Will the Greatest Upset in Collegiate Wrestling of All Time Be Surpassed This Season?

There have been a multitude of upsets throughout collegiate wrestling's long and illustrious history. Die-hard wrestling fans from every generation can name a handful that stick out in their mind. Yet, no upset has captured the imagination more so than that of Larry Ownings 13-11 dethroning of Dan Gable at the 1970 NCAA Division I championships.

47 years old, and it is still the most well known, talked about and revisited upset in college wrestling.

Ownings shortly after upsetting Gable

That could change.

It's now an indisputable fact with two World Gold and one Olympic Gold medal, that Kyle Snyder of Ohio State is the most accomplished still with collegiate eligibility wrestler that we have ever had. Knowing that he still has a senior year to wrestle for the Buckeyes is almost surreal.

At this point he seems unbeatable. Untouchable. The idea of anyone even coming close to defeating him is asinine.

Kyle Snyder with 2017 World Gold Medal 

Yet we have to put it into perspective.

People thought the same thing of Dan Gable. If you told anyone back in 1969 that Dan Gable was going to suffer a defeat, they'd have laughed you out of the room.  If you told them that he'd suffer a loss to an unknown sophomore from the University of Washington by the name of Larry Owings, you'd have been put into a straight jacket and committed.

And someone somewhere, maybe even you, wants to probably put me in a straight jacket for even suggesting the possibility of Snyder suffering a loss next season.

Again perspective.

Some will never let Owings over Gable go. It is forever cemented in their view as the greatest upset of all time and there is no changing that for them.  Some also consider the fact that Gable was undefeated, and Snyder has already suffered collegiate losses, to dilute the could be upset.

Some however feel that two World Gold medals and One Olympic Gold medal trump an undefeated record.

If it were to happen....It wouldn't be nearly as dramatic in a dual meet or even in the BIG 10 finals. It would have to take place in the NCAA finals in order to meet the epic proportions of the Gable/Owings match.

And of course it begs the question.

Who?

Who out there among the returning heavyweights has the best potential to go down in history with the biggest collegiate wrestling upset of all time?

Adam Coon 

Adam Coon of Michigan looks to be the best answer out of all possible candidates. The last time these two met, Snyder won a 7-4 decision. Which should also be noted, as Snyder's closest match, with anyone that he'll face during the 2017-2018 season.

It'll be interesting to see after some nasty injuries and coming off a redshirt year, where Coon will be mentally and physically this season. If 100%, he'll treat fans to the hype and belief of possibility in his ability to give Snyder the best match of his final season as a Buckeye.

Will he upset him?

Who knows?  But if he does, the greatest upset of all time may no longer be 47 years behind us.  It might be less than eight months ahead of us.