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As a fan, which NCAA loss left the biggest bruise?

As a fan, which NCAA loss left the biggest bruise?

  • Total voters
    190
mvattivo

mvattivo

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2005
359
1,683
93
It's hard to avoid recency bias, but, trying to think about how I felt at the time, I went with, in order:

1. DT losing to Bubba. - All the circumstances around the pin, but, mostly, it ruined one of, if not the most impressive Freshman (redshirt) seasons in history.

2, Mesenbrink losing to Carr - Very likely to be his only loss, and I wish he realized he was losing.

3. Duke losing to Robideau - This is likely recency bias, but, the way that it happened still just doesn't sit right
 
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creamery freak

creamery freak

All-Conference
Jul 26, 2014
384
1,359
93
nerfstate said:
In honor of @mcpat

We are used to huge wins. But there are some losses that just sting and sting again. Pick up to 3, add your “other” and I’ll put it in the poll (if I can do that, I’m not McPat fer cryin’ out loud!).
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Beau's loss to Mendez, when it looked like he had the winning takedown, was a gut punch for me. DT's loss to Dake, after getting the initial takedown was another tough one at the time.

Now that Kyle's with the good guys and DT's with the bad, it doesn't hurt anymore!🙂
 
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Goggles Paisano

Goggles Paisano

All-Conference
Feb 6, 2018
795
2,074
93
Very difficult to narrow it to three. But even ignoring recency bias:

PJ got plain robbed, that was unique on the list.

Bo really dominated and if it were not for an opportunistic roll through by MM on his throw to the back, he wins going away and becomes our first 4xer. Then again I guess Miles could say the same thing 3 years later :)

Mitchell just lost track of the score. Giving up a riding time point is not the stuff of champions though. He may or may not have won if he knew the score, there was little time but he was on a Mitch roll at the end

For those three karma just swing the wrong way that day to snatch defeat from a victory, and one could argue each did enough to win but simply didn't.

DT had the biggest shock value, but in the end Bubba earned the victory, most painfully so.

All the rest, from memory, our guy just lost in a tough bout that if they went again may well have had a different result. Maybe Shane should be added, as many saw this year as his window. Next year will definitely be tougher, and for Beau to lose from rear standing is a real kick in the nuts.
 
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M

Misalorales

All-Conference
Jun 3, 2025
1,239
3,769
113
RBY losing to Vito was jarring.
Joseph losing to Lewis.
Nolf losing to Imar.
Starrocci losing to Washington was frustrating to watch while knowing the talent gap was that of the Grand canyon.

Vespa not pinning Lee is the quickest I've ever gone " holy fk holy fk holy....alright nvm".

The answer for me,personally, though is Nolf vs Imar.
 
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T

TangSoo

Junior
Oct 29, 2021
88
319
53
Q vs the Cornell Dude (from State College). Q could've/should've been a 3 timer. Should've been some stalling calls.

Cenzo and Mark not being able to get 3rd, and 2nd titles. Don't remember if Zahid was in Mark's way, but Cenzo certainly looked good for a 3rd. They couldn't compete, now guys are getting 6 and 7 years. A real cluster.
 
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P

PSUer89

Senior
Feb 6, 2017
148
412
63
PJ’s loss because he won on the mat and Cenzo’s because he is one of my all time favorites and I thoroughly expected him to win. Then COVID taking his last opportunity to win another one makes it an even harder pill to swallow
 
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B

BriantheLion

All-Conference
Nov 27, 2023
1,478
2,042
113
Looks like the losses by the current team members are winning this by a landslide…

For me, I’m at the point of knowing they’ll bounce back, though it ALWAYS hurts to see one of our guys lose their chance to be four time champions, or to have an undefeated career.

McCoy was before I was watching, DT and MacIntosh were when I was just starting to follow…

I voted for the ones from the first era that I was fully invested-Bo and Jason, Cenzo and Mark.
 
Fatwoodchuck

Fatwoodchuck

Senior
Oct 19, 2023
429
656
93
mvattivo said:
It's hard to avoid recency bias, but, trying to think about how I felt at the time, I went with, in order:

1. DT losing to Bubba. - All the circumstances around the pin, but, mostly, it ruined one of, if not the most impressive Freshman (redshirt) seasons in history.

2, Mesenbrink losing to Carr - Very likely to be his only loss, and I wish he realized he was losing.

3. Duke losing to Robideau - This is likely recency bias, but, the way that it happened still just doesn't sit right
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#3 because they all had their chance to win but only this one was decided by another entity other than "just not your time."
 
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F

fortheglory94

Sophomore
Dec 7, 2009
33
181
33
Duke was more of a put my hand through the wall to cause a bruise. Cenzo hurt because I just figured he'd find a way in the Finals like he had before. But I voted DT. At the time, it almost took the entire edge off of winning the team title for me.
Funny how things go. Now if I saw Bubba Jenkins I'd shake his hand specifically for that win!
 
