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- Thread starter LitlBuck
- Start date
Why were the announcers acting like it mattered if he got the Major or not at the end of the match?
Regardless the winner of the dual is who.wins this match.
Regardless the winner of the dual is who.wins this match.
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Definitely a rough loss mostly because its to the rival. Big scheme of things, not too shocked...we are a better dual team than ttun, but was concerned we might drop this one. Other than Pletcher getting rocked, nothing really surprised me in that dual...and that was counter balanced by McKenna tech falling the #5 guy. Hayes might have been ranked higher, We were going to lose 125 and 165, honestly lucky to keep it to a decision at those weights. 174 was really close but you can't expect Smith to knock off Amine. And Singletary over Parris would have been tough as well. Needed to pull off an upset at one of those weights and it didn't happen.
The only real concern is that it looks like we are what we are at 125, 165, and Heavyweight at this point...thinking we might not have a qualifier at either 125 or 165, and I don't know if we get more than a couple wins max at heavyweight. Then Hayes is looking like a longshot to AA, he's looked pretty unremarkable to this point and I can't think of any really notable wins. You could about say the same on Pletcher, especially after he just got throttled. McKenna, Jordan, Martin, and Moore are wrestling lights out and will be fun to watch no matter what, but the rest of the guys aren't coming along as quickly as I had hoped. Still some time in February and we have rallied late with Ryan-coached teams in the past, but not looking too great to make any sort of run at PSU this year...wasn't likely, but looking like an impossibility at this point.
The only real concern is that it looks like we are what we are at 125, 165, and Heavyweight at this point...thinking we might not have a qualifier at either 125 or 165, and I don't know if we get more than a couple wins max at heavyweight. Then Hayes is looking like a longshot to AA, he's looked pretty unremarkable to this point and I can't think of any really notable wins. You could about say the same on Pletcher, especially after he just got throttled. McKenna, Jordan, Martin, and Moore are wrestling lights out and will be fun to watch no matter what, but the rest of the guys aren't coming along as quickly as I had hoped. Still some time in February and we have rallied late with Ryan-coached teams in the past, but not looking too great to make any sort of run at PSU this year...wasn't likely, but looking like an impossibility at this point.
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As mentioned above, we beat #12 Illinois 23-14. We had a couple guys out that would have changed the score quite a bit, so it wasn't a bad performance overall. Individual matches below:
133 lbs | No. 6 Luke Pletcher (OSU) def. Dylan Duncan (ILL) | D, 3-2; Team Score: 3-0 (can't believe Luke only beats guys like this by a point)
141 lbs | No. 4 Mike Carr (ILL) def. Clay Ragon (OSU) | TF, 20-5; TS: 3-5 (McKenna was out here, would have liked to watch him wrestle Carr)
149 lbs | No. 3 Micah Jordan (OSU) def. Christian Kanzler (ILL) | TF, 27-12; TS: 8-5 (business as usual for Mic)
157 lbs | No. 7 Ke-Shawn Hayes (OSU) def. No. 8 Eric Barone (ILL) | SV1, 3-1; TS: 11-5 (a very good and much needed win against a very good opponent for Ke-Shawn...most encouraging result from the match)
165 lbs | Joey Gunther (ILL) def. Kaleb Romero (OSU) | SV1, 3-1; TS: 11-8 (this one is just disappointing...thought we would be getting way more out of Romero after his RS year...not even close to living up to the #1 ranking coming out of HS at this point)
174 lbs | No. 18 Ethan Smith (OSU) def. Carver James (ILL) | D, 7-5; TS: 14-8 (nice win for Ethan)
184 lbs | No. 1 Myles Martin (OSU) def. No. 4 Emery Parker (ILL) | D,8-4; TS: 17-8 (very good win for Myles, Parker is very talented)
197 lbs | No. 2 Kollin Moore (OSU) def. Andre Lee (ILL) | PIN, 3:37; TS: 23-8 (way to get the 6 Kollin)
285 lbs | Deuce Rachal (ILL) def. Gary Traub (OSU) | D, 3-2; TS: 23-11 (Chase had flu like symptoms, he probably would have won this one)
125 lbs | No. 11 Travis Piotrowski (ILL) def. Hunter Lucas (OSU) | D, 3-1; TS: 23-14 (good job by Lucas keeping it so close, not sure why Malik didn't wrestle but I would have liked to see how he would have done here)
Next up is Northwestern on Sunday, should have some interesting matches to watch.
