JT#1's Notes, Thoughts & Observations for Week 13 of Collegiate Wrestling (Jan 24th-30th, 2022)

 What a CRAZY week of collegiate wrestling.  We still have the whole month of February to get through before the post season and I am telling you right here, right now that between upsets and parity that the conference tournaments are going to be an absolute mess. I'm talking chaos. I'm talking pandemonium. In NCAA Division I only 33 wrestlers per weight class qualify for the NCAA championships & mark my word there are a lot more than 33 wrestlers per weight class eligible for a qualification. There will be A LOT of really good wrestlers staying home this season. More than there has ever been.  Seeding for conference tournaments is going to be an absolute nightmare and when it comes time to do the at large bids (Wildcards as some still refer to them as) you might as well get a straight jacket and a dose of Excedrin cause you're gonna need it. 

First and foremost, Get better soon A.J. Ferarri! My heart just sank and I went into a small depression for a while when I learned of the news that he had been in a car accident. At this point, yes, we want him back on the mat, but what's most important is that he's ok and that he's gonna make it. I was so happy to hear that he was up and walking soon there after. I do hope he's able to continue his wrestling career and get back to 100%, but if he doesn't and his wrestling days are over, he's still a champ. So happy to have him still around & hope to hear more and more of his recovery and that his health is doing well. 

Angel Rivera replaces Gary Kessel as most disliked official 

I'm not much for being negative. I don't care much for it and I'd much rather be positive, but let's face it. As of right now referee Angel Rivera is not a well liked man. The way he calls matches is not favorable with many fans. In my lifetime I never thought I'd see a referee complained about more than Gary Kessel was years ago, but Rivera seems to have surpassed him. I've been watching wrestling since 1991 & I have never seen a a greater disapproval on a collaborative scale than what I do for Rivera. Is it fair criticism? Is it unfair? I haven't seen enough of him to make a personal call. What I do know is that I have seen his name come up a lot this weekend and there hasn't been much praise. 

I'm not done discussing wrestling officials yet.  There's something that needs to be said & something that needs to be done about the strictness of wrestling officials. I concur that we don't need wrestlers and/or coaches acting like hooligans after a win. Taunting & showboating is uncalled for, but come on this is NCAA wrestling. This isn't INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.  These are young men, not pod people.  A little celebration after a huge win should be tolerated. It was absolute B.S. that Jaron Smith got docked after his win over Pat Brucki.  



There was nothing disrespectful or inappropriate about his post match celebration at all.  It was a huge win for him & considering that his career has been hampered by injuries, he deserved to feel good about it.  Instead of acting like Donald Sutherland at the end of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, freaking out about someone showing a little emotion, let's use a little common sense.  There is a level that is appropriate and no that level isn't 100, but it isn't 0 either. 

I said there were a lot of upsets this weekend & Binghamton's Brevin Cassella was one to pull off a few of them. Not only did he defeat Columbia's #21 Josh Ogunsanya, he throttled him 9-0 major decision.  He also had a very nice 4-1 victory over Val Park of Navy. 

There's been a lot of talk about Stevan Micic of Michigan this weekend. After suffering another loss to a lower ranked opponent, fans are questioning what's wrong with him? Why isn't he looking like he did earlier in his career?  Maybe it's the fact that his last collegiate season was 2018-2019 & the lay off concentrating on international competition has taken a toll on him. Training for international competitions is different than the grind of a collegiate season. There is no denying that and maybe that's what it is.  A well known wrestling personality tweeted earlier today that perhaps the body isn't meant to wrestle collegiately for this long.  You know what I think it is?  He's at 141 lbs.  We can romanticize about technique and strategy until the cows come home, but there's a big difference between 133 lbs and 141 lbs.  That difference is size and strength.  There's a reason why most guys in wrestling could enter and do well in body building competitions & it isn't so that they'll draw attention to the pretty blondes sitting in the stands. It's because they know the importance of being as physically strong as they can be. That's what I think it is.  Watch his matches back when he was at 133 and watch his matches at 141. He's trying to do the same techniques & maneuvers that he used at 133 & they aren't working at 141. It's that simple. He doesn't have the size and the power to get these moves to work at the same % that they did at 133.  Against Cole Matthews he went for a move that he was able to weasel out against 133 lbs opponents and it didn't work.  Against Jake Bergeland of Minnesota, similar story.  We all have our opinions and to some this is a time off thing, to others it is an age thing. To JT#1 it is a size and strength thing. 

For the rest of his collegiate career Gable Steveson will never be challenged again will he? I don't know if in my life I'll ever seen a wrestler more guaranteed than Steveson. At this point, I don't ever seen anyone ever scoring a legit offensive point against him again. I can see Steveson trying to show off, slip on something and give up a takedown that way or a reversal. Yet give up a legit takedown? No, that won't be happening.  In professional wrestling the only reason Andre The Giant ever lost was because Andre the Giant wanted to lose. Steveson's WWE career will look much the same way. This guy's career hasn't even begun yet and he's already a legend.  

Quite the experience for Iowa State & Northern Iowa against both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. I was not expecting both the Cyclones and the Panthers to upset the Cowboys. That came as quite a shock.  What was even more shocking to me was that Lance Runyon pinned Dustin Plott at 4:59 and then Anthony Mantanona turned around and defeated Runyon 9-6. Plott majored Mantanona 10-2 earlier this season. Parity anyone? 

I'll be honest with you.  After losing 7 matches in a row, I was beginning to wonder if maybe 2021-2022 just wasn't Ty Smith's season. Sometimes people have bad years. You never want to see anyone go through one, but they're a part of sports. They happen.  I was all but certain this would be one for Smith and then he turns around and pulls off a huge 2-1 upset over Allan Hart of Missouri.  Go figure! Nice win! 

I knew this was gonna be good, as did everyone else.  I knew that there would be a few close ones that PSU took and I knew there would be a few close ones that Iowa took.  I knew there would be surprises. RBY Vs DeSanto ended up being close than I thought it was gonna be.  I knew Lee & Eierman would be good. I feel Eierman got a little ahead of himself. Too overzealous. I think he'll be patient next time. Max Murin looked sharp out there against Bartlett and Marinelli stepped it up a huge notch getting the major to keep Iowa in the match against Berge.  Starocci kept his cool with 15,000 screaming against him to pull off a high pressure situation tiebreaker. Both Brooks & Dean stepped it up for the Nittany Lions with decisive decisions over Assad and Warner.  I was not expecting Cassioppi to win by the margin he did. 7-2 was a much wider gap than the 3-2, 4-3 match I was picturing.  

Central Michigan's Johnny Lovett finally figured out Ohio's Jordan Slivka. After being unable to defeat the Bobcat in matches' past he pulled off a 9-5 decision today.  I imagine this is far from permanent though. The two will meet again this season & more times throughout their careers. I imagine it'll be a back and forth feud from this point on. 










As always I could say more and I'm always open to discussing more.  Onward to Week 14! 

Virginia Tech Vs Pittsburgh Wrestling Preview of Best Matches (Jan 28th, 2022)

 

ACC wrestling fans will be every bit as treated Friday night as will be the BIG 10 fans, as there will be two good dual meets within the conference.  One of them is going to be the Hokies of Virginia Tech & the Panthers of Pittsburgh.  Here is a look at the top matches of the night. 


125 lbs - #21 Sam Latona Vs #31 Gage Curry 

Curry has had a couple of opportunities to pull off an upset this season & this presents another one.  While Latona was an All American last year, he hasn't always looked like it this season. The last the two met Latona barely escaped with a 5-4 tiebreaker & I have a feeling this match could be very close as well.  A win would do both of these guys some good, especially in terms of seeding for the ACC tournament come the end of the year. 

133 lbs - #5 Korbin Myers Vs #7 Micky Phillippi 

This will be the match of the dual.  Thus far these two have met five times, and it's been right down to the wire each time they've met. Myers owns decisions of 3-1 & 5-3, while Phillippi has came out on top 2-1 t.b., 3-2 and 2-0.  History tells us this one is going to be low scoring and tight. The winner here is likely to take the #1 seed at the ACC. 

