Reminiscent of the 2015-16 season, No. 4 Ohio State (9-0, 1-0) ended No. 10 Illinois’ (6-1, 1-1) unbeaten start. In what was a blowout loss, Illinois had no answers for Ohio State’s mighty lineup. The defeat not only ended Illinois’ win streak but also put an end to its streak of scoring 20-plus points in every dual this season.
Outmatched, outplayed
Illinois managed to win only three of 10 matches across weight categories. The scoreline of 24-9 does paint a more grim picture than what it was. Three of its losses came with a margin of three points or fewer, and if those results went the other way around, Illinois would have been much closer to Ohio State.
125-pound junior Caelan Riley once again struggled to get going against Ohio State. He faced No. 10 125-pound redshirt sophomore Brendan McCrone, who was in control throughout the first period. Although Riley bounced back in the second and third periods, it was too late. Riley is now 0-6 in duals this season, and Illinois desperately needs to figure out its opening weight category situation.
The Illini were more fragile in the middleweight categories in this dual than they have been throughout the season. Illinois 141-pound redshirt junior Danny Pucino was defeated by Ohio State’s No. 1 141-pound junior Jesse Mendez by fall. It was Ohio State’s most significant points haul of the night.
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Significantly, Illinois lost two matches to unranked wrestlers in the 165- and 197-pound weight categories. These two upsets went a long way in Ohio State’s victory.
Fall of the Big Three
Illinois’ No. 2 133-pound redshirt senior Lucas Byrd was once again victorious in a clinical performance against an undefeated opponent. Ohio State’s No. 9 133-pound redshirt sophomore Nic Bouzakis bossed the first period, but it was all Byrd after that. He remains the only undefeated wrestler for Illinois this season.
The “big three” that had helped Illinois stack up wins this season finally fell. With defeats, No. 10 165-pound redshirt freshman Braeden Scoles and No. 11 285-pound redshirt senior Luke Luffman lost their unbeaten records.
Kraisser carnage
Illinois’ No. 27 157-pound graduate student Jason Kraisser was in the spotlight after defeating Ohio State’s No. 9 157-pound redshirt junior Paddy Gallagher. Kraisser blew Gallagher out of the water with a massive 16-9 victory. He looked in control throughout the match and had answers for every move Gallagher made. Despite a team loss, this Kraisser victory will give Illinois confidence.
Ruth-less
Illinois’ No. 10 184-pound redshirt senior Edmond Ruth put on a defensive show to grab victory against Ohio State’s No. 14 184-pound sophomore Ryder Rogotzke. Ruth allowed only three points while scoring seven points himself. He dominated most of the match, not giving an inch to the opponent. This late win kept hopes alive for Illinois.
Final notes
This was Illinois’ toughest opponent this season. It faced a top-10 opponent for the first time since now-No. 21 Missouri (2-7, 1-1) in November of 2024. There is certainly a lot to learn and improve if this team wants to compete at the biggest stage, both at the Big Ten and national level. Illinois must fix its performance more so in the 125-, 141- and 174-pound weight categories. These groups are a combined 9-14 in duals this season.
Despite a massive loss, there were a few positives to take to the end of the season. The Illini face the Northwestern Wildcats (2-3, 0-2) on Sunday with a chance to improve on their mistakes and gain an important win in the conference standings.
@KikaniRudraksh
