Oklahoma State, currently ranked #3, has had a brilliant season with an undefeated record! However, it seems like their head coach, David Taylor, disagrees. And Taylor’s point of contention? The showdown against NC State. So what exactly happened? Here’s what the world saw: The Cowboys went on to take down No. 5 NC State at the Gallagher-Iba Arena with a comfortable 34-3 win.

To make it a lot more interesting, this was the largest win margin over a top-five opponent since 1996 for Oklahoma State. And of course, OSU continued their 8-0 winning streak! Despite the greatness that the world witnessed on the mats, Coach Taylor says, “There are things we could do better.” So what exactly did the Magic Man see that the world might have missed?

David Taylor does not see enough magic on the mats!

On January 13th, 8,212 fans gathered to watch the Cowboys put on their singlets and take down NC State. And take down they did! However, David Taylor’s post-duel has gone on to say, “I think we can finish more periods a little stronger. I think those are some things that we can continue to improve on.” Oops! Guessing just winning is not enough, so what happened during the duels?

It all began with Oklahoma State’s Troy Spratley, who had a tough match against #12-ranked Vince Robinson. While the match started on rock grounds, Spratley came back and won 7-3. Then came Cael Hughes at 133, bringing back the momentum. The match was scoreless for a long time. But then Cael went on to pin #7 Kai Orine and gave OSU’s rising star his biggest win. All seems good, right? So what is Taylor looking for?

As David Taylor sees it, “I want our guys to have the reputation that we’re gonna wrestle hard for 7 minutes. Whatever that looks like.” No, the Magic Man is not talking about points and pins, but about putting on a great fight. “You can wrestle hard and win 5-0. You can wrestle hard and win 21-5,” added Taylor. Those are numbers from the showdown itself! At 184 pounds, #3 ranked Dustin Plott took down #11 Dylan Fishback. Any guesses on the scores?

Well, Plott won 5-0. Meanwhile, #4 Tagen Jamison went on to “wrestle hard” and win over Tyler Tracy with a 21-5 score. However, Taylor did not stop there. He went on to add, “You can also not wrestle so hard and win 14-4.” Of course, none of the Taylor prodigies had that score. However, #3 Wyatt Hendrickson did win 10-4 against #4 Isaac Trumble. At the end of the day, for David Taylor, it’s about “not hanging out hats on the wins and losses. It’s the way that we’re wrestling.” Interestingly, Taylor’s words come at a time when his alma mater is reaching for records!

Taylor’s statement comes amidst Cael Sanderson’s national record aim!

A few days before OSU went up against NC State, David Taylor’s alma mater Penn State had a showdown. The PSU Nittany Lions went up against Michigan State. The results? The Nittany Lions took their opponents down with six pins and three technical falls, which brought their scores to 55-0. Soon after, Cael Sanderson, aka Taylor’s ex-coach, had something very similar to say!

Sanderson post-match said, “Obviously, number one is just competing with gratitude and enthusiasm. But… you have the ability to continue to get better, and that’s the plan.” Taylor might have left the PSU mats behind, but he hasn’t left the Sanderson mentality. Additionally, from the Michigan State duel, it is rather clear that PSU is aiming to create national history. To add another layer of intrigue, the OSU Cowboys have a tough duel ahead!

The Cowboys will face West Virginia next. While OSU has an 11-0 history, this season West Virginia is coming in with a 7-3 record. And to make it better, they have five ranked wrestlers on the roster! #13-ranked Jett Strickenberger will be seen on the mats at 125 pounds. There will also be #32 Jordan Titus, who will be stepping on the mats in the 141-pound weight class. But that’s not all!

There is also #3 ranked Peyton Hall, who has had a great season coming in at 165 pounds. And Hall is most likely to go up against OSU’s #6-ranked Cameron Amine. At 174 pounds is #28 ranked Brody Conley, who will probably go up against #3 ranked Cowboy, Dean Hamiti Jr. Last but not least, at 184 pounds, #23 Dennis Robin will probably come in for West Virginia.

And from David Taylor’s squad? #3 Dustin Plott will probably step in. As Taylor says, if it’s all about “the way that we’re wrestling,” this just might be the prime opportunity to leave it all on the mat.