141 lbs - U.R. Collin Gerardi Vs #18 Cole Matthews 

The last time these two met Matthews took an 8-4 decision & I see something similar happening this match, although I question if Matthews might be able to widen the score this time around. Despite not being ranked, Gerardi is still a pretty tough wrestler. A win over Cael Happel of Northern Iowa, taking Allan Hart of Missouri into the tiebreakers & wrestling Jesse Vasquez of Arizona State to a 9-7 decision suggest that Gerardi might be able to turn this into a competitive match. Yet if Matthews wrestles like he did against against Stevan Micic of Michigan, then again maybe not. 

157 lbs - #23 Connor Brady Vs #21 Elijah Cleary 

I see this match as a toss up.  Similar rankings, similar results Vs same opponents, I can see this one being as competitive as will be 133 lbs.   

165 lbs - U.R. Clayton Ulrey Vs #14 Jake Wentzel 

Jake Wentzel wrestlers like he did recently against Justin McCoy of Virginia, this will spell bonus points for the Panthers. With that said though, Ulrey like teammate Gerardi is a pretty tough wrestler despite not being ranked at the moment.  Keeping it competitive with Wentzel? No, I don't see that happening but if you tell me that he'll keep it to a decision, that I'll believe. 

184 lbs - #12 Hunter Bolen Vs #32 Gregg Harvey 

Bolen does own a 12-4 major decision over Harvey,  but the last time the two met, Harvey kept it close in a 3-1 decision. This will be a win for the Hokies, but I'd wager that it'll only be a decision. 

197 lbs - #33 Dakota Howard Vs #8 Nino Bonaccorsi 

I think in this one Bonaccorsi shows us why he was an NCAA finalist last season.  I see bonus points for the Panthers. 

HWT - #14 Nathan Traxler Vs U.R. Jake Slinger 

This could spell out bonus points for the Hokies as Traxler has been wrestling very well this season. 13 victories with 6 of those victories being via fall.  Yet Slinger is another example of a pretty good wrestler this season who is currently unranked. He won't beat Traxler or even keep it close with him, but he could very well keep this to a decision.  

Minnesota Vs Michigan Preview (Friday Jan 28th, 2022)

 

A new set of rankings out and to be honest I was a little surprised that Michigan took the #2 over Iowa.  I guess they must have been more impressed with Michigan in their not so close team, but very close individual losses to Penn State, than they were in Iowa's victory over Ohio State.  This dual against #11 Minnesota, gives Michigan a chance to prove the despite what they looked like against the Nittany  Lions last weekend they still are at this time the #2 wrestling team in the nation. With the primary focus of the wrestling world being on Iowa & Penn State, do not lose focus that there will be other great duals on Friday night. This is one of them. 

125 lbs - #9 Pat McKee Vs #1 Nick Suriano 

The unpredictable and inconsistent but often dangerous McKee can pose a threat to just about anyone when he's on and poised to wrestle. Yet, even at his very best, Suriano is going to be very difficult to beat. Suriano not only knows how to handle funk, he often demolishes it. McKee could very well keep this one close & might even ooh & ah the crowd with some offensive points of his own. Then again Suriano might come out and just lay on a beating.  

133 lbs - #26 Jake Gliva Vs #8 Dylan Ragusin 

Considering that Ragusin has defeated some of the wrestlers that have beaten Gliva rather decisively, I'm going with a probable major for the Wolverines in this one. 

141 lbs - #15 Jake Bergeland Vs #4 Stevan Micic 

Hopefully Micic is back and ready to Rumble for the Wolverines on Friday.  Having never met & having no common opponents, I do think this could possibly be another major decision for the Wolverines. Some fans lost some faith in Micic when he dropped a decision to Cole Matthews of Pitt a while back & while a dominating win over Bergeland wouldn't restore it completely, it would help. 

149 lbs - #25 Michael Blockhus Vs #16 Kanen Storr

Again Michigan favored, but this is one that I could actually see a mild chance at an upset for Minnesota. Blockhus wrestles a style that I can see possibly slowing Storr down, thus keeping the score low. When the score is low, it presents an opportunity at an upset.  As said, a mild chance, but it is there. 


157 lbs - #4 Brayton Lee Vs #14 Will Lewan 

I can see this one being much closer on the mat than what it is on paper.  I don't these two are truly separated by 10 spots. Lee has proven he's susceptible to loss having recently been upset by Wisconsin's Garrett Model. Lewan has proven his upset capabilities in the past, owning a victory over three time All American Alec Pantaleo. The last these two met was at last year's BIG 10 championships when Lee won an 8-3 decision.  Lee still the favorite, I think the score will be close this time. 


165 lbs - #20 Cael Carlson Vs #12 Cam Amine 

Watching Carlson on the mat I can tell that within in due time this freshman is going to be very good. Not everyone comes straight out of high school fully polished, nothing to improve upon, 100%. Some take time to develop their skills, hone their craft and learn their trade. There's nothing wrong with that, and I think Carlson is one of those guys. You can see his effort and desire. You know he's gonna get better. Upset Amine at this time? I don't rule it out.  Amine himself is a wrestler that made tremendous improvements from the time he first arrived at Michigan up until now. An All American last season, he'll be tough to beat.  


174 lbs - #20 Bailee O'Reilly Vs #6 Logan Massa

While O'Reilly has wrestled very well at various points this season, I think Massa, who I still consider to be an NCAA Champion contender will be too much for his at this point. Can O'Reilly keep this to a decision? I think so, but I predict Massa will win with absolute clarity. 

184 lbs - #23 Isaiah Salazar Vs #2 Myles Amine 

I think we're gonna see bonus points here for the Wolverines. I'd be surprised with anything less than a major. 

197 lbs - #31 Michial Foy Vs #6 Patrick Brucki 

The last these two met Brucki majored Foy 13-3, but I think as much as Foy has improved since that time that he can keep it to a decision this time.  Foy seems bigger & stronger than what he was a year ago and I think that will show in this match.  

HWT - #1 Gable Steveson Vs #4 Mason Parris 

After a tough loss to Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State, the world isn't doing Mason Parris any favors by giving him Steveson next. Yet in a strange way, this could potentially boost his confidence. Steveson has wrestled him three times & only been able to major him once. That was by a score of 12-4.  The other two times, Steveson won by decision.  8-4 and once by a close 8-6 decision.  If Parris can keep it close with him again, I think that might restore whatever was lost in the Kerkvliet match. Then again we're talking Gable Steveson, Olympic Gold Medalist.  Can Parris "Kyle Reese" himself enough to combat the Terminator that is Steveson? Will he have good enough weapons? 

Iowa Vs Penn State Preview (Friday 1-28-2022)

 

While there will be a ton of great wrestling on Friday, this is the dual that takes the cake.  This is the dual that the wrestling community will be focused on. #1 Penn State Nittany Lions Vs #2 Iowa Hawkeyes.  Essentially there are three different ways to preview this dual. 

Subjectively biased towards Penn State.
Subjectively biased towards Iowa.  
Objectively as possible. 

I'm going to do my best to look at this dual from the third option.  Now Penn State did go into Ann Arbor, Michigan and in just about every way imaginable if it could have gone PSU's way, it did go PSU's way.  They won all the tossups, plus one (at least on paper) upset.  I can't see them doing that in Iowa City. Michigan has a solid fanbase, but it isn't the black & gold faithful.  PSU walk into Carver Hawkeye Arena, in front of 15,000 strong cheering against them & just have their way with Iowa? I just DO NOT see that happening.  Yet if it does, I see best case scenario for Penn State being...

Penn State 21
Iowa 9 

Now, on the same hand, Iowa isn't going to manhandle Penn State either. Cael Sanderson send his boys westward to come out on the losing end of every tossup?  We have a better shot at Mississippi & Mississippi State both announcing that they will start varsity wrestling programs in 2022-2023. That is NOT going to happen.  Yet, if it does, I see best case scenario for Iowa being...

