Penn State Wrestling Is Putting on a Clinic - And the Big Ten Can’t Keep Up
There’s dominance, and then there’s what Penn State wrestling is doing this season. At 11-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions aren’t just winning - they’re steamrolling one of the toughest conferences in college wrestling like it’s a warm-up round.
Let’s start with the numbers, because they’re almost hard to believe. Over the weekend, Penn State notched back-to-back shutouts in Big Ten duals - and that’s not even the wildest part.
Across those two meets, they tallied 94 takedowns to just 5 by their opponents. That’s not just lopsided - that’s total control.
Big Ten Network’s Shane Sparks put it best on Big Ten Today:
“Wrap your head around this.
There are five Big Ten dual meets - that’s 50 individual matchups. They are 49-1.
This is the Big Ten. Forty-nine and one.
And four shutouts in five Big Ten dual meets.”
That stat deserves to be read twice. In a conference known for its depth and grit, Penn State has dropped just one match out of 50.
Four of those five duals ended in shutouts. This isn’t just dominance - it’s historic.
Cael Sanderson’s Machine Rolls On
Head coach Cael Sanderson has built a dynasty in Happy Valley, but this season might be his most overwhelming display of firepower yet. The Nittany Lions opened Big Ten play with a 46-0 shutout over Rutgers and haven’t looked back. The only blemish - if you can even call it that - was a single match loss in a 32-3 win over Iowa, a perennial powerhouse in its own right.
Since then? More of the same.
A 51-0 rout of Northwestern. A 48-0 blanking of Indiana.
And most recently, a 51-0 statement over Maryland - all shutouts, all in Big Ten play.
What’s even more impressive is how they handled the schedule crunch this past weekend. Weather forced Penn State to move up its dual with Maryland from Sunday to Saturday, just 24 hours after dismantling Indiana at home.
That meant travel, a quick turnaround, and an early start time on the road. None of it mattered.
The Nittany Lions looked just as fresh and ferocious on Saturday afternoon as they did Friday night.
This team doesn’t just win - it imposes its will.
What’s Next?
The Nittany Lions are back on the mat Friday night with a primetime showdown against Nebraska, airing at 8 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. If recent history is any indication, expect more fireworks - and maybe a few more shutouts.
At this point, the question isn’t whether Penn State is the best team in the country. It’s whether anyone can even slow them down. Because right now, they’re not just beating Big Ten opponents - they’re erasing them.