Ohio State Wrestling: Previewing the 2024 Big Ten Championships
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Despite finishing the regular season ranked No. 6 nationally, OSU sits behind three teams in the loaded Big Ten. Can the Buckeyes make a run at the conference crown this weekend?
When the 2024 Big Ten Championships begin on Saturday, March 9,
Ohio State will likely have the fourth or fifth-best odds to win... Despite being ranked sixth in the country! This is because the Big Ten is, and has been, the preeminent conference in college wrestling for decades, with Penn State, Iowa, Minnesota, and Ohio State accounting for all but four of the sport’s national championships since 1994.
Currently, the Big Ten boasts seven of the top 14 teams in the national rankings, with Penn State, Iowa, and Nebraska leading the way. And since all of these teams will obviously be competing in Maryland – the site of the 2024 conference tourney – it goes without saying that OSU faces an uphill battle just to finish inside the top three, something the Buckeyes have not achieved since 2020.
But don’t tell Tom Ryan and Co. that they are longshots to win or even secure a podium finish. Doing so would be an exercise in futility. Not only is this Ohio State squad extremely talented, but they also seem to possess a certain amount of youthful ignorance. Or better yet, fearlessness.
This is the byproduct of several “new” Buckeyes being forced into action, only to come out battle-tested and calloused but otherwise unscathed, and often victorious, as evidenced by OSU’s 15-2 record in duals.
As a result of all the moving, shaking, and injuries, the team’s current lineup features just two regulars from a year ago, one of whom is true sophomore Jesse Mendez. The rest of the lineup is littered with first and second-year grapplers, including two true freshmen and a redshirt freshman in Nick Feldman, who missed all of last season due to injury.
Of course, Ohio State’s vast collection of talent (young or old) is not some rare outlier in the Big Ten. Penn State boasts one of the best rosters ever assembled. Iowa has won 24 national championships since 1975. I could go on and on. But the Buckeyes
should still be expected to perform well in College Park, MD.
They have proven themselves time and time again this season – not just against several Big Ten opponents, but also the likes of
Virginia Tech and North Carolina State, ranked No. 3 and No. 2 respectively when taken down by OSU.
Here are Ohio State’s expected competitors at the 2024 Big Ten Championships:
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Six Buckeyes in the Top-5, four are freshmen
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— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks)
March 5, 2024
Brendan McCrone (R-Fr.) – 125 pounds
Despite wins over No. 1 and No. 4 (nationally, at the time) in the 125-lb weight class, McCrone will enter this tournament as an 8-seed. While both of his top-5 victories
were very impressive, neither took place in conference competition. Against ranked Big Ten opponents, McCrone went 1-2 with losses via major decision and pinfall.
Nic Bouzakis (R-Fr.) – 133 pounds
Bouzakis will be a 3-seed behind the two Dylans – Ragusin of Michigan and Shawver of
Rutgers – who handed him his only conference losses of the season (6-2 in B1G duals). But seeding aside, Bouzakis should be considered a legitimate threat to win 133, thanks to his impressive ability to rack up both points and pins in bunches.
Jess Mendez (So.) – 141 pounds
Mendez will be the 2-seed at 141, behind Penn State’s Beau Bartlett, who handed the former his only conference loss of the season — a one-point loss in sudden victory. In addition to Bartlett, Mendez could also face Iowa’s Real Woods and/or Nebraska’s Brock Hardy during this tournament, both of whom (like Bartlett and Mendez) are ranked inside the top-5 nationally. So while Mendez is arguably the Buckeyes’ best shot at winning an individual conference title, the battle at 141 is shaping up to be a bloodbath.
Dylan D’Emilio (R-Sr.) – 149 pounds
One of Tom Ryan’s few veteran leaders, D’Emilio knows exactly what to expect this weekend. The fifth-year grappler will be making his fourth appearance at the Big Ten Championships, where he is 8-6 overall with two top-5 finishes. D’Emilio will head to Maryland as a 5-seed.
Isaac Wilcox (Sr.) – 157 pounds
“Mr. Versatility”, Wilcox was the only Buckeye to receive a double-digit seed for this tournament (10). But with a career-high 18 wins on the season already, do not be surprised if Wilcox pulls off an upset or two.
Bryce Hepner (R-Jr.) – 165 pounds
With 10 of his 13 wins this season coming via major decision, tech fall, or pin, Hepner should be viewed as a dangerous 8-seed. In fact, I could see both Hepner and fellow 8-seed McCrone placing much higher than they are currently projected or seeded.
Rocco Welsh (Fr.) – 174 pounds
One of two true freshmen in Ohio State’s “starting lineup”, Welsh came on like a freight train after Carson Kharchla’s unfortunate injury, earning himself a 5-seed for this tournament. He quickly racked up 17 wins, and gave the best 174-pounders in the Big Ten all they could handle, dropping matches to conference opponents ranked No. 3, 4, and 1 nationally — by a combined 4 points! If Welsh can score at least one minor upset, look for him to chase a podium finish (top-3).
Ryder Rogotzke (Fr.) – 184 pounds
All gas, no breaks, Rogotzke is always looking to pin somebody. Easier said than done at the Big Ten Championships, but OSU’s other true freshman phenom (rightfully) earned a 4-seed with his late-season performance. Interestingly enough, Rogotzke could end up facing his brother in Maryland, as Roman (Rogotzke) competes at 184 for the
Indiana Hoosiers.
Luke Geog (R-Fr.) – 197 pounds
Geog went 5-1 in conference duals, earning the 6-seed at 197. And although he has yet to notch a win over a ranked B1G opponent, Geog did defeat Virginia Tech’s Andy Smith early in the season, who was ranked No. 14 at the time. The 197 class is not as stacked as it has been in years past, so perhaps the local, homegrown Buckeye can make a run.
Nick Feldman (R-Fr.) – 285 pounds/Heavyweight
Feldman heads to Maryland as a 2-seed, thanks to his 8-1 Big Ten dual record and a victory over Michigan’s Lucas Davison, who is ranked higher nationally but lost to his Scarlet and Gray rival during the regular season. Conversely, the Buckeye big man is seeded
behind Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet Penn State, who defeated Feldman via major decision in early February. But if the latter finds a way to defeat Kerkvliet – or somehow avoids him – then Feldman could run away with the heavyweight crown.
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