Iowa 24
Penn State 7  

Neither one of these lopsided scores is going to happen. Penn State isn't going to come into Carver Hawkeye Arena and win all of the tossup matches & Iowa isn't going to send Penn State back to Happy Valley unhappy that they lost all of the tossup matches.  

So what will happen? 

Let's color coordinate this thing....

BLACK = True toss up.  Can't say that you'll agree with me on this.  Most likely you won't actually.  Few are going to be reading this from a neutral position.  Most will be reading it from a pro-Iowa or a pro-Penn State standpoint.  Nevertheless remember my goal here is to be objective. 

BLUE in white - Penn State is the heavy favorite 

WHITE in Blue - Penn State is the slight favorite 

GOLD in Black -Iowa is the heavy favorite 

BLACK in Gold - Iowa is the slight favorite 

125 lbs - #7 Drew Hildebrandt Vs #10 Drake Ayala 

Let's take everything into account here.  First off when comparing results against opponents it is important to keep in mind that Hildebrandt was competing for Central Michigan at the time. Take nothing from Coach Tom Borrelli, one of my personal favorites, but being coached by Cael Sanderson is a whole other ballgame. I don't know if Hildebrandt in a CMU singlet would have given #1 Nick Suriano a 1-0 match the way he did in a PSU singlet last weekend. That's just telling you straight and telling you honest.  Which makes me wonder the weight of telling you that he has losses to Purdue's Devin Schroder & Northwestern's Michael DeAugustino, both of which Ayala recently defeated.  It's also of note that Hildebrandt owns a sudden victory over Malik Heinselman of Ohio State, who recently pulled off an upset over Ayala last weekend.   The ranking is definitely an advantage for the Nittany Lion, but being contested inside of CHA is definitely an advantage for the Hawkeye.  Like it or not, that's why I call this one a toss up. 

133 lbs - #1 Roman Bravo-Young Vs #3 Austin DeSanto 

Now I would like to call this one a toss-up.  DeSanto DOES own two victories over RBY.  A 12-8 decision and a 7-2 decision.  Yet, I can't ignore that RBY has taken the last two matches 3-2 & 5-2, nor can I ignore the fact that the last match that ended prematurely, was more than going RBY's way.  RBY is not a heavy favorite in this match, but he is a slight favorite.  DeSanto is capable of an upset here & the Energizer Bunny Norman Bates may just have "mother" prepared to visit RBY.  We all go a little crazy sometimes & now would be a good time for DeSanto to do just that if the Hawkeyes are to win this dual.  On the mat of course. 

141 lbs - #1 Nick Lee Vs #2 Jaydin Eierman 

This dual has swing matches and this is one of them.  These two are bound to meet probably two times after this and neither is going 3-0 against the other.   Eierman defeated Lee 6-5 at the BIG 10's last season and Lee avenged that loss 4-2 sudden victory at the NCAA's.  For what it's worth, locked away in the depths of history, Eierman once defeated Lee 12-4 too.  As far as I'm concerned this is a must win for both teams.  Team momentum is a real thing & I have no idea where we'll start, but I would imagine as hardheaded and stubborn as both Sanderson & Brands are, we'll begin at 125.  This is where things can really get cooking for either team.  This could end up being the most important match of the dual. 

149 lbs - #19 Beau Bartlett Vs #10 Max Murin 

There have been times in the past when Max Murin has let nerves and pressure get to him, underperforming. This season it happened against Lehigh when he dropped a match to Bryant Manzona.  Yet for the most part this season he has performed up to expectation. Matter of fact, he's exceeded them at times. A beautiful win over Yahya Thomas of Northwestern & giving #2 Sammy Sasso all he could handle in a 3-2 loss.  Upsets can and often do happen, but there's no reason at all this shouldn't be a comfortable decision for the Hawks. 

157 lbs - U.R. Terrell  Barraclough/U.R. Joe Lee Vs #12 Kaleb Young 

If there ever be a time to step it up and be a hero for Kaleb Young, that time is now. He has the opportunity to be the biggest punch, the hardest blow against the Nittany Lions.  As far as I'm concerned he is the only hope Iowa has Friday night for bonus points. If he can get a major that he is more than capable of in this match against either one of these guys, that is HUGE points for the Hawkeyes.  Putting 4 up on the board instead of 3 may not seem like much but against a team like Penn State? It's huge. 


165 lbs - #16 Brady Berge Vs #1 Alex Marinelli 

Honestly I think the recent loss to Carson Kharchla of Ohio State may have been the very thing that Marinelli needed. He's been a little lackluster this season & as Bruce Springsteen says, sometimes you need a spark to start a fire. We'll see if the pilot light was lit or if it wasn't on Friday night.  Berge on the other hand after his lay off is slowly but surely climbing the ladder. A recent upset over All American Cam Amine of Michigan, he'll soon find himself way above #16 in the rankings. No doubt about that & no doubt about it, it'll show against Marinelli.  This by all means should be a victory for the Hawkeyes, but I think it'll be closer than the rankings dare indicate. 

174 lbs - #1 Carter Starocci Vs #2 Michael Kemerer 

Now, looking at this objectively on paper, the pendulum swings Iowa's way throughout the middleweights. Rankings/results favor the Hawkeyes at 149, 157 & 165.  In order to PSU to pull away with the victory, they need to swing it back in their favor.  Winning this tossup match would do just that.  Starocci & Kemerer like Lee & Eierman are going to meet multiple times this season. Again, I'll see the chances of either going 3-0 against the other is slim. Thus far Kemerer owns a 7-2 decision over Starocci & Starocci overs a 3-1 sudden victory over Kemerer. What's ironic about this matchup is I saw quotes from two different wrestling journalist that I read and admire.  One said that he couldn't see Starocci ever being beat again & the other said that he couldn't ever see Kemerer ever being beat again.  Well, one of them is going to be wrong Friday night, aren't they? 

184 lbs - #1 Aaron Brooks Vs #18 Abe Assad  

Now we get into where PSU is locked & loaded.  The last Brooks & Assad met, Brooks won a 7-3 decision and for the Hawkeyes sake, keeping it to a decision is crucial. The blue & white faithful may not think they need bonus points to win, but this is Iowa, in Iowa's house, on Iowa's mat. Putting 4 up instead of 3, could make a (pardon the pun) major difference. 

197 lbs - #2 Max Dean Vs #4 Jacob Warner 

There was a time when I would have called this one an upset.  There was a time when I would have slightly favored Warner. There was a time when I would have heavily favored Dean.  As of now, I'm going with Dean as the slight favorite over Warner.  Both of these guys have looked very good a couple of times this season.  Dean manhandling Arizona State's Kordell Norfleet with victories over Rutger's Greg Bulsak & Michigan's Pat Brucki.  They haven't all been pretty, but nevertheless W's for Warner against Isaac Trumble of North Carolina State, Michial Foy of Minnesota, Thomas Penola of Purdue, Andrew Davison of Northwestern and Gavin Hoffman of Ohio State.  On the same hand, both Dean & Warner have had a hiccup too.  Warner lost to Iowa State's Yonger Bastida earlier this season & just last weekend Dean dropped a decision to Michigan State's Cam Caffey.    

What doe this suggest? 

That both of these guys need to wrestle up to expectation for their team. Either one of these guys goes into this one anything less than 100%, the other is going to make him pay dearly for it. The pressure is on, who comes out the cooker? 

HWT - #4 Greg Kerkvliet Vs #5 Tony Cassioppi 

I know I'll catch Hell from some PSU fans for not calling Kerk at least a slight favorite in this one.  I can just hear it now, "Did you not see how he handled Parris last weekend!?!?!"  And that's the funny thing about it isn't it?  Sometimes the only way to "see" something is to completely ignore something else.  Well, I tell you what, I'm NOT ignoring.  Yes, maybe Kerkvliet wasn't at 100% the last time he and Cassioppi met, but a 9-0 major decision is still a 9-0 major decision.  I'm not ignoring the fact that Kervliet now owns an 8-5 decision over a guy that has thus far stuck Cassioppi twice.  I'm also not ignoring that Cassioppi owns two victories over Arizona State's Cohlton Schultz, who Kerkvliet has yet to defeat.  You can look at Cass's fluke loss by fall to Princeton's Jack DelGarbino & make what you will of it, but other than that his only loss this season is to Steveson, who like it or not PSU fans, will kick the crud outta Kerkvliet too.  We really haven't gotten a chance to see how much he did or didn't improve over the summer yet. You can make the argument in his 13-4 major over Tate Orndorff of Ohio State, but he kicked the stuffing out of him multiple times last year too.  Truth is, we haven't gotten a real opportunity to see what Cassioppi is truly made of yet this year.  While he'll be Kerk's second test of the season, Kerk will be his first.  

