For the first time since the 2016-2017 season, Ohio State has fallen from the No. 2 spot in the NWCA Division I Coaches Poll. The Buckeyes dropped four spots in the Jan. 29 poll after losing to Michigan Friday night in Value City Arena.
The Wolverines improved two spots, to No. 4.
Undefeated Penn State remains atop the rankings, a position they've held since the final poll of the 2016-2017 dual meet season, when the 11-3 Buckeyes finished at No. 6.
Ohio State would vault to No. 2 in the very next poll, the initial ranking of the 2017-2018 season. The team went wire-to-wire that year at No. 2 behind the Nittany Lions, and stood runner-up at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland.
Voters recognized that Ohio State lost only one dual last season – to Penn State in Happy Valley – and ranked the Buckeyes behind the Lions in each of the first 11 polls of this season.
In total, Ohio State spent 454 days as the No. 2 team in the country.
Hosting then No. 6 Michigan in Value City Arena on Jan. 25, the Buckeyes faced their second Top-10 opponent of the year. Ohio State handled North Carolina State in a 26-10 romp Jan. 6, winning seven of 10 matches.
Against the Wolverines it was a different story as the home team only went four for 10.
The top end of the rankings is dominated by the Big Ten, with Penn State, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska all joining Ohio State and Michigan in the Top 10.
| Rank | Team (First) | Record | Points | Conference | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penn State (16) | 9-0 | 400 | Big Ten | 1 |
| 2 | Oklahoma State | 10-0 | 382 | Big 12 | 3 |
| 3 | Iowa | 10-0 | 357 | Big Ten | 4 |
| 4 | Michigan | 9-0 | 354 | Big Ten | 6 |
| 5 | Missouri | 14-0 | 332 | MAC | 5 |
| 6 | Ohio State | 7-1 | 331 | Big Ten | 2 |
| 7 | Minnesota | 11-2 | 303 | Big Ten | 7 |
| 8 | NC State | 13-2 | 284 | ACC | 8 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 9-3 | 272 | Big Ten | 9 |
| 10 | Cornell | 8-2 | 254 | EIWA | 10 |
| 11 | Wyoming | 12-3 | 241 | Big 12 | 11 |
| 12 | Virginia Tech | 7-2 | 227 | ACC | 12 |
| 13 | Pittsburgh | 8-2 | 194 | ACC | 13 |
| 14 | Iowa State | 7-2 | 193 | Big 12 | 15 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 6-5 | 185 | Big Ten | 14 |
| 16 | Northern Iowa | 5-4 | 161 | Big 12 | 16 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 8-5 | 143 | ACC | 17 |
| 18 | Rutgers | 8-4 | 132 | Big Ten | 18 |
| 19 | Purdue | 5-6 | 92 | Big Ten | 19 |
| 20 | Princeton | 4-4 | 88 | EIWA | 21 |
| 21 | Illinois | 2-5 | 71 | Big Ten | 20 |
| 22 | Lehigh | 6-8 | 64 | EIWA | 24 |
| 23 | Virginia | 11-7 | 49 | ACC | 25 |
| 24 | Lock Haven | 5-2 | 34 | EWL | NR |
| 25 | Stanford | 6-1 | 31 | Pac-12 | 22 |
The Buckeyes return to action with a pair of road meets this weekend, wrestling at Illinois Friday at 9 p.m. in Champaign, and at Northwestern in Evanston Sunday at 1 p.m. The Illinois dual will air live on the Big Ten Network, while Northwestern will stream via BTN Plus.