133 lbs | No. 6 Luke Pletcher (OSU) def. Dylan Duncan (ILL) | D, 3-2; Team Score: 3-0 (can't believe Luke only beats guys like this by a point)
141 lbs | No. 4 Mike Carr (ILL) def. Clay Ragon (OSU) | TF, 20-5; TS: 3-5 (McKenna was out here, would have liked to watch him wrestle Carr)
149 lbs | No. 3 Micah Jordan (OSU) def. Christian Kanzler (ILL) | TF, 27-12; TS: 8-5 (business as usual for Mic)
157 lbs | No. 7 Ke-Shawn Hayes (OSU) def. No. 8 Eric Barone (ILL) | SV1, 3-1; TS: 11-5 (a very good and much needed win against a very good opponent for Ke-Shawn...most encouraging result from the match)
165 lbs | Joey Gunther (ILL) def. Kaleb Romero (OSU) | SV1, 3-1; TS: 11-8 (this one is just disappointing...thought we would be getting way more out of Romero after his RS year...not even close to living up to the #1 ranking coming out of HS at this point)
174 lbs | No. 18 Ethan Smith (OSU) def. Carver James (ILL) | D, 7-5; TS: 14-8 (nice win for Ethan)
184 lbs | No. 1 Myles Martin (OSU) def. No. 4 Emery Parker (ILL) | D,8-4; TS: 17-8 (very good win for Myles, Parker is very talented)
197 lbs | No. 2 Kollin Moore (OSU) def. Andre Lee (ILL) | PIN, 3:37; TS: 23-8 (way to get the 6 Kollin)
285 lbs | Deuce Rachal (ILL) def. Gary Traub (OSU) | D, 3-2; TS: 23-11 (Chase had flu like symptoms, he probably would have won this one)
125 lbs | No. 11 Travis Piotrowski (ILL) def. Hunter Lucas (OSU) | D, 3-1; TS: 23-14 (good job by Lucas keeping it so close, not sure why Malik didn't wrestle but I would have liked to see how he would have done here)
Next up is Northwestern on Sunday, should have some interesting matches to watch.
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Also took down #9 Northwestern on Sunday 27-15, with some very notable matches and lineup moves:
125 lbs | No. 1 Sebastian Rivera (NU) def. Hunter Lucas (OSU) | MD, 12-3 (another great job by Lucas not giving up the tech or pin, Rivera is a man on fire)
133 lbs | No. 6 Luke Pletcher (OSU) def. Colin Valdiviez (NU) | D, 9-4 (at least he beat him by more than a point)
141 lbs | Alec McKenna (NU) def. Clay Ragon (OSU) | D, 8-3 (no McKenna again, hope it is nothing serious)
149 lbs | No. 3 Micah Jordan (OSU) def. Shayne Oster (NU) | PIN, 1:47 (Mic the bonus machine keeps rolling)
157 lbs | No. 3 Ryan Deakin (NU) def. No. 7 Ke-Shawn Hayes (OSU) | MD, 8-0 (while I am not surprised he lost, Hayes cannot drop this match 8-0)
165 lbs | Te’Shan Campbell (OSU) def. Tyler Morland (NU) | D, 6-0 (biggest news of the day, as Campbell drops down to 165 again...while he reportedly struggled to make weight here last year, Romero was not coming close to getting the job done and Smith is wrestling well at 174...big roster move)
174 lbs | No. 18 Ethan Smith (OSU) def. No. 16 Johnny Sebastian (NU) | MD, 11-3 (MVP of this dual in Smith, excellent performance in majoring a very tough wrestler in Sebastian...best match of his season, love his trajectory)
184 lbs | No. 1 Myles Martin (OSU) def. Brendan Devine (NU) | PIN, 0:42 (Myles with the quick pin for the much needed bonus)
197 lbs | No. 2 Kollin Moore (OSU) def. Zack Chakonis (NU) | TF, 19-4 (Chakonis is no walk in the park and Kollin techs him...priming up for his big match against #1 Bo Nickal on Friday, should be a dandy)
285 lbs | No. 15 Conan Jennings (NU) def. Gary Traub (OSU) | MD, 11-0 (Singletary beat Jennings earlier in the year, score would not have been this close if we had Singletary and McKenna)
125 lbs | No. 1 Sebastian Rivera (NU) def. Hunter Lucas (OSU) | MD, 12-3 (another great job by Lucas not giving up the tech or pin, Rivera is a man on fire)
133 lbs | No. 6 Luke Pletcher (OSU) def. Colin Valdiviez (NU) | D, 9-4 (at least he beat him by more than a point)
