team standings with an injury default at 184 pounds. Having lost seven of 10 matches, the Sooners need to flip two and probably three of those results to change the outcome this time.
That likely needs to come from the Sooners' group of true freshman starters. Three were competitive in December, when Ryan Millhof (125), Trae Blackwell (141) and Andrew Dixon (197) were beaten by a combined total of just 10 points by three Cowboy wrestlers, all of whom were nationally-ranked. A fourth freshman, Brooks Climmons, is expected to start this time around at 184.
"If you look at who we've seen this year, all of these starters that are freshmen really aren't freshmen anymore," Cody said. "They have seen a high level of competition."
And the coach is pleased for the most part with the improvement he's seen out of the young group.
"You don't always see that from the outside, but they're coming along, you can see little by little things they're improving on in the room day to day," Cody said.
Another big key in Bedlam will be the heavyweight showdown, where OU's Ross Larson and OSU's Austin Marsden have traded victories the past two years. Marsden opened December's dual with a 5-2 triumph that set a strong momentum for his side.
Larson has continued his impressive run with pinfall victories his last three times out since a loss to defending national champion Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State. Larson recorded his 17th fall of the season against Wyoming and stands 22-4 coming into his latest tussle with Marsden, who is 18-1 and ranked No. 5 nationally.
"(Larson) is in attack mode every time he walks out there, and he's always not only trying to get a win, but he's trying to get a pin every time he goes out," Cody said. "If he doesn't pin guys he scores big points. He has beaten (Marsden) once and that means he is capable of doing it again."
This is yet another tough test in what's been nothing short of a brutal schedule for the Sooners. After Sunday OU will have faced teams currently ranked No. 3 (Missouri), No. 4 (Cornell) No. 7 (OSU, twice), No. 8 (Iowa State) plus five other schools ranked in the top 25 nationally, not to mention seeing No. 2 Minnesota in tournament competition.
It's a schedule that has been both a curse and blessing for the young Sooner squad.
"Maybe from this tough schedule, maybe we have lost some confidence with some guys," Cody said. "We really just have to learn from it and stay positive."
Comparing notes
An early scouting report for the weekend comes from the Bedlam rivals' matches against Wyoming, which wrestled in Norman Friday afternoon, then bused to Stillwater to face the Cowboys that night.
OU dropped six of 10 matches but nearly pulled out the win due to bonus points, falling 18-16 to Wyoming. Oklahoma State knocked off Wyoming 19-12 that evening.
The Sooners will honor their two seniors prior to the match - 157-pound starter Justin DeAngelis and backup heavyweight Zach Merrill.
Probable lineups
Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State
125 - Ryan Millhof vs.No. 9 Eddie Klimara
133 - No. 5 Cody Brewer vs. Gary Wayne Harding
141 - Trae Blackwell vs. No. 16 Dean Heil
149 - Shayne Tucker vs. No. 4 Josh Kindig or Davey Dolan
157 - No. 15 Justin DeAngelis vs. Anthony Collica
165 - Clark Glass vs. No. 1 Alex Dieringer
174 - No. 17 Matt Reed vs. No. 10 Kyle Crutchmer
184 - Brooks Climmons vs. No. 16 Nolan Boyd
197 - Andrew Dixon vs. Luke Bean
HW - No. 11 Ross Larson vs. No. 5 Austin Marsden