Don’t expect Minnesota wrestling coach J Robinson to get misty when he returns to his alma mater, Oklahoma State, on Sunday.
The Gophers coach, who graduated from Oklahoma State in 1969, has much more important things to focus on – such as the defending national champion Cowboys and getting all he can out of his team before actually giving them a few days off.
“In previous years, where the guys have been real dominant, (the coaches) have given them a day off here or there,” said 157-pounder Matt Nagel, who estimates the team’s last respite was around Christmas. “As young as we are, we really don’t have any room to take a day off.”
But before Minnesota’s wrestlers get a chance to kick back for a little while and then begin preparing for the postseason, they have a pair of dual meets to wrap up the regular season.
No. 11 Penn State comes to the Sports Pavilion tonight at 7 p.m. before the Gophers hit the road to take on Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. in Stillwater, Okla.
Minnesota, which rose to ninth in the rankings after defeating then-No. 8 Iowa last Sunday, is focusing on keeping things moving in the right direction with just two weeks until the Big Ten championships jumpstart the postseason.
As far as the conference and national tournaments go, the momentum the Gophers have accumulated has them feeling closer to the postseason form they’ve striven for from day one.
“We’re starting to get to that point where we’re damn near ready for the postseason,” 141-pounder Tommy Owen said. “We’ve hit some pretty low points where we’ve just gotten our asses kicked and looked terrible. Right now, everyone seems to be working on full cylinders.”
Minnesota will need to keep that momentum to take a winning streak into the postseason.
The Lions (14-4, 5-2 Big Ten) are also riding a six-dual winning streak, including a 21-19 upset of No. 3 Michigan on Feb. 8.
The Cowboys (17-1) have beaten four top-10 teams in recent weeks – including No. 2 Nebraska, No. 4 Iowa State, No. 7 Lehigh and No. 8 Oklahoma – scoring at least twice their opponent’s points in every dual.
The only blemish on their dual schedule this season came Nov. 21 against fifth-ranked Missouri. Since then, few have come close to knocking them down.
But the Gophers said they feel they have things going in the right direction, and Robinson gives much of the credit for that to the tough schedule they endure year after year.
After this weekend, Minnesota will have faced eight of the other top-11 teams. The Gophers are 4-2 in that area so far, with early-season losses to the Wolverines and Cyclones.
But most importantly, good things are happening in the present, and that makes the Gophers feel like they will be able to accomplish their postseason goals.
“Based upon how our season has progressed, with the ups and downs and our young team, we’re on the upswing,” Robinson said. “From where we were three weeks ago, we’re moving along where we want to be. That’s probably the only way you can judge it.”
