Penn State wrestling dominates Ohio State 36-5

Nittany Lions win nine of 10 matches, including several close victories, to claim sixth straight Big Ten dual meet title

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The top-ranked Penn State wrestling team defeated No. 2 Ohio State 36-5 on Friday night, winning nine of 10 matches in a dominant performance. The Nittany Lions found ways to score late in close matches, including sudden victory wins from Luke Lilledahl, Marcus Blaze, Rocco Welsh, and Cole Mirasola, who upset the third-ranked Buckeye heavyweight.

Why it matters

Penn State's continued dominance in the Big Ten underscores the program's status as one of the premier wrestling powerhouses in the country. The Nittany Lions' ability to win close matches shows their mental toughness and resilience, which will serve them well as they prepare for the postseason.

The details

Penn State won nine of 10 matches, including several close victories. No. 1 Luke Lilledahl scored a takedown 1:21 into sudden victory to beat No. 4 Nic Bouzakis 4-1 at 125 pounds. No. 4 Marcus Blaze scored a reversal 15 seconds into the second tiebreaker period to win 3-2 over No. 2 Ben Davino at 133 pounds. Trailing 5-4 with less than 30 seconds left, No. 1 Rocco Welsh shot and scored on No. 8 Dylan Fishback to win 7-6 at 184 pounds. At heavyweight, No. 12 Cole Mirasola broke a 1-1 tie 14 seconds into sudden victory to beat No. 3 Nick Feldman 4-1.

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

The players

Cael Sanderson

Head coach of the Penn State wrestling team.

Cole Mirasola

No. 12 ranked heavyweight wrestler for Penn State who upset No. 3 Nick Feldman of Ohio State.

Tom Ryan

Head coach of the Ohio State wrestling team.

Brandon Cannon

Top-ranked 157-pound wrestler for Ohio State who was out due to injury.

Ethan Stiles

No. 6 ranked 149-pound wrestler for Ohio State who was out of the lineup.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“They get stronger as the match goes on, and so if we find ourselves in a close match late, we've got a lot of confidence in our guys. That's just what they do, right?”

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

“I was just wearing on him the whole time, like I knew when we got to overtime, I had him. The look on his on his face; I knew it. So when he shot it just was easy to attack.”

— Cole Mirasola (on3.com)

“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 we were positioned to win and didn't win. You got to win the war. When you have more more opportunities than your opponent, you got to win them. We had a couple, and we got beat later a couple. A tough environment. Just got to get better.”

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

What’s next

Ohio State will look to bounce back on Sunday when they take on Maryland, though the status of injured starters Ethan Stiles and Carson Kharchla remains uncertain.

The takeaway

Penn State's ability to win close matches and dominate their top-ranked Big Ten rival underscores their status as one of the premier wrestling programs in the country. The Nittany Lions' mental toughness and resilience will serve them well as they prepare for the postseason.