"That's unacceptable."

Iowa made its emphatic return to the top of the wrestling world with a win at the National Championships in March.

If Thursday was any indication, Head Coach Tom Brands is not going to let the Hawkeyes fade back into obscurity any time soon.

After the 30-12 manhandling of Northern Iowa, Brands only had one number on his mind. 4. That was the number of matches Iowa lost Thursday night.

“Did we lose four matches? That’s unacceptable,” Brands said. “It comes down to not technique, it comes down to not even skills because we are very skilled. Really, it comes down to toughness, and that’s probably the biggest ingredient we need to go to work on. It’s a concern and it’s happened more than once.”

Talk about a perfectionist! Brands did not waste any time looking ahead, and making it very clear to all who would listen: 10 for 10 is the standard, and anything less will be treated like a loss! And if the wrestlers respond, the results could be mind boggling.

Last season was the first time in eight years Iowa finished on top. As Tom Brands enters his third season in Iowa City, this could just be the beginning. Perfection is what he strives for. It doesn't matter that Charlie Falck and Jay Borschel pinned their opponents, or that Brent Metcalf won be Tech Fall for the second straight match. As the Head Coach himself put it, " “You’ve got to make the other guy blink, and when he blinks, you hammer him and put him down."

Is it just me, or is he about the last guy you want to run into in a dark alley?