Hyperbole - or not?

[GG121AND2]

A commentator on the Cyclone Network just called Osenbaugh's pin of Banach the greatest upset in the history of college SPORTS. I can still hear Doug Brown's call, "Banach is in trouble! Osenbaugh has Banach in trouble!"

 

[depelland]

Even though it pains me to mention it I'd have to say Larry Owings defeating Dan Gable was the greatest upset in College Wrestling history. On a side note........how much weight was Banach giving up to Osenbaugh?? I'd say at least 50 pounds. Lou is still one of my all time favorite Hawk wrestlers and think he would have destroyed everyone if there had been a 220lb weight class.

 

[PapaBearSLIM]

A commentator on the Cyclone Network just called Osenbaugh's pin of Banach the greatest upset in the history of college SPORTS. I can still hear Doug Brown's call, "Banach is in trouble! Osenbaugh has Banach in trouble!"

Not hyperbole. Just flat out wrong.

 

[GG121AND2]

He said it topped Chaminade over Virginia.

 

[wasdt21]

doesn't think much of their wrestler to say that.

 

[sloehawk]

A commentator on the Cyclone Network just called Osenbaugh's pin of Banach the greatest upset in the history of college SPORTS. I can still hear Doug Brown's call, "Banach is in trouble! Osenbaugh has Banach in trouble!"

Every time Iowa loses to Iowa State in football it's a bigger upset than that match. And thanks to the Good Captain that "upset" happens WAY too frequently ......................

 

[overeasy]

doesn't think much of their wrestler to say that.

Well...Osenbaugh certainly wasn't a highly regarded wrestler.

I believe Osenbaugh made a grand total of 1 appearance at the NCAA's -- and went 0-1. I think he only made one appearance in the conference tournament, too, taking 2nd in 1980. During the match in question, he was behind Banach 9-0, but Banach was desperately working for a pin because Iowa was 5 points behind in the match. Banach gets a cradle locked up, but Osenbaugh slips it just as he's being taken over, ends up on top and eventually gets the unexpected pin. HUGE upset any way you look at it. (check the link)

Owings, on the other hand, made 3 appearances at the NCAA's with a 1st and a 2nd place finish. For anybody to beat Gable was virtually unthinkable. The fact that Gable lost at all makes it the monster upset, not that Owings was the one to do it. Owings was closer to Gable than Osenbaugh was to Banach in terms of ability and achievements.

To answer Jim's question, however, I vote for hyperbole. Just in wrestling, Rulon Gardner over Alexander Karelin was a bigger upset. The 1980 US Hockey team upset over the Soviets is usually considered the biggest in team sports. I'm sure there are many other examples.

EDIT -- my bad, the original post says "biggest upset in all of COLLEGE sports."

Still -- NC State over Houston would be bigger, as would Appalachian State over Michigan in my opinion.

 

[BondHawk]

Brooks Simpson turned out to be pretty good, but at the time, his pin of Eric Voelker had to be about as shocking.

 

[wasdt21]

lou is an all timer so hyperbole but certainly huge upset.during that period of time I was wrestling not following wrestling, rolled around with brad smith for 45 minuetes onetime had no idea who he was.

 

[SPOONER]

Big time hyperbole. He was overmatched and caught Banach relentlessly going for the fall. Had he lost, it wouldn't have been a big deal or surprise.

That said, if I'm an ISU fan, that's still a great moment for me.