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OSU wrestlers who should have been OW at the NCAA

Old Number Nine

Old Number Nine

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2005
1,742
1,712
113
I've had this info in a SS for a while and just addrd Wyatt and Jax. Just food for of-season thought.

These are my picks for the worst OW screw jobs of OSU wrestlers since I've been a fan although I started in 1978, I did see Jackson wrestle his last year:

RankYearNameSeedOWSeedNotes
12003Jake Rosholt10Eric Larkin-ASU1This ones not even close; Jake beat 1,2,7, #1 by 13-5 and pinned #2; Larkin beat 2,5 by 10-8 and 5-3; Larkin scored more bonus pts
22025Wyatt Hendrickson3Carter Starocci-PSU1Wyatt beat the guy that everyone thought was unbeatable, scored more bonus points against higher seeds (1,3,7 vs 2,4,8)
32005Chris Pendleton1Greg Jones-W.Vir1Chris scored more bonus pts against higher seeds (2,4,9 vs 5,7); 1 Fall, 2 TF, 1 MD vs 1 TF, 2 MD
41998Eric Guerrero3Joe Williams-Iowa1Eric scored more bonus pts against higher seeds (1,2,6 vs 3,5,8); 2 TF, 1 MD vs 3 MD
51999Jax Forrest1Mitchell Mesenbrink-PSU1Jax scored more bonus pts against higher seeds (2,4,8 vs 3,9,12); Mes teched the #3 seed in the finals
61977Jimmy Jackson2Nick Gallo-Hofsta1Jackson Dec 1&2 and pinned 8; Gallo Dec 2&4; Jackson had a Fall and Gallo had 3 MD
71981Ricky Stewart2Gene Mills-Syracuse1Mills had 4 Falls against lesser seeds (5,8,10); Ricky beat higher seeds (1,3,7), 3 MD (2 would be techs) and pinned the guy widely believed to be the best wrestler in the US if not the world
81976Jimmy Jackson5Chuck Yagla-Iowa1Jackson Dec 1,2&4; Yagla Dec 2 and pinned 8; Jackson had 2 Falls; Yagla had 3 Falls and a MD
 
chasepollard

chasepollard

Heisman
Nov 25, 2005
93,147
15,146
48
OW is such a joke. It should be very simple. Who scored the most points for their team...that is it. If it is a guy that got third, fine, he scored more points than anybody else in pursuit of the Trophy.
 
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Old Number Nine

Old Number Nine

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2005
1,742
1,712
113
To me "Outstanding" means, literally, whoever stands out the most from his peers, say #10 seed who defeats the #1, #2 and #7 seeds. It might even be an unseeded wrestler who defeated the 2, 6 & 7 seeds to make the finals against another unseeded wrestler only to lose the OW to the first 4x NC who didn't have that great of a tournament. IJS
 
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WiseFool

WiseFool

Sophomore
Dec 2, 2025
40
103
32
Yeah...I don't like it because there are several years, seemingly, where the decision as to who wins OW is somewhat pre-determined before the tournament is even played out. If, for instance, a guy is going for a third title (and no one else that makes the finals is going for a third title) and hasn't lost in his prior 60 matches, he'll win OW (assuming he gets #3) even if he has four close decisions. It's weird.

That said, I fully agree that Jake and Wyatt not winning OW are both travesties. An argument could certainly be made for #s 3-8 on this list, but I can't really make a viable argument against those who did win.
 
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lookleftgoright

Senior
Jan 21, 2012
1,147
907
113
You cannot just go by the scores. You have to factor in who the guy beat. Tom Brands beat Alan Fried in the finals one year and that alone makes him the OW in my mind. Fried was a beast!!
Dake beat Taylor in the finals and won most of his matches by a regular decision on the way to doing it. But beating Taylor makes you the OW in my mind. ( I am not sure he got the OW, but I am just using it as an example.)
 
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W

Wrestleknownothing

All-American
Oct 30, 2021
2,000
5,229
113
I have to take exception to your view that Forrest should have won over Mesenbrink.

Don't get me wrong - what Forrest did was mighty impressive, but a TF in the final is the rarest event - even after accounting for score inflation.

The way Mesenbrink dominated his final puts him as the unquestionable OW. That Forrest pinned the #33 while Mesenbrink "only" teched the #32 seed in the first round (the difference in their bonus points) is not very relevant in my opinion. It isn't just about how many bonus points, but also how and where you get them.
 
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M

Mr. Blonde

Junior
Jun 25, 2004
9,194
269
83
I think Outstanding Wrestler is way more judgement based than just bonus points. What I don't like is how many of these are career awards rather than having that much to do with that specific weekend in March.
 