141 lbs | Alec McKenna (NU) def. Clay Ragon (OSU) | D, 8-3 (no McKenna again, hope it is nothing serious)
149 lbs | No. 3 Micah Jordan (OSU) def. Shayne Oster (NU) | PIN, 1:47 (Mic the bonus machine keeps rolling)
157 lbs | No. 3 Ryan Deakin (NU) def. No. 7 Ke-Shawn Hayes (OSU) | MD, 8-0 (while I am not surprised he lost, Hayes cannot drop this match 8-0)
165 lbs | Te’Shan Campbell (OSU) def. Tyler Morland (NU) | D, 6-0 (biggest news of the day, as Campbell drops down to 165 again...while he reportedly struggled to make weight here last year, Romero was not coming close to getting the job done and Smith is wrestling well at 174...big roster move)
174 lbs | No. 18 Ethan Smith (OSU) def. No. 16 Johnny Sebastian (NU) | MD, 11-3 (MVP of this dual in Smith, excellent performance in majoring a very tough wrestler in Sebastian...best match of his season, love his trajectory)
184 lbs | No. 1 Myles Martin (OSU) def. Brendan Devine (NU) | PIN, 0:42 (Myles with the quick pin for the much needed bonus)
197 lbs | No. 2 Kollin Moore (OSU) def. Zack Chakonis (NU) | TF, 19-4 (Chakonis is no walk in the park and Kollin techs him...priming up for his big match against #1 Bo Nickal on Friday, should be a dandy)
285 lbs | No. 15 Conan Jennings (NU) def. Gary Traub (OSU) | MD, 11-0 (Singletary beat Jennings earlier in the year, score would not have been this close if we had Singletary and McKenna)
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The big one approaches this Friday (February 8th) as PSU comes to Columbus. I actually think that we might give them a run for their money here and could foresee us pulling off the upset if we are at full strength and the stars align. The predicted outcome splits it about 5-5 if we are both at full strength, so it may come down to bonus (which obviously PSU has the edge on, so we need to probably pull off one upset). Here is my breakdown:
125: Heinselmann/TBD (OSU) vs. Schnupp (PSU) - One question is whether Malik wrestles or not here. If he does, I give the nod to Malik at home with a decision. OSU 3 - PSU 0
133: Pletcher (OSU) vs. TBD (PSU) - If freshman Roman Bravo-Young wrestles for PSU, I call it a tossup with the way Luke has wrestled this year...Bravo-Young is very talented and could steal one. However, it looks somewhat doubtful he wrestles due to an injury. Even if he does, I take Luke with a decision.
OSU 6 - PSU 0.
141: McKenna/TBD (OSU) vs. Nick Lee (PSU) - If McKenna is a go (Ryan made it sound like he is fine), I have him with a major decision here actually. It might just be a decision, but Joey is absolutely on fire right now and scoring some bonus points on top opponents. If he is not a go, we lose obviously and probably a major the other way. Without knowing, I will score it in our favor.
OSU 10 - PSU 0
149: Jordan (OSU) vs. Berge/Verkleen (PSU) - I think Jordan wins this one either way but perhaps by major if Berge is still not healthy, as I believe there is some level of dropoff with Verkleen. Cale makes it sound like Berge was just getting a break the last few matches, but we'll see. Mic may be able to get some bonus regardless, as he has been wrestling extremely well this year and may feel the momentum if we are rolling, but I will stick with a decision to stop being such a homer.
OSU 13 - PSU 0
157: Hayes (OSU) vs. Nolf (PSU) - And here is where the fun stops. Hayes has been a bit of a mixed bag this year and will not match up well at all with Nolf's physical style. Nolf is a bonus machine and the goal here is to limit the damage to a decision or major, as I fear a tech or a fall could be in the realm of possibilities. I guess I will go with major decision for Nolf.
