If you’re looking for a snapshot of dominance in college sports, look no further than what Cael Sanderson and the Penn State wrestling program are doing right now. The Nittany Lions are steamrolling through the 2025-26 season with a level of control that’s almost hard to wrap your head around - unless you’re used to seeing dynasties operate with this kind of precision.
Let’s start with the numbers. Penn State is unbeaten at 12-0 overall and 6-0 in the Big Ten, but it’s not just the wins - it’s how they’re winning.
Their average margin of victory across all duals sits at a staggering 39.6 points. In conference play?
Even higher, at 39.8. That’s not just winning - that’s dismantling some of the top programs in the country.
Take their recent matchups against Iowa and Nebraska - two perennial powers in their own right. Penn State outscored them by a combined 58-15. That’s not just a flex; that’s a message to the rest of the wrestling world: this team isn’t just good, it’s on another level.
And tonight, they’re looking to push their win streak to 84 straight when they take on No. 13 Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The Wolverines come in at 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, but they’re facing a juggernaut. The last time these two teams met?
Penn State pitched a 39-0 shutout in State College. That’s the kind of result that sticks in a program’s memory - and in Michigan’s case, it’s likely fueling their preparation.
Match details:
- When: 6 p.m.
EST tonight
- Where: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Watch: Big Ten Network / Fox Sports App
- Listen: Lionvision on GoPSUsports.com
Penn State is coming off a 26-12 win over Nebraska last Friday in front of a raucous home crowd. Michigan, meanwhile, dropped a 26-16 decision to Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday. So momentum, once again, is on the Lions’ side.
**The lineup is loaded. ** Six Penn State wrestlers are currently ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes, according to InterMat:
- Luke Lilledahl (125)
- Shayne Van Ness (149)
- Mitchell Mesenbrink (165)
- Levi Haines (174)
- Rocco Welsh (184)
- Josh Barr (197)
That’s half the lineup. All sitting at the top of their weight classes. That kind of depth - that kind of consistent excellence - is what separates great teams from legendary ones.
And while Michigan will be looking to make a statement, they’ll be leaning heavily on senior Taye Ghadiali, who’s ranked No. 5 at heavyweight (285). He’s a force, no doubt, but he’ll need to be at his absolute best to slow down the Lions’ freight train.
Here’s another stat that tells the story: In their six Big Ten duals this season, Penn State wrestlers have gone 56-4 in individual bouts. That’s not just depth - that’s domination from top to bottom.
They’ve also posted seven shutouts this season. Seven. In a sport where even the best teams usually give up a match or two, that’s unheard of.
Looking ahead, the Lions have a big one circled on the calendar: a home showdown with No. 2 Ohio State on Feb. 13 at the Bryce Jordan Center. That’s shaping up to be the dual meet of the year - but first, they’ve got business to handle in Ann Arbor.
And as for the pressure of wrestling in this powerhouse program? Sanderson put it into perspective when asked about transfers adjusting to the Penn State standard.
“Obviously, if you come to Penn State, there’s a high expectation here, and so when kids transfer in here, it’s a different kind of pressure. I mean, you’re in a lineup with a bunch of killers, and so you don’t give yourself a lot of room to breathe,” Sanderson said.
“I think that’s one of the issues maybe we have where they just feel more pressure to go out there and dominate when the goal is just be the best you can be and that stuff will happen. But I think that’s probably the issue we have more with transfers is, they think they’re at Penn State and people just expect them to crush everybody every time. It’s a lot of pressure.”
That’s the reality of competing in a program that doesn’t just expect to win - it expects to dominate. And right now, Penn State is doing just that.