=== 

There you have it.  That's my analysis for the most anticipated dual of the season.  Whether it's a PSU win or an Iowa win, one thing is for sure, this much great wrestling? Either way, the fans win.  This is gonna be GOOD.  

JT#1's Notes, Thoughts and Observations for Week 12 (Jan 17th-23rd) of Collegiate Wrestling

 

I've already gotten into it with a few PSU fans over this so I'll be brief. PSU proved why they're the #1 team in the nation. They defeated the #3 Michigan Wolverines in nearly every match, in every position and in every situation.  Hat's off to them and may praise and credit be given because it is due.  Yet I'm not getting and I'm certainly not behind this absolute assurance that so many blue & white faithful have for the BIG 10's and NCAA's.  I'm really not.  They see a 3-1 victory for Berge over Cam Amine, and equate it to mean that Berge beats him for sure at the BIG 10's.  They see a 3-2 victory for Starocci over Massa and conclude that Massa is NOT capable of beating Starocci.  There's a 90% chance that Brooks wrestles Myles Amine twice more. A 3-1 victory, based off of countering a bad shot does not say to me, "Oh, Brooks will be 3 for 3, no doubt, guarantee."  I have no idea why it does for so many others.  I'm not sold that Kerkvliet defeats Parris two more times either.   Amine is an Olympic Bronze medalist and Parris is an NCAA finalist.  Why is it so hard to believe that these wrestlers, as accomplished as they are, aren't capable of making adjustments and improvements?  More power to them IF these Nittany Lions all go all for all against their Wolverine opponents, but I for one wouldn't treat it as a "Can't lose" bet that I've seen so many treat it as.  "This Ship is unsinkable."  Well Titanic sailors, may you reach New York safe and sound, but JT#1 is sending out iceberg warnings and you'll have no one but yourself to blame if you continue ignoring them like you have been. 

I digress...moving on....

Holy Cow Cam Caffey! Did he look outstanding this weekend or what? A 12-4 major decision over Greg Bulsak of Rutgers and a 3-2 victory over Max Dean of Penn State. The Spartans as a whole have made quite a few statements this season & this has been one of them. 

The past two months I haven't felt that Jake Wentzel looked like the same guy that made the NCAA finals last season, but this weekend I did.  A dominating 10-0 victory over Virginia's Jake Keating. I was very impressed with that. 

I knew this was gonna be a good dual & it was. I wrote in my preview that I thought Heinselman might present a problem for Ayala and he did.  Ayala relies on keeping a fast pace, while his opponent slows down.  I knew that wasn't going to be the case with Heinselman. Heinselman is a full tank of gas, full throttle for the whole 7 minutes.  That posed an issue for Ayala. Not something that he can't fix though.  

Sometimes even in a loss you need to be happy with a wrestler's performance. I told those in doubt that Murin would give Sasso a match and he did. Murin is one of the most improved wrestlers in the country.  Gawd knows how many times Iowa has gotten the benefit of the doubt. There's no denying that. Even at times when they shouldn't have, Iowa has gotten the call. I'm not about to shy away from that fact. Yet I will say that had this dual taken place in Iowa City instead of Columbus, we may have seen sudden-victory instead of the 3-2 end. 

Speaking of a 3-2 end, did Kharchla wrestle a smart match or what? I think we already did, but I guess now it's official. We have a new title contender at 165. 

Giving credit to the underdog Hawkeye against the Buckeye, I'll switch things up and give credit to the Underdog Buckeye against the Hawkeye.  Hoffman looked very good against Warner.  I said about Hoffman a couple of years ago I thought he had the tools and talent to be an NCAA champion someday.  Sometimes he makes me eat those words and feel a fool for saying that. Other times, he shows a glimpse of exactly what I'm talking about. It was a loss, but it was a 6-5 loss to a wrestler ranked much higher than him. 

It was nice to see the old Sloan back this weekend. The 2021-2022 season has taken the Jackrabbit a while to come back to form, but a 5-2 decision over Rocky Elam of Missouri? I think he found himself.  Matter of fact, I was impressed with all of the upper-weights of SDSU. Not only did Sloan upset Elam, but Cade King upset Jeremiah Kent & A.J. Nevills upset Zach Elam.  This lead to SDSU upsetting Missouri. Coach Hahn, great showing. 

Fan of both Ridge Lovett and Yahya Thomas.  Great hard fought win for Lovett 7-6 over Thomas.  Take nothing away from him for that, but I question after watching this match if we really ought to reevaluate our scoring system in scholastic wrestling.  Thomas had three takedowns.  That equates 6 points.  Lovett had three escapes and one take down.  That equates 5 points. Does that seem right to you?  Maybe I'm not giving escapes enough credit. This is collegiate wrestling. They are difficult to earn, when you have to earn them.  Maybe I'm giving takedowns too much credit. I don't know.  I just feel that there's something not right about an escape being half of a takedown.  

Campbell's Taye Ghadiali had a very nice win over The Citadel's Michael McAleavey. It's hard to defeat someone that has beaten you twice before and to do it rather convincing on top of it.  

It was very rewarding to see Chris Weiler finally pick up a nice win this season. Not only did he defeat Max Lyon of Purdue, he really took it to him 11-3 major decision.  I don't know why but 2021-2022 has been a struggle for Weiler thus far & to see him wrestle so well this weekend was a treat. Hopefully there's more where that came from. 











As always, more I could elaborate on, but I'll end with this this weekend. Here's to next weekend being another great week in collegiate wrestling! 

North Dakota State Vs Iowa State Preview of Top Matches (Today Jan 23rd, 2022)

 

It's going to be cold in Ames, Iowa today.  Barring nasty little tornadoes in good weather is tiresome enough, but when it's predicted to only be between 11 & 16 degrees outside, it makes it all the tougher. On the same hand though, Bison are belt for the cold. They know how to endure the bitter cold winds.  While Iowa State is highly favored as the #14 ranked team & by all means they should walk away with the victory today, I think North Dakota State will fair pretty good against them. 

133 lbs - #22 Kellyn March Vs U.R. Ramazan Attasauov 

The only reason Attasauov isn't currently ranked is because Iowa State has an uncanny habit of wrestling a multitude of wrestlers at the same weight class in various competitions. The advantage of this can be to illustrate that the depth of talent in the room but there are disadvantages too. If you don't have enough matches come post-season, and you need to rely on an at large bid to get into the NCAA's, you didn't do yourself any favors.  Attasauov is 9-3 on the season, his most impressive win ironically his most recent, a 12-3 major decision over Wyoming's Job Greenwood.  Yet what sticks out most about him is how well he competed against Iowa's Austin DeSanto in a 6-4 loss.  March has the ranking, and he's had some good victories this season too, including one over Greenwood himself as well as a 6-0 shutout over Buffalo's Derek Spann.  Gotta go with Attasauov on this one though.  I think we'll see an "upset." 

141 lbs - #27 Dylan Droegemueller Vs #11 Ian Parker 

Droegemueller has been able to thus far keep it to a decision the last two times he has wrestled Parker,  An 8-2 and a 7-2 decision for the Cyclone in their previous meetings.  Will Droegemueller be able to keep it to a decision again today? Can he possibly make the match closer?  Or will Parker step it up a notch and turn those two decisions into a major today?  

