Oklahoma State started the season with five dominant dual wins and a blitzing of the field at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. 

The degree of difficulty is about to get turned up for David Taylor and the Cowboys. 

Sixth-ranked Virginia Tech is headed to Stillwater to take on third-ranked Oklahoma State in the first top-10 dual matchup of the Taylor era. The showdown between ACC and Big 12 heavyweights is one of the season’s top non-conference duals and features a slew of ranked matchups, headlined by the 149-pound rematch between #1 Caleb Henson and #15 Carter Young and #2 Troy Spratley and #4 Eddie Ventresca facing off at 125 pounds. 

Henson, the reigning national champ at 149 pounds, beat Young 6-3 at CKLV. 

Oklahoma State may be favored on paper, but there are plenty of toss-up matches that can swing the #6 Virginia Tech’s way. Taylor said every match will be tough.

“It’s a good, tough non-conference match,” Taylor said. “It’ll be good for both programs. You want to be a part of duals that mean something, that matter and move the needle. Virginia Tech has a good program and we’re excited for this match.”

The Cowboys have another potential rematch at 197 pounds between #10 Andy Smith and #12 Luke Surber. Smith prevailed 4-3 in Vegas. 

Taylor said the approach in the rematches is no different than any other match.

“It’s another opportunity to go out and wrestle good opponents — that’s why we’re training,” Taylor said. “You train, you show up here to wrestle good teams and good opponents. You don’t want to wrestle guys you can beat all the time, you want to wrestle guys that are going to challenge you. With that being said, we have an expectation to go out and kick some butt. It’s going to be tough, but it’ll be good for our team.”

Fish Talks Quick Turnaround 

Caleb Fish doesn’t like the spectator role. 

But he won’t have to watch from the stands this season. 

The Cowboys originally planned to redshirt the Michigan State transfer. But then 157-pounder Teague Travis went down with an injury and the plans for Fish changed. 

Fish found himself in the Cliff Keen Invitational. It couldn’t have been on shorter notice, especially given that he was sick heading into the tournament.

“I was kinda high up in weight — about 169,” he said. “I had to cut down in about two days… So, that was fun. Short turnaround, but I made it. Easy.”

Judging from Fish’s brief chuckle and grin after saying how much weight he had to cut, compounded on the “two or three” day notice he received, there was likely nothing fun about that cut.

But after finishing third at CKLV and earning his first dual victory as a Cowboy — in the Bedlam dual, no less — the #14-ranked Fish said he’s having a blast in Stillwater.

While the plan may have been for him to sit until next year, he said it was hard to watch from the side. This meant when he came out of redshirt, he had to change his path to graduation and reschedule his entire next two years. Still, all considered, it was an easy choice to wrestle. 

“Yeah, but, I don’t like sitting and watching very much, so it wasn’t hard to pull (the redshirt),” he said. 

Amine Rediscovering Love For Wrestling  

Sixth-ranked Cameron Amine was not the same wrestler last year at Michigan. There was something internally wrong with the three-time All-American. Why did he miss the podium for the first time? Why did he tally a career-high loss total? The love wasn’t there. 

“This time last year, my love for the sport fell away,” he said. “Coming in here, I just regained it. I have a whole new vision of the sport and it’s been fun, it really has been.”

Amine has been his newfound love for the sport has been fueled by the positivity of those around him. But it took time to rid himself of the negative mindset he found himself in at the end of the season last year.

“It was holding me back — last year didn’t end the way I wanted,” Amine said. “This year, mindset’s totally changed. Every day, (they’re) telling you ‘You’re the best, you can win it. Once you’re on your offense, you’re hard to beat.’ Stuff like that, and you just have fun.”