Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.LINCOLN — With the No. 7 Nebraska wrestling team set to face a pair of top five-ranked opponents this weekend, it would be easy for Husker fans to dial up the hype to unprecedented levels.
But NU's 184-pounder Josh Ihnen said while defending national champion Penn State and No. 4 Minnesota offer the Huskers a measuring stick for their ability, this weekend's outcomes won't be the full measure of Nebraska's season.
"We've been making progress throughout the year," No. 7-ranked Ihnen said. "Having these big duals is exciting for us and exciting for our fans, but regardless of the outcome, we're going to keep pushing forward. It's the end of March that we ultimately care about."
The end of March is the NCAA championships, a time when Big Ten schools traditionally dominate, winning the past five national team titles. It's the level Nebraska ultimately wants to reach. And facing the Nittany Lions and Golden Gophers, which have a combined 13 wrestlers in the top 10 in their respective weight class, will offer a chance for Nebraska coach Mark Manning to see how far his squad has to go to be considered one of the nation's best.
"You want your team to be tested to see where they're at," Manning said. "For us, I think there is a number of our guys that need to be tested. We want to see how good we are and where we're at."
The tests don't come much harder than Penn State, which Nebraska hosts at 7 p.m. Friday at the NU Coliseum in the final home dual of the year. The Nittany Lions are ranked No. 2 in the coaches' poll and are the top-ranked tournament team by wrestling website InterMat, making them a favorite to repeat as national champions.
Last year's title capped a steep ascent to the top of college wrestling for Penn State, which stunned observers three years ago when the Nittany Lions lured Iowa State coach Cael Sanderson, who had a legendary, undefeated career as a Cyclone wrestler, away to Happy Valley to resurrect the Penn State program. Sanderson had coached Iowa State since 2006, taking the head job at age 26 after compiling a 159-0 college mark that included four national titles and an Olympic gold medal in 2004.
Surrounded by the country's most fertile prep wrestling recruiting ground, Sanderson quickly has built Penn State into a monster with seven of Penn State's wrestlers ranked in the top 10 this year, including a pair of top-ranked competitors in Frank Molinaro (149) and David Taylor (165).
No. 4 Minnesota, which will host NU at noon Sunday in Minneapolis, features a different style than the technically proficient Nittany Lions, but one no less effective. The Golden Gophers, who won NCAA titles in 2001, 2002, and 2007, knocked off Penn State in November and have six top-10 wrestlers of their own this year.
"Minnesota is going to try to beat you up," Manning said. "They will try to brawl you and impose their will on you."
The weekend figures to give NU an early peek at the postseason atmosphere, with several Huskers facing a pair of highly ranked opponents. Husker senior heavyweight Tucker Lane, ranked No. 9, will face No. 6 Cameron Wade of Penn State in Lane's final home match Friday night before tussling with No. 4 Tony Nelson of Minnesota.
As for Ihnen, the Husker junior gets the Nittany Lions' defending national champion and No. 2-rated Quentin Wright and Minnesota's No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus.
A daunting challenge, but one that puts a smile on his face.
"Wrestling good guys is fun," Ihnen said. "I look forward to these two matches this weekend, and I know my teammates do as well. We thrive on competition, especially on this team. You have to wrestle the best guys at the end of the year anyway, so I think this is just a great way to see where you're at."
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