All good things come to an end, and David Taylor probably knew this day would come sooner or later. Under the guidance of the Olympic gold medalist, OSU has been on a triumphant run in NCAA wrestling. Until today.

The Iowa Hawkeyes hosted the Cowboys on February 23 at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and Tom Brands’ team trounced its no. 2 ranked OSU without much work. The official NCAA Wrestling account took to X on Sunday to share the Hawkeyes’ triumph, which broke the deadlock against David Taylor & Co. that others so far haven’t been successful in finding this season.

“HERE COME THE HAWKEYES,” reads the sonorous post caption, as it highlighted how AJ Ferrari’s sibling Angelo was one of the centerpieces for Iowa’s impressive 21-16 victory. The Iowa freshman pulled off an unprecedented win over All-American Dustin Plott in the 184lb bracket. With the loss, the OSU Cowboys now stand with a 13-1 overall record, while the Hawkeyes boast a slightly better 14-1 to their name.

Ferrari replaced the usual starter in the bracket, Gabe Arnold. When Angelo took to the mat, the Hawkeyes were already leading David Taylor’s side 14-11, thanks to impressive victories by Drake Ayala, Mikey Caliendo, Kyle Parco, and Jacori Teemer in their respective weight classes. But even the former Olympic champ probably didn’t imagine that the Iowa freshman would go on to make the night his own.

A takedown by the Hawkeye in the second period made the fans gasp, who couldn’t help but stand on their feet, while Taylor did his best to shout his words to Plott. While the All-American forced a sudden victory, Ferrari held his ground to register the biggest win of tonight’s dual (6-3). His incredible show of skill prompted even the official Big Ten Wrestling handle to hop on to X to exclaim, “A star is born! Ferrari in sudden victory!” taking a cue from the match commentators, as the post shared incredible scenes of Angelo’s win that made David’s night a heartbreaking one.

But while Iowa fans revel in their young Turk’s accomplishment, how does this dent Taylor’s hopes of a memorable first year with the Cowboys?

David Taylor’s year-long bumpy ride defined by high and lows

The 2020 Olympic gold medalist David Taylor has been one of the most prolific wrestlers to come out of the USA. A 2x NCAA D1 champion and 2-time Dan Hodge award winner, the former Penn State star has sealed himself as one of the greatest collegiate wrestlers of all time. After finishing college, Taylor went on to bag numerous national and international accolades, including golds at the US Open, Pan American Championships, and the World Wrestling Championships.

Naturally, when his hopes of defending the Olympic title came crashing in June last year at the Team Trials, he wasn’t going to sit idle for too long. Instead, David Taylor set up office in Stillwater for the role he was named just a few weeks before the Team USA Olympic Trials. As the new head coach of the Cowboys, the Magic Man started making the moves. Roping in massive investments to develop OSU’s wrestling infrastructure, Taylor made it clear: that he wanted to reinstate the program to its former glory days and end the NLWC’s dominance in the NCAA scene.

However, his move to Oklahoma State wasn’t taken happily by David’s alma mater. Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft also remarked that their former star would have to settle for second place, indicating that the Olympian wouldn’t be able to edge past his former mentor, the legendary Cael Sanderson.

However, before tonight, the Cowboys looked like they were determined to rally behind their new HC’s cause with all will. Even when Little Rock almost halted their undefeated streak earlier this month, Taylor’s boys came through with flying colors in the end. But it seems like Iowa just showed why the Big 10 is a tier above the Big 12, and why David Taylor still has a lot of ground to cover. But do you think the setback will also affect the squad’s mental state when they head to the Big 12 Championships? How will David Taylor be able to lead his team to the NCAA Championships next month? Share your thoughts with us below!