It's official

[wrestle87]

22 minutes ago, Mr. PeanutButter said:

Wow. I guess I'm an OkSt fan now

Same...I did not see that coming in a million years.

[OMW]

It would be funny if Cael brought in Coleman Scott for a year or two.

[BAC]

9 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

This is definitely not great news for PSU.  They have never been better in NCAA and Internationally.  Their biggest competition for the past four years is completely reliant on transfers, who usually get worse while coached there.  Taylor will actually be able to compete for recruits.

Iron sharpens iron.

I get your point, but when you win NCAAs by 100, you have to start getting worried about losing your edge.  This is a good insurance policy against PSU complacency.

That said, I admit I'll have to amend this if PSU starts losing its roster/recruits/staff to Taylor.  

Edited May 7 by BAC

[billyhoyle]

2 minutes ago, BAC said:

Iron sharpens iron.

I get your point, but when you win NCAAs by 100, you have to start getting worried about losing your edge.  This is a good insurance policy against PSU complacency.

Except they've been dominant for years and have only been getting better.  And not just in NCAA competition, but they've really started to do well internationally as well.  There was zero indication that they were getting complacent. 

[wrestle87]

Can we please take a moment to once again reflect on how marvelously wrong CP and the Flo clowns were once again.   

[VakAttack]

I hate everything.

 

Actually, I'm in a great mood, just got done watching the Knicks win in the Garden, absolutely incredible live experience.  But I hate this.

Yes this is a humblebrag to distract myself from this terrible news.

[Threadkilla]

31 minutes ago, pokemonster said:

Lol, was wondering the same. With talks of Levi redshirting this year for Facundo, is there any chance he leaves? I'm struggling to see any of the starters leaving. 

Its hard to imagine Kasak or Haines leaving.  but It may sway someone like Facundo or Claw.  

[Threadkilla]

3 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

I hate everything.

 

Actually, I'm in a great mood, just got done watching the Knicks win in the Garden, absolutely incredible live experience.  But I hate this.

Yes this is a humblebrag to distract myself from this terrible news.

 

I was waiting for the wailing and gnashing of teeth coming from Iowa. 

 

[wrestle87]

DT, Kennedy and either Askren as an Assistant would be an electric coaching staff.  That would give Cael major problems going forward.  

I'd also like to take a moment to acknowledge that DT has just spent his last day wrestling and training in the Penn State room.  That is truly the end of an incredible era.  I will enjoy what's to come, and I am happy for the health of the sport, but this is really going to be some anakin-->vader levels of transition for some of the biggest people in the sport.  

Also, lol...coleman scott has also just been informed that he was in fact the squirrel beneath the tire.  Sorry to say it but he's not going to have a place in that room besides scheduling buses.  I'd start shooting my resume around to those open positions in a serious hurry if I were him.  

[MPhillips]

I never considered that I was watching DT compete for the last time...

[RegularStalling]

This is going to be fun. Glad DT is taking the opportunity. I was beginning to believe nobody would ever be pried loose from the Death Star.

[BAC]

19 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

Except they've been dominant for years and have only been getting better.  And not just in NCAA competition, but they've really started to do well internationally as well.  There was zero indication that they were getting complacent. 

There's dominant, and there's win-by-100-points Dominant.

I agree there's no signs of complacency, but it was only 2021 that they lost to Iowa, and 2022 that they lost to Michigan at B1Gs.  Its only recently that they've become a foregone conclusion to win.  The wrestler motivation at PSU is purely individual now, since everyone knows the team win is all but certain.

I dunno, maybe I'm projecting.  I'm a PSU fan, and honestly this past year was less exciting than most. There's no chess moves in duals, no hand-wringing about whether to pull a kid out of redshirt for those few extra points, no fretting about whether an injury is going to cost the team a national title, no trying for a big throw at a dual since you need 6 for the team to win.  Its just a steamroller. Maybe DT can shake that up.

Edited May 7 by BAC

[ionel]

9 minutes ago, wrestle87 said:

Also, lol...coleman scott has also just been informed that he was in fact the squirrel beneath the tire.  Sorry to say it but he's not going to have a place in that room besides scheduling buses.  I'd start shooting my resume around to those open positions in a serious hurry if I were him.  

I think all true OSU fans appreciate what Coleman did this year.  This could not have happened without CS because John would not have stepped down this year if he thought the program would be in limbo.  We'd all also like to thank AB.  

[billyhoyle]

1 minute ago, BAC said:

There's dominant, and there's win-by-100-points Dominant.

I agree there's no signs of complacency, but it was only 2021 that they lost to Iowa, and 2022 that they lost to Michigan at B1Gs.  Its only recently that they've become a foregone conclusion to win.  The wrestler motivation at PSU is purely individual now, since everyone knows the team win is all but certain.

