No. 2 Penn State wrestling took down No. 3 Ohio State 20-16 in its annual dual at the Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday night.

Mark Hall’s highlight-reel pin of No. 7 Kaleb Romero was the exclamation point on an amazing night for the program. The crowd of 15,995 on hand to watch the Nittany Lions’ big win now ranks third in program history in terms of total attendance.

I’m not the most knowledgable wrestling fan, but I took my dad to Saturday’s dual as a way to entertain him with something uniquely Penn State. Here are a few observations on what made Saturday’s duel special.

Fire Entrances

Penn State’s wrestlers stepped onto the mat in a literal blaze of glory Saturday night. The BJC featured pyrotechnics that erupted as each wrestler approached the arena, and it added an element of danger and hype to the atmosphere.

Rec Hall, plz don’t read this.
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–@JordanCenter, hello pic.twitter.com/tU1IUxtKxl

— Onward State (@OnwardState) February 16, 2020

The fire bursts made the Bryce Jordan Center look really cool for a brief moment, and the burst of heat that could be felt in the stands was actually kind of nice. A top-three matchup in any sport is a huge occasion, and I thought the fire was a fitting match to the meet’s clash-of-titans theme.

Each Penn State wrestler got a fiery surprise as they entered the field of battle. Big Nittany Lion victories were celebrated with bursts of fire, as well, and watching Penn State’s wrestlers smile, arm held aloft, while flames reached toward the ceiling beside them was awesome.

This Is Penn State. Wrestling Lives Here.

I thought Penn State’s championship banners being hung above and around the Bryce Jordan Center’s jumbotron was a really nice touch as far as in-dual presentation was concerned. The fact that Penn State is even able to ~flex~ in this fashion is just another testament to just how alive the wrestling culture of Happy Valley remains.

I obviously knew about Penn State wrestling’s dominance over the past decade, but just seeing all the banners put in perspective how good Cael Sanderson’s program has been. Winning four consecutive championships (twice) and eight of the last nine is a new level of dominance for any program.

During a lull in the dual, I started thinking about the Nittany Lions’ year-in, year-out expectations for a national title. There are probably just a handful of professional and collegiate sports teams that have championship-or-bust expectations, and even fewer can actually live up to those standards.

An ~Intimate~ Atmosphere

Saturday’s crowd of 15,995 fans at the Bryce Jordan Center is the third-largest for a wrestling dual in the arena’s history, but the atmosphere felt more intimate and far more engaged than any other I’ve seen at the BJC.

Combat sports’ live audiences are way different than, for example, a basketball or hockey game. But the crowd’s quieter focus on the action was another really cool part of the dual. The BJC’s dramatic lighting that put nearly all of the building’s focus on the two combatants helped enhance this magnified and emotional feeling.

Although the crowd was quiet while intently observing each bout, it definitely got rowdy when appropriate. Mark Hall’s unreal pin of Kaleb Romero brought one of the loudest roars I’ve ever heard at Penn State — and yes, that includes four White Outs worth of roaring at Beaver Stadium.

Mark Hall: Noted BMF

After watching him wrestle in person for the first time, I have only one conclusion to draw: Mark Hall is one bad, bad man.

Hall’s mixer put No. 7 Kaleb Romero in a suffocatingly unbreakable hold, and the superstar’s 46-second submission blew the roof off the Bryce Jordan Center.

Nick Lee didn’t pin his opponent, but he’s also worthy of recognition as a “bad, bad man” after taking down No. 1 Luke Pletcher in a matchup of the nation’s top-two 141-pound wrestlers. Lee used excellent defense, strong takedowns in the second and third periods, and a riding time point to win convincingly 8-4.

Transforming The Bryce Jordan Center

The BJC hosted Penn State men’s basketball’s big win over Northwestern early on Saturday before changing over to wrestling for the primetime dual between the Nittany Lions and Ohio State.

A venue hosting two events in one day means one thing: a time-lapse of the changing of playing surfaces, baby!

Hats off to the @JordanCenter for hosting two incredible events in the same day!

See how the transition from court to mat unfolded #WeAre pic.twitter.com/m1yiw3vIuP

— Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) February 16, 2020

All kidding aside, it’s genuinely impressive how the BJC’s crew had the arena ready for wrestling so soon after a basketball game. Transformations like these happen at lots of major arenas, but the effort required to make the turnaround seamless needs to be recognized.