The “state of the program” argument is so dug in on this site that even I don’t feel like arguing it anymore. However, can you at least stick to TRUTHS when saying it is “egregiously unacceptable”? How exactly did they have record dual meet losses 2 seasons in a row?
First off, Iowa had a total of ONE dual meet loss in the 24-25 season. Their ONLY loss was to the #1 team that set the scoring record that season. They beat 5 top 10 teams including the #2 and #3 teams in the country.
In the 25-26 season they DID have 6 dual meet losses. But, that isn’t even a record. In the 05-06 season under Zalesky they lost 7 times with embarrassing losses to my Alma Mater, Illinois, Penn State(weren’t remotely close to what they are now) and Nebraska(again not even close to what they are now).
Meanwhile, Iowa lost to tOSU twice and they actually had a monster dual meet team even though Iowa actually beat them at NCAA’s. They again lost to PSU and they, yet again broke their own scoring record. They lost to #2 OKState, whom they also beat. ISU finally broke their losing streak with probably their best dual meet team in 15+ seasons. Finally, their one “bad” dual meet loss was to Minnesota, still ranked 9th at the time, while wrestling with multiple starters out.
Still, that same season they again beat the #2 and #3 teams in the country. If you want to stick with them not being remotely competitive at NCAA’s with PSU and now, possibly, OKState. That is more than fair. But, the rest of it is pure gobbledygook…Mind you, they still had 9 guys in the R12 and 7 AA’s. So it truly isn’t that Iowa is “so bad” as it is how ridiculously good PSU is and OkState is most likely becoming. There ARE prior seasons where that performance would have even been good enough to win NCAA’s…