COLUMBUS, Ohio - Miami's turnover chain is one of the more well-known college football gimmick's this season, but the Ohio State wrestling team is ushering in it's own version after a 31-12 team win over Arizona State.
With the dual-meet well in hand and Kyle Snyder up big in his match, the senior wrestler rotated Sun Devils' heavyweight Austyn Harris back to the mat and secured the fall. After hoping to his feet and having his hand raised, Snyder donned a half black, half red Block "O" necklace on a silver chain and flexed for the crowd in St. John Arena.
The roar from those in attendance was the biggest of the afternoon, but Snyder could not take all the credit for the new post-fight prize Ohio State wrestlers will undoubtedly be gunning for in the future. He said it was assistant coach J Jaggers who decided to create the necklace, noting his coach "has all the cool ideas."
"Obviously people in the wrestling world know that Penn State is really good, and we're really good," he said. "It's going to come down to who can get the most bonus. I wouldn't have worked hard for a pin unless I knew there was a pin chain. So, we're going to bump up our bonus points this year and every time we get a pin, we're throwing the pin chain on."
Tom Ryan, who has been adamant throughout his head coaching career about his wrestlers continuing to grow and learn from every match, sat down at the post-game podium and chuckled when looking over at Snyder sitting with the chain around his neck.
It's a bit of a surprise to see a gimmick come from a lineup full of wrestlers who tend to let their wrestling do most of the talking. But, Ryan said the motivation from earning the hardware might come in handy for younger competitors trying to find the last-second fight needed to pull out tough wins.
"At the national tournament, (the pin) would have been an extra half point for the team," Ryan said. "If you have 10 guys wrestling five matches each, through the week and you have 50 matches, you pick up six or seven of those that's three and half, four point difference. That could be the difference. the other thing is the crowd loves it. It brings people and it's the way to compete. You're always trying to get to the next position."
Ryan said he feels Jaggers' idea could be a huge motivational item and promotes the very thought process that is so hard to instill in wrestler coming out of high school. It might be nothing more than a flashy piece of metal, but it's something to aim for.
Snyder said he wanted to be the one to wear it at the end of the day, but the values learned in fighting and scrapping for something material could just be the rallying point younger competitors use to always put forth everything in every bout.
"It's never about the wins and losses," Snyder said. "It's about getting to the top of your potential and we have a culture right now that values that and we have 10 starters who are going to do everything they possibly can to put the best product on the mat."
Ohio State had two falls on Sunday afternoon — the one from Snyder and another one from Myles Martin at 184 pounds. Paired with the unveiling of his 2017 national championship banner and the team's Big Ten title banner in which he was an integral part of, there was only one tight choice for who should don the pin chain.
Move over Miami, the Buckeyes have the chain now.
![ohiostate ohiostate](https://s.yimg.com/dh/ap/default/170320/ohio_state.png)
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