No. 1 Penn State Dominates No. 2 Ohio State 36-5

Buckeyes Shorthanded in Lopsided Loss to Nittany Lions

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions proved their dominance in college wrestling, handing the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes a decisive 36-5 defeat on Friday night. Ohio State was missing three key starters due to injuries, putting them at an early disadvantage against the powerhouse Penn State squad.

Why it matters

This matchup between the nation's top two wrestling programs was highly anticipated, but the Buckeyes' inability to overcome their injury issues allowed Penn State to cruise to a lopsided victory. The loss drops Ohio State to 1-1 on the season, while Penn State remains undefeated and solidifies its status as the team to beat in college wrestling.

The details

Despite the Buckeyes coming in ranked No. 2, the Nittany Lions proved too much to handle. Ohio State lost the first three bouts, falling behind 6-0 before Jesse Mendez earned a technical fall at 141 pounds to make it 6-5. But that would be the Buckeyes' only win of the night, as Penn State rolled off 30 unanswered points to seal the dominant victory.

  • The dual meet took place on Friday, February 14, 2026.

The players

Tom Ryan

The head coach of the Ohio State wrestling team.

Cael Sanderson

The head coach of the Penn State wrestling team.

Nic Bouzakis

The No. 2-ranked wrestler for Ohio State at 125 pounds.

Ben Davino

The No. 2-ranked wrestler for Ohio State at 133 pounds.

Jesse Mendez

The No. 1-ranked wrestler for Ohio State at 141 pounds, who earned the Buckeyes' lone win of the night.

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What they’re saying

“We knew coming in that, with three starters out, it's going to be a tough task, but there were a lot of matches that we were positioned to win and didn't win. You got to win the war. When you have more opportunities than your opponent, you got to win them. We had a couple, and we got beat later (in) a couple. A tough environment. Just got to get better.”

— Tom Ryan, Ohio State Head Coach (on3.com)

“Tom Ryan is an incredible coach. Always has a great team. They always come to compete. They just do everything, right? I mean, they recruit well. They train their guys well. Wrestle well in the big matches. They wrestle well in postseason. We have ton of respect for them as a program and what they do. And even coming in this match, you're thinking, 'Alright, hey, this is just round one.'”

— Cael Sanderson, Penn State Head Coach (on3.com)

What’s next

The two teams are scheduled to meet again in a couple of weeks, setting up another highly anticipated showdown between the nation's top two wrestling programs.

The takeaway

This lopsided defeat highlights the importance of health and depth for elite college wrestling programs. While Ohio State is among the best in the sport, their inability to overcome key injuries allowed Penn State to assert its dominance and deliver a statement win.