Hoosiers to battle No. 5 Ohio State

In any sport, the opportunity to learn is always present.

IU Coach Duane Goldman knows this better than anyone, coming off the weekend with a tough loss to an extremely physical Minnesota team. Seeing the weekend’s match as a chance to learn and improve, Goldman is now preparing his wrestlers for an equally grueling match against the nation’s fifth-ranked team, Ohio State.  

Though Minnesota and Ohio State demonstrate the typical aggressive nature of Big Ten wrestling, Goldman said this particular meet is all about individual matchups.  
“They’re ranked at 125 and ranked (No.) 1 at 133, they’re ranked second at 141, and they have an All-American at 149,” said Goldman.  “They are good at several weights, so it will present a lot of challenges.”

Looking at these statistics might lead to discouragement, but Goldman noted while it will be important to win at some weight classes, his main concern going into this match is effort.

“I was really pleased with our effort against Minnesota and I would like to see that same effort and hopefully that translates into some wins,” said Goldman. “I think in the long run of it all, whether it be this season or next season, it’s going to translate into more wins, but the main thing is just the effort.”

In addition to making sure his wrestlers show effort every step of the way, Goldman also explained that in preparation for Ohio State, training has become much more individualized. As the lineup becomes finalized at this time in the season, training for an important match such as this one becomes much more detail-oriented. Ultimately, this will aid in dealing with ranked wrestlers like Ohio State’s Logan Stieber, who is ranked No. 1 at the 133 weight position.

Keeping these aspects of their training in mind, Goldman said the Hoosiers are ready to go back into battle with Ohio State on Friday.

However, the team may be without one of their starters. Redshirt freshman Eric Roach is questionable for Ohio State, suffering from a confirmed head injury. Goldman stated the staff has been keeping an eye on Roach; however, it is unclear whether or not he will compete on Friday.

How will these factors affect IU’s chances of taking down Ohio State? The bottom line, Goldman said, is for his wrestlers to go out and simply compete. Goldman said he fully believes they will see positive results if the work ethic is there.

“If they compete hard, good things can happen,” said Goldman. “We’re ready to compete with these teams on a physical level, and we just need to get out there and let the fur fly and good things will happen; maybe it’s a win, but it’s better than going out there and waiting for things to happen.”