Coming off a strong showing at their last home dual of the season, pinning another loss on Ohio State 38-12, the 23rd-ranked Wisconsin Badgers will grapple with success this weekend against No. 18 Michigan State Friday and No. 6 Illinois Sunday.
Wisconsin, 8-5 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, hopes to finish on a high note after a bit of a disappointing regular season in which they lost two duals by one point and many individual matches by a single point, also.
"You lose two one-point matches, that makes a big difference in the dual meet there alone. Up to that time, we've lost a lot of matches, probably 12 one-point matches at the end where we just didn't score," coach Barry Davis said. "You look back at those matches we lost by a point, we took top. Right now, that's our best position, and by doing that, we've given up an escape point. We have to get a point back because we take on top most times in all those matches."
Freshman Dallas Herbst (197 pounds) and junior Collin Cudd (125 pounds) have combined to lose six of those one-point matches alone in six Big Ten duals. Ohio State's dual marked the first time Dallas (now 1-5) won in conference play this year and the first time everything came together for Wisconsin, something Davis hopes can continue since the Big Ten Championships are looming.
"The last couple weeks, we've been working on putting a lot of guys on the clock under pressure with a minute to go, 30 seconds to go, [because] you got to score to win. It's about the intensity, the mindset of that kind of match," Davis said. "We have to be the ones that score to win the match, so hopefully going into this weekend against Michigan State and Illinois, we can make that change. So we'll find out Friday and Sunday if that is going to hold true or not."
Michigan State seems to be heading in the opposite direction of the Badgers, having lost two straight and five of seven, pushing their season record to 4-7-0 overall and 2-4-0 in the Big Ten. While the team as a whole has struggled, three wrestlers have been lights-out for their competition. Big Ten Wrestler of the Week R.J. Boudro is the fifth-ranked wrestler at 174 pounds and is 22-4 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Also fifth ranked in the nation, wrestling at 141, is junior Andy Simmons, who takes a 27-3 overall record into Friday's dual. While these two grapplers' numbers may be good, teammate Nick Simmons' are that much better. The 125-pound junior has recorded nine shutouts this year and boasts a perfect 26-0 record.
While these three match-ups are going to be tough for the Badgers to contend with, Wisconsin has some outstanding wrestlers as well. Sixth-ranked senior Tom Clum (133 pounds) is 8-2 on the season since coming back from an injury, while fifth-ranked sophomore Craig Henning (157 pounds) has won his ninth consecutive dual against Ohio State to improve to 22-4 overall and 6-0 in the Big Ten. Also, 149-pound Tyler Turner is 15-5.
"In some of these dual meets, it matters how you match up with them," Davis said. "Right now, I think we match up with Michigan State and Illinois both and, you know, we're going to have four matches in there where they're going to be toss-up matches.
With six of the 10 matches seemingly split down the middle, the dual will come down to the remaining four match-ups.
"So it comes down to who's going to win the matches, that one you're not expected to win and the toss-up matches," Davis said. "You know, where do you come out there, and in those toss-up matches, we've got to come through. That's what it's going to amount to this weekend."
The Illinois team Wisconsin plays Sunday looks tough to beat heading into its last weekend of Big Ten play. Standing at 10-2-0 overall and 5-2-0 in the Big Ten, the Illini will prove a challenge for the Badgers.
Some of their key wrestlers are top-ranked senior All-American Alex Tirapelle (157) and eighth-ranked Tyrone Byrd. Each is undefeated in duals this season, combining to post a 22-0 mark.
With Henning of the Badgers and Tirapelle, both undefeated in their Big Ten duals this season, Sunday's match-up will be highly anticipated and key in deciding the meet.
As for the weekend in general, Davis has high hopes, but emphasized that UW will need to believe it can compete and win if it is going to pull any upsets.
"You got to go into the matches not hoping to win, but thinking you're going to win," Davis said. "If you're looking to score points, you're thinking in the right frame of mind. If you're thinking offensively, if you're thinking you're going to react the right way — when you think that way and wrestle that way, good things happen."
