Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - January 30, 2014

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54 // VARSITY January 30, 2014 INSIDE WRESTLING Strength of schedule makes every bout matter All five home bouts feature ranked opponent BY ANNA POULTER-HENDRICKSON @BADGERWRESTLING T he Big Ten Conference is tough. It doesn't take much to come to that conclusion. With the top three teams in the nation all hailing from the league and 10 of 12 appearing in the Top 25, every league matchup is big. "When you look at the Big Ten Conference as a whole, it is by far the toughest conference in the country," said UW head coach Barry Davis. "You've got multiple ranked guys at each school you are wrestling. Like at heavyweight, you look at that, I think they have eight guys in the top 10. So, every weekend you are wrestling the best guys in the country. Week in and week out. "As a staff, you have to make sure your guys are ready for that," continued Davis. "There is no down time that way, you have to step on the mat and be ready each and every weekend. It prepares you for the national championship coming up in March." For the Badgers, the strength of the league has resulted in home bouts that feature marque opponents. UW hosted Illinois on Dec. 6 and handed the No. 6-ranked Illini a 19-18 loss. The Badgers' home dominance continued on Jan. 10 with a 22-15 win over No. 9 Ohio State. This Sunday, Wisconsin will turn its attention away from the Big Ten oppo- nent and host non-conference foe North Dakota State. It's a scheduling decision that continues the trend of tough oppo- nents, as the Bison just earned a No. 21 ranking, the highest Division I ranking in school history. "It doesn't get any easier," said Davis. "We've got to do a good job as a staff at preparing our athletes. Anytime you wrestle somebody at the college level, they are good. Ranked or not ranked, you have to go out prepared, use good skills and be aggressive." Wisconsin concludes its home stand with a pair of league bouts, hosting No. 8 Nebraska on Feb. 21 and finishing the season with No. 3 Iowa on Feb. 23. Big Ten wrestling at its best. BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS MARCH 8-9 ● Tickets for the two-day event are available here. SCHEDULE (11-4, 5-1) COMING UP Feb. 2 #21 North Dakota 1 p.m. Feb. 21 #8 Nebraska 7 p.m. Feb. 23 #3 Iowa 1 p.m. March 8-9 Big Ten Championships Kohl Center All-Day

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