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nerfstate

nerfstate

All-Conference
Oct 11, 2021
623
2,551
93
creamery freak said:
DT's loss to Dake, after getting the initial takedown was another tough one at the time.

Now that Kyle's with the good guys and DT's with the bad, it doesn't hurt anymore!🙂
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It’s hilarious to me that I didn’t even think of this one.

I maxed out on poll options though so I can’t add it or Beau/Mendez.
 
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N

Nitlion1986

All-Conference
Apr 13, 2024
1,668
4,974
113
Bubba pinning Taylor
Martin beating Bo
Considering the level of hero worship, finding out Andy Matter got pinned in his sophomore season
 
mcpat

mcpat

All-American
Mar 12, 2021
1,867
7,517
113
Bubba over Taylor hurt at the time but I’m cool with it now.

I’m picking unexpected losses that kept our guy from being a 4xer, or so it appeared at the time:
  • Myles over Bo NCAAs
  • Carr over Mesenbrink NCAAs
  • Lewis over Cenzo NCAAs
 
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El_Jefe

El_Jefe

Heisman
Oct 11, 2021
3,439
13,797
113
Considering how many people posted for years about a "curse," wouldn't the correct answer be Cruiseliner Nick vs. whoever he forfeited to?

I mean, that left a pretty big bruise on a lot of people, and winning all those national titles without him didn't seem to relieve the pain.
 
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E

Efejle

All-Conference
Apr 30, 2023
945
2,204
93
By far Mesenbrink vs Carr: He thought he was ahead. It cost him the Cael Tax. Without this match there is no such thing because as we all said at the time he would never lose again.
 
D

Dogwelder

All-Conference
Aug 1, 2013
818
2,780
93
Efejle said:
By far Mesenbrink vs Carr: He thought he was ahead. It cost him the Cael Tax. Without this match there is no such thing because as we all said at the time he would never lose again.
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Why is it called Cael Tax?

With a tax, someone requires you to pay him because you are in his jurisdiction. So we can logically joke that a Hawkeye’s late-season lingering injury is an Iowa tax.

Or, in the case of a stupidity tax, you get taxed because of who you are.

Neither of the above two meanings apply to Mesenbrink. There is no funny sense in which he lost because he is on Cael’s team. And he did not lose because of who he is.

So in what other sense of the word “tax”, is falling short of Cael’s undefeatedness like a tax, and a Cael tax at that ?
 
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mcpat

mcpat

All-American
Mar 12, 2021
1,867
7,517
113
Dogwelder said:
Why is it called Cael Tax?

With a tax, someone requires you to pay him because you are in his jurisdiction. So we can logically joke that a Hawkeye’s late-season lingering injury is an Iowa tax.

Or, in the case of a stupidity tax, you get taxed because of who you are.

Neither of the above two meanings apply to Mesenbrink. There is no funny sense in which he lost because he is on Cael’s team. And he did not lose because of who he is.

So in what other sense of the word “tax”, is falling short of Cael’s undefeatedness like a tax, and a Cael tax at that ?
Click to expand...
I think he said Blessed are the cheesemakers.
 
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okokzach

okokzach

All-Conference
Dec 18, 2024
944
2,456
93
Mitch knew the score. He simply got beat by the better wrestler despite the help of the ref giving him free stall points. You'd have to be pretty dumb to get ridden for a third of the match and not realize it.
 
H

HOA242n!

Senior
Aug 18, 2025
244
608
93
I haven't been a fan long enough to have experienced (in real time) many of the choices. Messenbrink to Carr bummed me out in the moment, but I wasn't expecting him to win. It's Duke, by far. He's my favorite wrestler (because of his Brian Schute-like manhandling of most of his opponents) and despite not his best performance, he won that match. I have several family members and friends that let the outcomes of sports seriously impact their mood (to an extreme degree), so I have made it a point not to get emotionally involved in sports, especially when I have no personal connection to the athlete. I broke my own rule, went to bed bummed and thought about the Duke match the next morning.
 
K

Kingslayer

Senior
Nov 3, 2016
197
408
63
I am going to go with Nick Lees ‘s loss to the Maryland kid and McIntosh. Both those hit hard. Due to no viewing options back in the day I am sure seeing Greg Elinsky coming up short would have been hard among some of the others.
 
S

Spykers Secretary

Senior
May 7, 2022
256
816
93
DT v bubba is the answer.

recency bias set aside.

that was on the climb up the mountain in a match he wins 99 of 100 times.

total gut punch

ps- Taylor still beats dake :(
 
1

1995PSUGrad

All-Conference
Nov 16, 2019
792
1,184
93
This was the hardest one for me so far.
  • DT losing: I thought he was going to be a four timer and he should have handled Jenkins
  • Nolf, Bo, Messenbrink losing: same as above. Nolf losing to someone he had already beaten, Bo losing to someone he should have beaten, Messenbrink losing to someone he could have beaten
 
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