Cowboys Back on the Road for Pair of Ranked Matchups

The Basics
The Oklahoma State wrestling team (5-0 overall; 2-0 Big 12) is set to conclude its tough stretch of road duals with matchups against No. 15 Pittsburgh on Friday, January 12, and No. 20 West Virginia two days later. OSU is coming off its biggest win of the season, defeating fourth-ranked NC State, 22-12, last Friday in Raleigh. Three Cowboys picked up wins against foes ranked in the top-five that night as OSU reeled in its first victory over a top-five team since February of 2019. Now sitting at No. 5 in the country, this weekend marks the Cowboys' fourth and fifth straight duals on the road dating back to December 10, including four matchups against ranked opponents.

On the Air
Oklahoma State's dual against Pittsburgh on Friday will be available for streaming on ACC Network Extra, which can be found on WatchESPN and the ESPN app, while Sunday's meeting with West Virginia will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Zack Gibney and Greg Warnock will have the call on Friday, followed by Eric Little and Tony Onorato on Sunday. The duals can also be heard on the radio as Rex Holt provides coverage on Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM. Live results from both duals this weekend will be provided on TrackWrestling.com.

The Series: Pittsburgh
The series between Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh is relatively new with only seven total meetings, all coming since 2013. The two programs have not met since January of 2020, but OSU holds a 6-1 lead in the series and have won five straight. In the most recent matchup on January 18, 2020, Oklahoma State picked up a top-10 win over No. 10 Pittsburgh with a commanding 30-10 victory. The Cowboys recorded three bonus point victories, while Cowboy standout Nick Piccininni's win that day was the 100th of his successful career. The Panthers' lone win in the series came in 2014, as Pittsburgh defended its home turf with a tight 19-18 win. OSU looks to continue its recent domination in the series, having outscored Pittsburgh 138-19 in the past four matchups.

The Series: West Virginia
Sunday's meeting between Oklahoma State and West Virginia will be the 17th dual matchup in the all-time series, with OSU winning each of the 16 previous matchups. The Cowboys and Mountaineers have battled in Morgantown just four times, the most recent coming on January 18, 2019. Oklahoma State controlled that dual and left town with a decisive 40-3 victory. In 2013, OSU defeated West Virginia, 57-0, in Stillwater for the largest dual win in program history. John Smith is 12-0 as head coach against the Mountaineers, while Tim Flynn is winless in six tries against Oklahoma State in his time between West Virginia and Edinboro.

About the Cowboys
Oklahoma State jumped into the top-five of the NWCA Coaches Poll for the first time this season after defeating No. 4 NC State last Friday in Raleigh. The Cowboys are now 5-0 on the season, own three wins over ranked opponents and will be looking for their fourth and fifth straight wins on the road this weekend. OSU has won six of its past seven duals against opponents ranked in the top-25 and are 10-1 in its past 11 duals overall.

Returning All-Americans and Big 12 champions Daton Fix and Dustin Plott lead the Cowboy lineup alongside Izzak Olejnik, who finished eighth at 165 pounds last season at Northern Illinois. The trio has impressed throughout Oklahoma State's 5-0 start to the season, each rising into the top-three of their respective weight classes and combining for a record of 33-1. The Cowboys are one of just three teams in the nation with three wrestlers ranked in the top-three at their weight, according to Intermat. Olejnik is undefeated at 15-0 and won a loaded 165-pound bracket at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December, while Plott has posted 13 bonus point wins in 16 matches on the season.

Newcomers Troy Spratley and Tagen Jamison have provided a spark at the lower weights around Fix. Spratley is 11-3 at 125 pounds and just picked up his biggest win of the season against No. 17 Jakob Camacho last Friday. Meanwhile, Jamison is currently a consensus top-eight wrestler at 141 pounds. Teague Travis has burst onto the scene at 157 pounds after opening the year at 149, defeating fifth-ranked Ed Scott in the NC State dual for the highest-ranked win of his career. Plott's weight change to 184 pounds has allowed room for standout freshman Brayden Thompson to take on the 174-pound role, in which he has won four straight matches. At the backend of the lineup, 197-pounder Luke Surber and heavyweight Konner Doucet round out the lineup for the second consecutive season. Both wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2023 and are each hovering right around the top-10 mark in various polls.

A Pair of Oklahoma State Wins Would...
• Make OSU 7-0 overall; 3-0 in the Big 12; 5-0 on the road; 5-0 against ranked opponents
• Give John Smith 483 wins as head coach, nine shy of Harold Nichols for second-most all-time
• Improve OSU's record against Pittsburgh to 7-1 and 3-1 in Pittsburgh
• Improve OSU's record against West Virginia to 17-0 and 5-0 in Morgantown
• Make OSU 12-1 in its last 13 duals
• Make OSU 8-1 in its last nine duals against ranked opponents
• Make OSU 12-1 in its last 13 duals against Big 12 opponents
• Improve John Smith's record against Pittsburgh to 7-1 and West Virginia to 13-0

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Players Mentioned

Konner Doucet

Daton Fix

Tagen Jamison

Izzak Olejnik

Dustin Plott

Troy Spratley

Luke Surber

Brayden Thompson

Teague Travis

Oklahoma State University Athletics