OSU Wrestling: Cowboys Preview No. 2 Penn State

Head coach John Smith and members of the top-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team met with the media Tuesday to preview this weekend's NWCA Dual Championship against No. 2 Penn State.

Head Coach John Smith

On if the team will be more on a solid footing than last year when they went to Penn State:
"Last year was a struggle for everyone, but we ended up competing well up there, even though it definitely wasn't enough. I think we have similar teams right now. If you look on paper, they're favored to win, even though we're ranked No. 1 in some polls. They're No. 1 in other polls, and they're favored. I feel better from the standpoint that our last couple of matches have been good. We've seemed to wrestle better than we have all season long, and for that reason, maybe that gap has closed over the last couple of weeks."

On these being the two best teams in the nation right now:
"Well in dual meet competition, there's no question. Both teams have balance from 125 to heavyweight, we're putting someone out that's pretty competitive at every weight, and that gives you the strength to go 14-0 in dual meets. If you have an upset, to beat a team like Penn State or us this year, it seemed like you had to have a couple of upsets, maybe three. A lot of balance in dual meets is different than a tournament. A tournament is about putting people in the top four. That's where your points come from. If you're not getting in the top four, you're not winning championships. The dual meet concept at the end of the year has been good. There are dual meets all across the country this week. They're highly competitive, and of course, this one is for the title."

On the nature of this kind of match for the program:
"The program is used to it. It's just a matter of remaining there and being stubborn and never giving that up. We sometimes take it for granted and assume that we are going to be in the middle of it, and that's not the case anymore. The case is you earn it each and every year. If your student-athletes don't buy into the high standards that are set, it's going to be a struggle getting there. This team has done a good job all year. We've had several guys step in as backups and perform at a high-level for us for a lot of the season at a lot of the weights. When you have those blessings like that, it gives you the opportunity to really appreciate your teammates."
 
On what this means for the fans of the sport:
"We have dual meets all year long, and we've faced great teams, not only at home but away as well. It's a big dual meet, and it's one of those meets that does and can make a difference at the end of the year. How you perform here and what you feel like after the dual meet, all that is left is conference and the NCAA championship, so competing well is going to be important on Sunday."

On if weeks like this bring out a competitive fire in him:
"I'm still in the mold that we have to get better, so I control myself from the standpoint of knowing that I have four or five guys that are not where I want them to be. Focusing on that, for me, is a good thing. I'll start thinking about that dual meet around Thursday and really focus on what we're going to need to do against each individual to be successful."

On how they weigh the significance of this dual:
"I think we're laying some ground work with these types of meets. Maybe we turn the NCAA Championship into a dual meet championship. People like duals meets, not that they don't like tournaments, but dual meets are exciting. I think we continue to focus and make them important because in the future it might be the NCAA Championship." 

Kyle Crutchmer – Senior, 174 pounds

On what it's like to have two storied programs go at it:
"It's the best thing that could happen for our sport. There will be a lot of viewers, even people who don't watch wrestling or might not know much about it. This will be a good one to watch. There's a lot of good guys on each team and a lot of really good matchups. Two of the best coaches, if not the best coaches in the country will be coaching, so it's just going to be a good time. It's going to be fun. It's good for the state of Oklahoma to see this, and I think we're ready to go."

On how much this means to the team:

"It means a lot. Anytime you compete for anything that has the word "national" in front of it is nice. We're trying to win everything we can win. We've had an undefeated season so far, and we're not looking to let that slip this weekend."

On how he sees his matchup:
"I see it how I see any other matchup. I'm a senior, so I've wrestled bigger matches and the same amount of matches. This kid is good, and he's done a lot of things for the sport of wrestling, so I'm just excited to go out and compete against him."

On what kind of stuff the team is hearing from Coach Smith this week:
"Same stuff we hear every week. There's a little bit more of a sense of urgency I guess you could say. We're just blessed to have this opportunity. This is something you dream about when you're a kid, especially being able to wrestle for the Cowboys and wear that orange singlet. It's just a humbling experience. To go out there and represent our university like this will be a great opportunity."