I dunno, maybe I'm projecting.  I'm a PSU fan, and honestly this past year was less exciting than most. There's no chess moves in duals, no hand-wringing about whether to pull a kid out of redshirt for those few extra points, no fretting about whether an injury is going to cost the team a national title, no trying for a big throw at a dual since you need 6 for the team to win.  Its just a steamroller. Maybe DT can shake that up.

I agree that the dominance has killed the sport-I don't think it's a coincidence that TV ratings are the lowest they've been years.  The sport needs a competitive team race and some guys with personalities. Not the "wrestling is fun" but watching it isn't steamroller. 

[pokemonster]

1 minute ago, BAC said:

There's dominant, and there's win-by-100-points Dominant.

I agree there's no signs of complacency, but it was only 2021 that they lost to Iowa, and 2022 that they lost to Michigan at B1Gs.  Its only recently that they've become a foregone conclusion to win.  Its just a steamroller.  The wrestler motivation at PSU is purely individual now, since everyone knows the team win is all but certain.

I dunno, maybe I'm projecting.  I'm a PSU fan, and honestly this past year was less exciting than most. There's no chess moves in duals, no hand-wringing about whether to pull a kid out of redshirt for those few extra points, no fretting about whether an injury is going to cost the team a national title, no trying for a big throw at a dual since you need 6 for the team to win. 

And the starters only wrestle 15 matches a year. We needed a changeup in the sport. 

[wrestle87]

1 minute ago, BAC said:

There's dominant, and there's win-by-100-points Dominant.

I agree there's no signs of complacency, but it was only 2021 that they lost to Iowa, and 2022 that they lost to Michigan at B1Gs.  Its only recently that they've become a foregone conclusion to win.  Its just a steamroller.  The wrestler motivation at PSU is purely individual now, since everyone knows the team win is all but certain.

I dunno, maybe I'm projecting.  I'm a PSU fan, and honestly this past year was less exciting than most. There's no chess moves in duals, no hand-wringing about whether to pull a kid out of redshirt for those few extra points, no fretting about whether an injury is going to cost the team a national title, no trying for a big throw at a dual since you need 6 for the team to win. 

This will 100% save the sport in the long term.  Taylor is bringing knowledge of the entire PSU playbook, and it is at least going to be available in two rooms now instead of just one.  This just saved the quality of NCAA wrestling 5 years from now, and US international competitiveness 8 years from now.  

[billyhoyle]

Just now, wrestle87 said:

This will 100% save the sport in the long term.  Taylor is bringing knowledge of the entire PSU playbook, and it is at least going to be available in two rooms now instead of just one.  This just saved the quality of NCAA wrestling 5 years from now, and US international competitiveness 8 years from now.  

You think he's going to bring the famous binder with him?

[pokemonster]

6 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

You think he's going to bring the famous binder with him?

Great question. It's obvious DT decided to turn the job down after consulting his inner circle (cael) before they sweetened the pot. I wonder if he got permission from the almighty Cael before accepting. 

The new persona non grata?

Edited May 7 by pokemonster

[BAC]

4 minutes ago, pokemonster said:

And the starters only wrestle 15 matches a year. We needed a changeup in the sport. 

That's a good point.  It was that reduced output this year that first made me think about PSU in antitrust terms, as reduction in output is classic monopolistic behavior.  They don't compete as much because they don't have to, as even if they're only 90% sharp that's still more than enough to win.

[BAC]

3 minutes ago, pokemonster said:

Great question. It's obvious DT decided to turn the job down after consulting his inner circle (cael) before they sweetened the pot. I wonder if he got permission from the almighty Cael before accepting. 

I'd be willing to bet (1) he talked to Cael, and (2) Cael encouraged him to take the job.

[wrestle87]

7 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

You think he's going to bring the famous binder with him?

Well, he's basically the guy who Cael built the binder around.  Even if he can't bring it with him, he lived most of it, and was part and parcel for a good part of the pioneering of a lot of what led to the 100 point spread this year.  

He just needs to bring himself, he is the binder.

[ionel]

4 minutes ago, pokemonster said:

 I wonder if he got permission from the almighty Cael before accepting. 

... or maybe it was more about

[billyhoyle]

2 minutes ago, BAC said:

That's a good point.  It was that reduced output this year that first made me think about PSU in antitrust terms, as reduction in output is classic monopolistic behavior.  They don't compete as much because they don't have to, as even if they're only 90% sharp that's still more than enough to win.

But even if there's more competition, is competing more better?  It's not as if the international athletes compete every week, and that is the highest level of the sport. 

[wrestle87]

1 minute ago, BAC said:

I'd be willing to bet (1) he talked to Cael, and (2) Cael encouraged him to take the job.

That would be so awesome and wholesome, and would be the official end of the angry head coach era in US wrestling.

[BAC]

20 minutes ago, MPhillips said:

I never considered that I was watching DT compete for the last time...

You never know.  Cael competed at Worlds one year while head coach at PSU.  It didn't exactly detract from his effectiveness as coach.  If OSU was smart, they probably told him they're fine with him competing again if he wants, so long as he can balance it with the job.