157 lbs - #7 Jared Franek Vs #1 David Carr 

This is one I'm really looking forward to.  Thus far, the speed and quickness of Carr has been too much for Franek to handle. Decisions of 8-2 & 11-4 as well as a 16-5 major for the Cyclone over the Bison.  Yet this has also been Franek's best season to date. 17-1, a Southern Scuffle champ, Franek's confidence is at an all time high & anyone in wrestling knows how much your mindset can make a difference.  Maybe Carr goes out and destroys him like he did the last three times they met.  That isn't a far fetched prediction. Yet neither is believing that Franek might give him a better match today.   

165 lbs - #14 Luke Weber Vs U.R. Austin Kraisser 

This is another match where Iowa State has a wrestler much better than the U.R. next to his name would lead you to believe. Split time with Isaac Judge, Kraisser is 15-5 on the season. Tanner Cook of South Dakota State & Bubba Wilson of Nebraska among his notable victories.  Can he pull off an upset over Weber?  A much tougher task than Attasauov over March.  Weber is 13-4 on the season.  He's managed a fall over Minnesota's Andrew Sparks, along with victories over Gardner Webb's R.J. Mosley & Little Rock's Tyler Brennan. This will be a good match. 

174 lbs - #23 Austin Brenner Vs #18 Joel Formally Shapiro now known as Devine 

Both of these guys have made tremendous improvements since last season.  Brenner has victories over Minnesota's Bailee O'Reilly and Duke's Matt Finesilver.  Devine has a victory over Purdue's Gerrit Nijenhuis who recently knocked off Nebraska's Mikey Labriola & Devine also defeated Brenner earlier this season. It was a tight 3-0 decision.  Today's match I would wager will be another tight one, although I see a bit more offense out of each today than we did at the Daktronics Open two months ago. 


197 lbs - #23 Owen Pentz Vs #14 Yonger Bastida

This is where I think the Bison can show off their abilities to upset.  12 victories thus far for Pentz this season and 9 of them have been via fall. This guy takes putting shoulders to the mat as a business, and business is good.  He stuck Minnesota's Michial Foy & most recently he stuck Wyoming's Stephen Buchanan.  If he can do that, it's not too difficult to imagine him sticking Bastida.   That's ONE perspective.  Another is that if a match goes a full 7 minutes, it doesn't favor Pentz.  His conditioning is not his strong point and that has shown in matches against Rocky Elam of Missouri and Jaron Smith of Maryland. Bastida at 11-2, has a much larger gas tank.  A gas tank that helped him pull off two very nice wins against Iowa's Jacob Warner & Purdue's Thomas Penola.  He recently lost in overtime to Buchanan.  If this match last the full seven minutes, Bastida's gas tank will prevail.  That's IF it last the full seven minutse.  Pentz has a quota to keep & he's one Hell of a businessman.  

HWT - #21 Brandon Metz Vs #27 Sam Schuyler 

At 15-3, Metz is a fun wrestler to watch.  One of the few big ole boys we have left at HWT, you'd look at him and think slow, shove and lean but despite his size, the guy gets after it.  Schuyler at 9-2, has looked pretty good this season too.  Should be a good match. 

Pennsylvania Vs Columbia Top Matches Preview (Today Jan 23rd, 2022)

                                       

A good ole Ivy League matchup to look forward to later today as Pennsylvania takes on Columbia.  Some good matches to look forward to in this one. 

125 lbs - #29 Ryan Miller Vs #19 Joe Manchio 

This will be a fun match between a freshman and a seasoned junior.  Miller in his rookie season has performed pretty good, thus far 10-3. Among his accomplishments this season, a runner-up finish at the Matmen Open. A win over Manchio would propel him in the rankings and up his stock within the EIWA. Manchio with victories thus far over Sam Latona of Virginia Tech & Jaret Lane of Lehigh, will be difficult to upset. 

133 lbs - #19 Michael Colaiocco Vs U.R. Angelo Rini 

This should be a W for the Quakers, but I can see Rini giving Colaiocco a respectable match. 14-3 on the season, he recently gave Lehigh's Malyke Hines a fight in a 12-9 loss. 

141 lbs - #19 C.J. Composto Vs #18 Matt Kazimir 

Right now these two are only separated by a single space in the rankings, but I'm wondering if they're really that close.  Composto has made some improvements since last season, but when the two met last season, Kazimir won a convincing 9-2 decision.  Does the Lion dominate again or will Composto give him a match this time? 

165 lbs - #25 Lucas Revano Vs #21 Josh Ogunsanya 

Ogunsanya has looked very good thus far this season. A 7th place finish at CKLV with impressive wins including a technical fall over Tyler Cook of South Dakota State, a fall over Nebraska's Bubba Wilson and most impressive a 7-2 decision over Brian Meyer of Lehigh.  Revano has looked solid in his own right, a 6th place finish at the Matmen Open, including victories this season over Evan Barczak of Drexel and Danny Braunagel of Illinois.   

174 lbs - #25 Nick Incontrera Vs U.R. Nick Fine 

Incontrera has had himself a good little season thus far.  10-4 on the season with two convincing victories over Harvard's Joshua Kim and a 7th place finish at the Matmen Open.  Fine on the other hand as I've said before & I'm saying again now is one of the best unranked wrestlers at 174 lbs.  I'm really surprised with a 15-6 record, and some of the victories he's pulled off that he hasn't cracked the top 33 yet.  He recently knocked off EIWA champion Ben Pasiuk of Army.  I wouldn't count him out for this match. 

Top Matches in NCAA Division I Wrestling For Today Saturday Jan 22nd, 2022

 

165 lbs - #9 Julian Ramirez Vs #12 Philip Conigliaro 

Ramirez has pulled off some very impressive upsets this season which has lead him to his #9 ranking. Conigliaro has done quite well himself, proving to be a top 12 wrestler. This will be a good match. 

174 lbs - #14 Chris Foca Vs #29 Joshua Kim 

The last these two met Foca was able to stick Kim in the first period.  Will he have another dominating victory over the Crimson or will this match be closer? 

HWT - #18 Lewis Fernandes Vs U.R. Yaraslau Slavilouski 

The last these two met, Fernandes was able to pull off a fall quickly into the third period. Although Slavilouski is currently unranked at the moment, I do believe this could be a very close match. Slavilouski did take CKLV runner-up honors earlier this season with victories over Lucas Davison of Northwestern & Tate Orndorff of Ohio State. 

157 lbs - #20 Andrew Cerniglia Vs #26 Jordan Slivka 

This has the potential to be a really fun match.  Both of these guys are 4-0 against the exact same opponents. Cerniglia likes to rack up more points, while Slivka tends to keep the matches a little closer.   
184 - #33 David Key Vs U.R. Zane Lehman 

At 17-3, I'm a little surprised that Lehman hasn't made his way into the rankings yet.  If he can pull off this winnable, but not guaranteed victory over Key, it should just barely put him in there. On the same hand though, Key as inconsistent as he is, has some impressive victories this season himself. He recently defeated Charles Small of Hofstra and even more impressive he defeated #27 Layne Malczewski of Michigan State 10-4.  

125 lbs - #19 Joe Manchio Vs #2 Patrick Glory 

The first two times that Manchio and Glory met, the Tiger dominated the Lion 19-1 technical fall and 15-0 technical fall. It was an absolute massacre. Yet the third time the two met, Glory only came away with a 3-0 decision. Wanting to uphold his image of domination, Glory is looking for a repeat of the first two matches. Manchio is out to prove that he can hang with one of the guys that the wrestling world is calling a potential NCAA champion.   

174 lbs - U.R. Nick Fine Vs U.R. Nathan Dugan 

Neither one of these guys are ranked at the present moment, although I do believe Fine will be if he keeps wrestling like he has as of late.  The last these two met Dugan scored a 7-4 decision, but I believe the outcome could be much different today.  Fine has made some major improvements. 

125 lbs - U.R. Tanner Jordan Vs #13 Noah Surtin 

Jordan pulled off a 7-6 decision over Surtin the last time the two met & what a treat it would be for both Jordan and the Jackrabbits if he were to do it again.  I have a feeling though that it'll be a much harder task this time around. Surtin has been wrestling exceptionally well lately, coming off of a win over Joey Prata of Oklahoma. Jordan has been more up & down all season, his best victory a 5-2 decision over an injured Liam Cronin of Nebraska. 

