For a second straight week, Rutgers wrestling lost to a top-10 opponent but in the process, they showed that they are closing the gap in the Big Ten.
On Sunday afternoon, Rutgers lost to No. 7 Ohio State 22-12. With the loss, the Scarlet Knights are now 10-4 and are 3-3 in the ultra-competitive Big Ten.
Rutgers took three of the 10 matches and will likely stay top 15 in this week’s coaches rankings.
For head coach Scott Goodale, good but not good enough isn’t the standard but he continues to see progress.
“I think it’s about getting our guys to believe. It’s one of those things where we need to get over the hump,” Goodale told reporters on Sunday.
“I think once we get over the hump once it opens the door. But we didn’t dwell on that. I know there’s a lot of ‘we can’t beat the best teams’ and I get it. I’m with you. I’m frustrated. Rutgers nation out there, I get it. Our wrestling fans are very loyal. It’s a hard thing to do. I think we need to do it once to get over the hump.”
Rutgers registered points in eight of their 10 matches against Ohio State, which kept them in striking range.
[lawrence-related id=34995,34993]
“Today was about our individual efforts, all ten of them. There’s got to be individual efforts. You need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and be pleased about it,” Goodale said.
“That’s the way we approached it. I like the way we competed today. We’re in every single match. We have to find a way – from a team standpoint, from an individual standpoint, to get over that hump.”
Rutgers has lost their last two matches. They face another Big Ten test at No. 1 Penn State on Feb. 12.