Never, ever can you discount the mighty force that is the Penn State NLWC. While the Ohio State Buckeyes had a great start tonight in Columbus, Cael Sanderson‘s squad ultimately managed to show their worth at the end with gusto. Defeating their foes 27-13, Penn State registered its 69th straight NCAA victory, and with that, it seems like David Taylor has fresh problems in his hands.

The Cowboys currently hold the longest winning streak record in the NCAA D1 wrestling scene. With 76 straight dual wins, OSU is a benchmark that has yet to be reached by its peers. However, NLWC looks hell-bent on surpassing the program that’s currently headed by one of its own.

The official Penn State Wrestling account gleefully shared news of its victory against the Buckeyes from the Covelli Center tonight. “The Nittany Lions roll over the Buckeyes!” jocundly said the social media update.

And yet, before the big win came, Penn State had a wobbly start to the Big Ten against Ohio State today. In the opening bout in the 125lb bracket, Luke Lilledahl started well but was caught by Brendan McCrone for a surprising fall. With that, Penn State gave away its first pin of the season. But the NLWC, being true to its incredible iron will, soon bounced back. In the next nine bouts, Ohio State could manage to win only two, while Penn State pulled away thanks to its incredible dominance in the 165lb to 197lb brackets.

And as far as the 141lb bracket is concerned, Beau Bartlett managed to get his revenge on rival Jesse Mendez who had handed him three back-to-back losses last year. It seems his confidence will continue to soar with Penn State’s undefeated dual steak still intact.

With the latest victory, Penn State now steps a foot closer to the towering record that is still in the possession of Oklahoma State. Since David “Magic Man” Taylor became the head coach of the Cowboys last year, tension has grown significantly between the program and Taylor’s alma mater. And now, it seems like the Olympic gold medalist has to wait to see if Penn State can indeed pull something miraculous out of the bag to show who’s the top dog in the NCAA circuit right now.

But tonight’s match should make one thing clear: it’s no holds barred for Penn State to make it four-in-four, and that could only increase Taylor’s headache further.

Penn State won’t let one chance slide to show David Taylor down

When the Penn State alum took the offer from OSU to be the program’s new head coach, the news didn’t sit well with the folks over at Penn State. Many saw it as a betrayal, and some even went on to remind David that trying to dethrone the NLWC from its high seat wouldn’t be an easy task. In July last year, Penn State’s Athletic Director Pat Kraft even threw shade at Taylor’s new job role and posited that the latter would soon realize the Cael Sanderson’s boys won’t be picked on so easily.

However, under Taylor’s guidance, the Cowboys are doing incredibly well. With a pristine 13-0 (9-0 in Big 12) record, the Olympic gold medalist’s wisdom is shining through. But that isn’t something that seems to bother Penn State. “We’re happy for David. He’s one of ours. But, I’m gonna just tell you, we’re the best wrestling program in the world,” Kraft stated last year without holding back. And shortly after Taylor’s OSU appointment, NLWC’s 184-pounder Carter Starocci had taken to X to write a thinly veiled post: “When it comes to money, people switch like the weather. Not me. Loyalty is everything.” Pretty intense rivalry, yeah? But the tension doesn’t end there.

When David Taylor urged earlier this year that the NCAA bring back the National Duals, his former mentor Sanderson wasn’t sold on the idea. Instead, the 11x NCAA winning coach suggested that a ground-up tournament would benefit the sport more. From all of this, it’s easy to comprehend that Taylor has to deal with a lot of jibes from his former camp. With Penn State eyeing to seal its 2025 Big Ten win at its next match against Illinois this Sunday, do you think David will now have to worry about Penn State trumping OSU on yet another front? Tell us in a comment below!

Top Stories

Tom Brady Makes Career Announcement for Vegas as Pete Carroll Addresses Losing Raiders Locker Room

Cam Newton Makes NFL Return Conditions Clear to 32 Teams as Panthers Legend Confirms Retirement Stance

Dolphins’ Jordyn Brooks Publicly Calls Out Locker Room Over ‘Poor’ Performance Against Steelers

Caitlin Clark Shows Concerning Signs vs. Kelsey Plum During USA Camp Debut, per National Reporter

Scottie Scheffler Makes Critical Health Announcement After He Ended PGA Tour Hiatus

Andy Reid Makes Final Decision on Signing New Chiefs QB After Patrick Mahomes’ ACL Injury