141 lbs - #12 Clay Carlson Vs #10 Alan Hart 

Ranking and results, Hart has the advantage over Carlson going into this match.  He not only owns a 2-0 victory, he also owns a 14-4 major decision.  At this point it certainly seems that Hart holds all the cards, but I can't help but feel that Carlson may have an Ace in the hold.  We'll see what happens. 

165 lbs - #32 Tanner Cook Vs #3 Keegan O'Toole 

The way the O'Toole has been wrestling this season, I imagine that we'll most likely see nothing short of a major decision here, but Cook may surprise us and keep this match to a decision. 

174 lbs - #10 Cade DeVos Vs #11 Peyton Mocco 

You gotta be looking forward to this one. A rematch of the Southern Scuffle finals where DeVos edged Mocco 3-2.  It's "proof  I WAS the better man" vs "Revenge is sweet." May the best man win! 

197 - #21 Tanner Sloan Vs #5 Rocky Elam 

I'm beginning to think that Coach Bono must really like the name Tanner.... I digress.  The last these two met Elam won hands down, no problem 10-4. It certainly looks like we could see a similar result today, but Sloan from time to time can be a very dangerous wrestler. Even in situations like this, I never feel good betting against him. 

HWT - #24 A.J. Nevills Vs #15 Zach Elam 

Both of these guys throughout their careers and this season have won when I didn't think they would and have lost when I didn't think they would. I can see this match going either way. 

125 lbs - #16 Brandon Kaylor Vs U.R. Jake Svihel 

Kaylor has thus far pulled off two major decisions over Svihel by scores of 14-5 and 15-7. Anxious to see if he can pull off a third today, or if Svihel might keep this one to a decision. 

133 lbs - #13 Devan Turner Vs U.R. Job Greenwood

So much about this match screams that it should be no less than a decisive decision for Turner, if not a major decision. Yet every now and then Greenwood will pull something straight out of Francis the Talking Mule. Let's keep in mind that Arizona State's #4 Michael McGee has lost but twice this season, once to #1 Roman Bravo-Young.  His other loss? Greenwood.   

141 lbs - #14 Grant Willits Vs U.R. Chase Zollman 

Here's another match that should be cut and cry, clear as day but might not be. Willits who owns a 19-1 technical fall & then was racking up points like no other when he stuck Zollman at 3:08, should have no problem with the Cowboy today. Yet like Geenwood, Zollman occasionally has tricks up his sleeve. Do I see it happening against Willits? No, but I am aware of its potential. 

149 lbs - #28 Cory Crooks Vs U.R. Jaron Jensen

There's something in the water in Laramie. There has to be.  This is yet another match where despite the decisiveness of the last outcome, I'm left in question of todays' outcome. Crooks had his way with Jensen the last they met in a 19-9 major decision. Yet even more so than 133 & 141, I can see this one being much different today than what it was last time. Jensen is not the same wrestler he was a year ago. He's already proven that by defeating Triston Lara of Northern Iowa 5-2, who manhandled him last season 18-8.  Even in his losses, he's looked so much better this year than what he did last.  Take nothing away from Crooks, who may very well win this match, but there's no denying Jensen's improvements.  He's three matches away from having the best season he's ever had.  

157 lbs - #17 Hunter Willits Vs #14 Jacob Wright 

I'm a big fan of both of these guys. What they both have in common is that they have both been overlooked and disrespected during their careers. Both of these guys wrestle with chips on their shoulders.  Looking very forward to this match. 

174 lbs - #26 Aaron Olmos Vs #12 Hayden Hastings 

Hastings ended this one with six seconds left to go in the first period the last the two met. I don't see the match ending in a fall this time. In fact, I only see  a decision. 

184 lbs - #15 Trey Munoz Vs #17 Tate Samuelson 

This is a match I'm looking very forward to.  Two evenly matched guys going at it in a match that could go either way.  Munoz won last time 3-2. 

HWT - #10 Gary Traub Vs #16 Brian Andrews 

Gas tank Gary Vs Brian Andrews. A match that came down to sudden victory with Traub winning 3-1 the last the two met on the mat.  Two very fun heavyweights going at it. 

184 - #13 Louie DePrez Vs U.R. Trey Rogers 

DePrez owns a first period 1:47 fall over Rogers, but the other time the two met Rogers held DePrez to a 5-1 decision. Rogers is one of those good wrestlers, currently outside of the rankings that could very well be top 33 by season's end. I think he can give DePrez another respectable match today. 

HWT - #20 Joe Doyle Vs #19 Zachary Knighton-Ward 

This match interest me for a multitude of reasons.  ZKW is 3-1 Vs Doyle.  A decisions of 6-4, 9-2 & 7-2 vs a 12-2 major decision loss. ZKW seems to have the upperhand on Doyle as of late, but stranger things have happened in NCAA wrestling. 

133 lbs - U.R. Anthony Petrillo Vs U.R. Kurt Phipps

Petrillo came away from this match last time with a convincing 8-3 decision, but I do not see that happening again today. Phipps is a very improved wrestler, including a victory over Penn's Michael Colaiocco and today's match I predict will be much closer.  

157 lbs - U.R. Nick Palumbo Vs U.R. Nick Delp 

This is one I've been wanting to see again for quite some time.  Delp won a 9-6 match the last the two met, but even in that win, I didn't feel he was the better wrestler that day.  Maybe he was.  We'll find out when the two meet later today. 

133 lbs - #26 Quinn Kinner Vs U.R. Gabe Willochell

With victories over Columbia's Matt Kazimir and Iowa State's Zach Redding, I'm surprised that Willochell hasn't cracked the rankings yet. If he can pull off a win over textbook Quinn Kinner today, he most certainly will crack them.  This is a match that I feel very well could come down to first blood. Kinner is one of those wrestlers that gets in a mode.  If he can start off well, he gets on a roll. Yet if he can't, his offense doesn't seem to flow as smoothly if he gets behind.  Truly think this one comes down to who gets on the board first. 

184 - #30 George Walton Vs U.R. Ethan Ducca 

This feud between Walton and Ducca always results in good, hard fought exciting matches. Walton owns a 16-11 decision and Ducca owns a 5-2 decision. Regardless of who wins, hope to see an exciting back and forth match like what they gave in the 16-11 decision.  

125 lbs - U.R. Joseph Fischer Vs #23 Anthony Noto 

The last these two met, Fischer was able to take Noto into the tiebreakers as he darn near knocked off the Bald Eagle in a 4-3 tiebreaker loss. Now that Noto has found himself in the rankings, can Fisher keep it this close again? 

149 lbs - #29 Brent Moore Vs U.R. Connor Eck

I was very surprised the last time Moore and Eck met that Eck was able to keep it as close as he did. A 3-2 decision was not at all what I expected.  It's still not what I expect. I expect Moore to win this one by at least a comfortable decision. Very anxious to see if Eck can keep it close again. 

157 lbs - U.R. Kolby Ho Vs #33 Ben Barton 

It wouldn't exactly be the upset of the day, but it'd still be an upset if Ho were to upend Barton.  Ho's inconsistency and headscratcher losses keep him out of the rankings for now, but the guy has talent and he has ability.  It wouldn't surprise me at all to see him win this matchup today. 

133 lbs - #22 Kellyn March Vs #31 Kyle Biscoglia 

Similar records against opponents, I think this one will turn out to be a good one.  Fans, coaches and wrestlers often speak of what it's like to wrestle in Carver Hawkeye arena or the Bryce Jordan center, but if you ever experience West Gym at UNI, you know that it can be one heck of an environment too.  Northern Iowa might not get the publicity that Iowa and Penn State due, but when it comes to passionate fans, they may not match the #'s, but they sure as the sun shines match the enthusiasm.  In a match like this, it could make all the difference. 