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N

newguy123

All-Conference
Feb 5, 2020
1,488
2,587
113
Mr. Blonde said:
I think Outstanding Wrestler is way more judgement based than just bonus points. What I don't like is how many of these are career awards rather than having that much to do with that specific weekend in March.
Click to expand...
Kinda like the Heisman
 
Old Number Nine

Old Number Nine

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2005
1,742
1,712
113
It looks like to me that the elephant in the room here is, what does the name "Outstanding Wrestler" (or whatever it is called at the time) mean, particularly to the people who vote?

Was Pat Smith voted OW because he kept it together in '94 an was the first 4xer or was it for the accomplishment (which it shouldn't be IMO).

I believe it should be the wrestler who wrestled the best (10th seed/US champion) not a guy who's had a great career (3xer/4xer/5xer)
 
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chasepollard

chasepollard

Heisman
Nov 25, 2005
93,147
15,146
48
Old Number Nine said:
It looks like to me that the elephant in the room here is, what does the name "Outstanding Wrestler" (or whatever it is called at the time) mean, particularly to the people who vote?

Was Pat Smith voted OW because he kept it together in '94 an was the first 4xer or was it for the accomplishment (which it shouldn't be IMO).

I believe it should be the wrestler who wrestled the best (10th seed/US champion) not a guy who's had a great career (3xer/4xer/5xer)
Click to expand...
Yeah, Starocci's was a lifetime achievement award, not the OW. It happens often.

It should be most points scored with tiebreakers. It shouldn't be a season of evidence either, that is what the Hodge is for.
 
B

Btbw1968

Junior
Jul 1, 2025
106
268
63
I was in North Carolina when Pat won his 4th title. The team was great and I am not even sure he had the best tourney of the team as Mark Branch and Alan Fried won titles as well. Pat wrestled a little tighter than usual as he had more to lose, but he won anyway to become the first 4 time champ.
 
O

OAMC99

All-Conference
Mar 25, 2002
4,780
1,627
113
Old Number Nine said:
I've had this info in a SS for a while and just addrd Wyatt and Jax. Just food for of-season thought.

These are my picks for the worst OW screw jobs of OSU wrestlers since I've been a fan although I started in 1978, I did see Jackson wrestle his last year:

RankYearNameSeedOWSeedNotes
12003Jake Rosholt10Eric Larkin-ASU1This ones not even close; Jake beat 1,2,7, #1 by 13-5 and pinned #2; Larkin beat 2,5 by 10-8 and 5-3; Larkin scored more bonus pts
22025Wyatt Hendrickson3Carter Starocci-PSU1Wyatt beat the guy that everyone thought was unbeatable, scored more bonus points against higher seeds (1,3,7 vs 2,4,8)
32005Chris Pendleton1Greg Jones-W.Vir1Chris scored more bonus pts against higher seeds (2,4,9 vs 5,7); 1 Fall, 2 TF, 1 MD vs 1 TF, 2 MD
41998Eric Guerrero3Joe Williams-Iowa1Eric scored more bonus pts against higher seeds (1,2,6 vs 3,5,8); 2 TF, 1 MD vs 3 MD
51999Jax Forrest1Mitchell Mesenbrink-PSU1Jax scored more bonus pts against higher seeds (2,4,8 vs 3,9,12); Mes teched the #3 seed in the finals
61977Jimmy Jackson2Nick Gallo-Hofsta1Jackson Dec 1&2 and pinned 8; Gallo Dec 2&4; Jackson had a Fall and Gallo had 3 MD
71981Ricky Stewart2Gene Mills-Syracuse1Mills had 4 Falls against lesser seeds (5,8,10); Ricky beat higher seeds (1,3,7), 3 MD (2 would be techs) and pinned the guy widely believed to be the best wrestler in the US if not the world
81976Jimmy Jackson5Chuck Yagla-Iowa1Jackson Dec 1,2&4; Yagla Dec 2 and pinned 8; Jackson had 2 Falls; Yagla had 3 Falls and a MD
Click to expand...
Couple of questions, please? The seed numbers are for the OSU wrestlers? In 2025, Wyatt Hendrickson was the #2 seed. Also in 1977, you have Jimmy Jackson as the #2 seed but also beating the #2 seed?
 
Old Number Nine

Old Number Nine

All-Conference
Jan 20, 2005
1,742
1,712
113
OAMC99 said:
Couple of questions, please? The seed numbers are for the OSU wrestlers? In 2025, Wyatt Hendrickson was the #2 seed. Also in 1977, you have Jimmy Jackson as the #2 seed but also beating the #2 seed?
Click to expand...
Sorry, I'm old and although I'm a controls engineer and have "written" tons of code, I never really could type:

Jackson was the #3 seed in '77 and yes, Wyatt was #2. I guess a superimposed them.
 
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