141 lbs - #27 Dylan Drogemueller Vs #25 Cael Happel 

Haven't seen a match like what I think this will be in quite some time. I don't see a lot happening from the feet. I think both of these guys will pick up in an effort to show case their riding/turning skills.  Don't see matches often where both wrestlers choose up, and that might not happen today, but I can see it happening. Both are good in the top position and both might try and take advantage of it. 

165 lbs - #14 Luke Weber Vs #19 Austin Yant 

I think this will be a very close match.  A back and forth match.  Look forward to it. 

174 lbs - #23 Austin Brenner Vs U.R. Pat Schoenfelder

Schoenfelder is another one of those wrestlers that I'm a bit surprised isn't currently in the rankings.  Victories this season include Brennan Swafford of Iowa, Julian Broderson of Iowa State & most impressive Peyton Mocco of Missouri.  A win over Brenner is quite a task, but it's not an impossible one. If anything, I think he'll show he belongs on the mat with him. 


=== 

Great day of wrestling! Enjoy! 

Nebraska Vs Wisconsin Preview (Tonight Jan 21st, 2022)

 

Overshadowed by Penn State Vs Michigan and Iowa Vs Ohio State, you better bet that Nebraska Vs Wisconsin will have just as much BIG 10 excitement as will those other two duals.  Both teams known for  upsets, I can't help but think we'll see a few from both ends.  I mean truly, who wears the red and white better?  (Technically we're talking Scarlet & cream Vs white & cardinal...but we can use our imaginations for a second here right?) 


125 - U.R. Liam Cronin Vs #8 Eric Barnett 

Despite not being ranked at the present time, Cronin not only has wins over such talent as Michael DeAugustino of Northwestern and Devon Schroder of Purdue, he's actually beaten Barnett twice. Once by fall in the first period, the other by a score of 7-4.  With that said, he hasn't looked all that great this year. He's lost a few matches that he shouldn't have lost and he's been out for two months.  Those three factors favor Barnett. I'd like to see Cronin back, because a #14 Nebraska will need him Vs a #8 Wisconsin.  If Cronin isn't back & Nebraska goes with Jeremiah Reno, Barnett had him teched half way through the second period last they met. 

133 - U.R. Alex Thomsen Vs #25 Kyle Burwick 

The move up to 133 lbs has not been kind to Thomsen thus far.  The other night he dropped an 8-3 decision to Jake Gliva of Minnesota, who he handled easily at 125 on two occasions 10-4 and 9-1.  I think eventually he will adjust to 133, but it has been difficult for him thus far.  Burwick on the other hand has had some very respectable showings this season. He defeated Gliva this past weekend 6-4 sudden victory.  Within due time, I think Thomsen will put on the size and strength needed to be competitive at 133, but I don't think that time will be now.  Size and strength will more than show in this match. Burwick by decision. 

141 - #9 Chad Red Jr Vs U.R. Joe Zargo 

This is the only match I see Nebraska putting bonus points up on the board. Red should get no less than a major against Zargo & as much as he likes to funk with cement mixers and occasional throws, we might even see a fall out of the Husker. 

149 - #4 Ridge Lovett Vs #8 Austin Gomez 

This could easily turn out to be the best match of the night.  You have two bound and determined guys going head to head in what will turn out to be no less than a war.  I can see this match going either way. 


157 - #5 Peyton Robb Vs #27 Garrett Model 

At first glance this one looks to already be in the bag for Nebraska, but I'm telling you if Model wrestled anything like he did against Brayton Lee the other night, Robb has himself a match on his hands!  Robb got to where he was because of the upsets he's pulled off this season, so he's well aware of what Model plans to do.  This one could be every bit as exciting as what 149 will be. 

165 - U.R. Bubba Wilson Vs #8 Dean Hamiti 

Two of my favorite freshmen this season go head to head later tonight. Eliminating the subjective and looking at this one 100% objectively, I see a major for Hamiti.  I'd love to think that maybe Wilson would give him a match, but at this point I think Hamiti will be a problem for Alex Marinelli when the Badgers wrestle Iowa on February 5th.  While I think in a couple of years Wilson will prove to be AA material, I think Hamiti is plausible NCAA champion right now.  

174 - #5 Mikey Labriola Vs #22 Andrew McNally 

Labriola found out against Gerrit Nijenhuis of Purdue that you can't overlook anybody.  You have to go into each match focused and prepared. Most wrestlers have hiccups during their careers and most likely that's all it was. Now that we've established that, McNally is a match that Labriola should win, but again, one that he does not want to overlook. 

184 - #11 Taylor Venz Vs U.R. Chris Weiler 

This is the match that interest me the most.  Venz owns two convincing victories over Weiler including a first period fall and a 10-3 decision. Yet Weiler has defeated Venz himself by a 11-10 decision.  I've actually been surprised that Weiler hasn't wrestled better this season.  A three time NCAA qualifier, once the round of 12 & currently he's not even in the top 33.  Probably a reason behind it & I'm sure as the season progresses he'll pick up some of those important victories to get himself into the top 33.  A win over Venz would most certainly help to do that, but at this point, it isn't likely. 


197 - #3 Eric Schultz Vs #22 Braxton Amos 

 Amos has had a very good freshman season thus far going 13-3 & he'll more than do some great things in the years to come for the Badgers. However at this point, I think the seasoned and experienced Schultz will be too much for him & the Husker will pull this one off rather comfortably.  A major? No, but 4-7 points? Yes. 

HWT - #11 Christian Lance Vs #8 Trent Hillger 

This will be a good one.  At the time Lance & Hillger at 1-1 with each other.  Lance owns a 4-2 sudden victory over the Badger and Hillger owns a 4-1 victory over the Husker.  I don't think this match will be the final of the evening. I imagine that we'll start somewhere else.  Yet if it is the final match of the evening, how exciting would it be if the team score was to where whoever won this match, won the dual?  That's probably not gonna happen, but I love it when duals end that way!  Puts a lot of pressure on the wrestlers, but it makes it more fun and exciting for the fans. 

Arizona State Vs Cal Poly Top Matches (Today Fri Jan 21st, 2022)

 

A little West Coast Action will happen today as the Sun Devils and the Mustangs do battle.  Four matches stick out, with one liable to be not only the best match of the dual, but the best match of day in all NCAA DI wrestling. 

125 - #4 Brandon Courtney Vs #30 Antonio Lorenzo 

Courtney has thus far defeated Lorenzo by two convincing scores of 9-3 and 14-6.  At both times, Lorenzo was not yet a ranked wrestler. Now that he has found himself in the top 33, it'll be interesting to see if he can make the match closer. 

141 - #16 Jesse Vasquez Vs #29 Lawrence Saenz 

Thus far rookie Vasquez has looked very good in his first varsity start for the Sun Devils. His only loss this season has been to NCAA champion Nick Lee of Penn State. Notable victories include Cody Phippen of Air Force, Anthony Brito of Appalachian State, Cayden Rooks of Indiana and Collin Gerardi of Virginia Tech.  With that said Saenz has been around for a while, an NCAA qualifier and he's been known to pull off some impressive victories himself. Going with Vasquez on this one, but not completely counting out Saenz 

149 - #9 Kyle Parco Vs #18 Legend Lamer 

The last these two met, Parco pulled away with a 5-2 victory.  A calculated, strategical match led the former Bulldog, now Sun devil to victory over the Mustang. Both of these guys are All American material as far as I'm concerned. This will be a good match. 

165 - #6 Anthony Valencia Vs #2 Evan Wick 

With all of the great wrestling that will take place today, this is the match I look forward to the most.  Two guys, both capable of being NCAA champions this year going head to head. I have enough faith in both Coach Jones & Coach Sioredas to put them both out on the mat. Feel very confident we will see this match take place today.  This very well could end up being out PAC-12 final as well as our NCAA final.  Very excited to see this match. 

Iowa Vs Ohio State Preview and Prediction (Friday Jan 21st, 2022)

 

The #2 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes have been on a roll as of late with dominating performances in their last three duals. A 36-4 win over Purdue, a 33-6 victory over Northwestern and a 36-3 win over Illinois.  Friday night against #9 Ohio State, I think the domination will continue.  


125 - #10 Drake Ayala Vs #18 Malik Heinselman 

You never want to count a guy like Heinselman out of a match, but with the way Ayala has been wrestling as of late with victories of Devin Schroder of Purdue and Michael DeAugustino of Northwestern, I see him shutting down everything that Heinselman throws his way while at the same time working his own offense. Both of these guys have phenomenal gas tanks, so conditioning isn't going to be a factor but strength and counter offense will be.  A dec for the Hawks. 

IOWA - 3
tOSU - 0 

133 - #3 Austin DeSanto/Cullan Schriever Vs U.R. Dylan Koontz 

Going to treat this as if DeSanto will be the starter for the Hawkeyes and in that particular case the Norman Bates Energizer Bunny was dominating the last time he wrestled Koontz defeating him 19-4 technical fall. I think we'll see a similar result this time around.  If it is Schriever instead, I think this gives him a good opportunity, as well as a fair opportunity to show that he can be relied upon when needed.  Koontz may not be ranked at the moment, but he's a solid wrestler. Hasn't had a great season so far this year, but in 2020 put together a decent record with some notable wins.  Would be a good win for the young Schriever.  

IOWA - 8 
tOSU - 0 

141 - #2 Jaydin Eierman Vs #23 Dylan D'Emilio 

No doubt D'Emilio will give Eierman everything he has, but the unorthodox style & ability to counter absolutely everything thrown his way, will be too much for the Buckeye to overcome.  Eierman's dominance on top could and most likely will add into bonus points for the Hawkeyes. Look for a major in this one. 

IOWA - 12
tOSU - 0 

149 - #10 Max Murin Vs #2 Sammy Sasso 

Here's one for the Buckeyes, but I do think that Murin will show how much he's improved & even in a likely loss, finally get the credit he deserves for those improvements. He's always been AA material, but there's a difference this season compared to those prior. It's gone from a, "hope to see him on the stand" to a "pretty sure he will make the stand" effort.  Sasso pinned him with a mere seven seconds left in the third period the last they met. I don't think the match will look anything like this, this go round. Matter of fact, I think Sasso will have to use his outstanding technique and second to no one mat strategy to come up with some clever scores.  Don't see Sasso in danger, but he'll have to work for his points in this one and I don't see many being scored.  Something like a 5-2, 6-3, 7-4 decision is what I predict. 

IOWA - 12
tOSU - 3 


157 - #12 Kaleb Young Vs U.R. Jashon Hubbard

All things considered, this is a match that Young is going to need to go into with preparation and focus.  Rankings don't always mean everything and Hubbard is a young kid, anxious to make a name for himself. He's already done some things this season of note, including knocking off #21 Elijah Cleary of Pittsburgh.  By all means this should be a win for the Hawkeye but it's not a throw away match. Don't let the U.R. fool you.   

IOWA - 15
tOSU - 3

165 - #1 Alex Marinelli Vs #7 Carson Kharchla 

As Hawkeye fan, one feels right if they feel a bit of concern in this matchup. As a Buckeye fan, one feels right if they feel a sense of hope. Kharchla's lost but one time this season and it was a tight 5-4 decision to 2021 NCAA Champion Shane Griffith of Stanford.  An unruly amount of raw talent, this match is going to be an absolute dogfight.  

IOWA - 18 
tOSU - 3 

174 - #2 Michael Kemerer Vs #7 Ethan Smith 

Smith is a top eight wrestler, for sure. No doubt about it. When we look at Ethan Smith, we're looking at a guy who's likely taking home a medal from this year's NCAA tournament.  When we look at Michael Kemerer, we're looking at a guy who's all pick and shovel, who will be going for the gold.  Kemerer going to major Smith? No.  I don't see that happening. The Buckeye is too strong, too technical and too prideful to get beaten like that. Yet there is no denying that Kemerer is on another level.  A 5-6 point win? Yes, I do see that. 

IOWA - 21
tOSU - 3 

184 - #18 Abe Assad Vs #7 Kaleb Romero 

Romero came within mere seconds of knocking off an Olympic Bronze medalist in a recent match with Michigan's Myles Amine.  #7 at the moment, I think he'll show he's a title contender within a short amount of time. While I think that Assad is a much better wrestler than his #18 ranking, the gap between he and Romero will show in this match.  I think he's good enough to go out and have a respectable showing, but this one goes to the Buckeyes. 

IOWA - 21
tOSU - 6 

197 - #4 Jacob Warner Vs #20 Gavin Hoffman 

If you truly like to hear it like it is, then as an Iowa fan you shouldn't have a problem with me saying that Hawkeyes can sometimes suffer from a disorder known as, "looking ahead."  I know that the Hawks have Penn State on their mind & I know that beating the Nittany Lions at home in front of 15,000 screaming black and gold faithful is their number #1 goal for the month of January.  That's all fine and dandy.  I will say though that Warner needs to worry about Hoffman before he worries about Dean.  On paper this one should be a cut and dry, go out, go to work, business as usual victory for the Hawkeye, but Hoffman is NOT...may I repeat, NOT someone you want to overlook.   

IOWA - 24
tOSU - 6 

HWT - #5 Tony Cassioppi Vs #12 Tate Orndorff 

Like Smith at 174, Orndorff is another very good wrestler, candidate for All American honors this season, but like Kemerer,  Cassioppi is on a whole different level.  Cassioppi has stuck the Buckeye on two occasions and he owns a shutout 11-0 victory as well.  In Columbus, I'd like to think that Orndorff will keep from getting pinned.  

IOWA - 28 
tOSU - 6 

Top Matches for Illinois Vs Purdue (Friday Jan 21st, 2022)

 

125 - #28 Justin Cardani Vs #15 Devin Schroder 

Using a strong ride and a good escape, Schroder has been able to get past Cardani in three lowing scoring matches of 2-0, 2-0 and 3-0.  Not much scoring has happened, or is it likely to in this match of tactical planning and strategy.  

133 - #6 Lucas Byrd Vs #33 Matt Ramos 

Minus an early season loss to Oklahoma's Anthony Madrigal, Byrd has looked extremely good this year, racking up quality wins and bonus point victories. I would think we would see bonus points out of him here too. 

141 - U.R. We Rachal Vs #24 Parker Filius 

You'd think that this would be a for sure victory for the Boilermakers, but every now and again despite a losing record and some of the ugly losses within it, Rachal will surprise you.  This year he's defeated Drew Marten of Central Michigan, Gabe Willochell of Edinboro & Carmen Ferrante of Pennsylvania.  Add in the fact that he took Filius to a 3-1 decision at the Matmen Open, and we could have ourselves a match. 

174 - U.R. D.J. Shannon Vs #19 Garrett Nijenhuis 

Nijenhuis recently made some noise when he knocked off #5 Mikey Labriola in an exciting 6-4 decision a few weeks ago. As the upsetter can as easily become the upset, he'll need to watch himself against Shannon.  While currently unranked, he did defeat Cal Poly's #9 Adam Kemp earlier this season. 

184 - #19 Zac Braunagel Vs #28 Max Lyon 

One of the many examples this season where we see ranking contrast with result.  Lyon is thus far 3-0 against Braunagel owning decisions of 7-5 S.V., 4-3 and 6-2.  High probability for an "upset" for the Boilermaker. 

197 - #30 Matt Wroblewski Vs #16 Thomas Penola 

There have been times this season where Penola has looked extraordinarily good, most notable at CKLV where he tallied off victories over Binghamton's #13 Louie DePrez and Oklahoma's #12 Jake Woodley in route to an impressive 3rd place finish.  Head to head, he already owns a 5-3 decision over Wroblewski, as to the Boilermaker's advantage. As to Wroblewski's advantage, he owns a victory over Michigan State's Cam Caffey, who nearly majored Penola less than a week ago. 

HWT - #17 Luke Luffman Vs U.R. Michael Woulfe 

Definitely should be a win for the Illini in this one, but as he did the last time the two met in a 5-2 decision, Woulfe will give Luffman a decent match.