OSU 13 - PSU 4
165: Campell (OSU) vs. Joseph (PSU) - Having Campbell down here helps tremendously imo. That being said, it will just be to again limit the damage. Could also be looking at a fall or tech, but I will say major. Goal here is a decision, as Campbell can keep scores down (including his own) with his style. Pretty sure he got destroyed by Joseph last year, so can't have that happen again.
OSU 13 - PSU 8
174: Smith (OSU) vs. Hall (PSU) - Not really sure what to expect here. Of course Hall is amazing but Smith has been wrestling very well and for the most part gives some top guys runs for their money. And it will be the first time Hall sees Smith I believe. That being said, I smell a major decision here for Hall.
OSU 13 - PSU 12
184: #1 Martin (OSU) vs. #2 Rasheed (PSU) - Apparently Rasheed does not look healthy and to the contrary, Martin looks unstoppable. I see Myles definitely taking this match, although Rasheed can be sneaky. I will go with a decision here, but Myles is a guy that could break it loose if we need him to.
OSU 16 - PSU 12
197: #2 Kollin Moore (OSU) vs. #1 Bo Nickal - Here is by far the most crucial and most exciting match on the slate. It isn't just #1 vs. #2, it is that the dual could come down to this match depending on what weight they start at. And it is also that both wrestlers are relentless attackers and have such fun, yet contrasting styles. They have never met and this one should be one all wrestling fans watch. Both wrestlers have looked great all year and while I HATE to pick against Kollin, Nickal has the better track record throughout his career and usually comes up in the clutch on big matches. Decision Nickal and I hope I am wrong, because there is a good chance the match comes down to this one if we are still in it.
OSU 16 - PSU 15
HWT: #19 Singletary vs. #3 Cassar - Chase had the flu last weekend and should be back, but we better not be hoping for him to win this one to win the dual. Ain't happening, although Chase might keep it close. Decision Cassar.
PSU 18 - OSU 16
- Limiting PSU's bonus points where we can is absolutely key, but realistically I think we need to win all of our matches and get one upset, with the most likely "upset" being Kollin Moore. If things shake out similar to my prediction above, the Moore match wins it. I don't think Heinselmann counts as an upset per se, but who knows on that one and he better win it if we want a chance. Being at home, I hope the crowd brings it and the team feeds off the energy. Either way, cannot wait to watch this one.
125: Heinselmann/TBD (OSU) vs. Schnupp (PSU) - One question is whether Malik wrestles or not here. If he does, I give the nod to Malik at home with a decision. OSU 3 - PSU 0
133: Pletcher (OSU) vs. TBD (PSU) - If freshman Roman Bravo-Young wrestles for PSU, I call it a tossup with the way Luke has wrestled this year...Bravo-Young is very talented and could steal one. However, it looks somewhat doubtful he wrestles due to an injury. Even if he does, I take Luke with a decision.
OSU 6 - PSU 0.
141: McKenna/TBD (OSU) vs. Nick Lee (PSU) - If McKenna is a go (Ryan made it sound like he is fine), I have him with a major decision here actually. It might just be a decision, but Joey is absolutely on fire right now and scoring some bonus points on top opponents. If he is not a go, we lose obviously and probably a major the other way. Without knowing, I will score it in our favor.
OSU 10 - PSU 0
149: Jordan (OSU) vs. Berge/Verkleen (PSU) - I think Jordan wins this one either way but perhaps by major if Berge is still not healthy, as I believe there is some level of dropoff with Verkleen. Cale makes it sound like Berge was just getting a break the last few matches, but we'll see. Mic may be able to get some bonus regardless, as he has been wrestling extremely well this year and may feel the momentum if we are rolling, but I will stick with a decision to stop being such a homer.
OSU 13 - PSU 0
157: Hayes (OSU) vs. Nolf (PSU) - And here is where the fun stops. Hayes has been a bit of a mixed bag this year and will not match up well at all with Nolf's physical style. Nolf is a bonus machine and the goal here is to limit the damage to a decision or major, as I fear a tech or a fall could be in the realm of possibilities. I guess I will go with major decision for Nolf.
OSU 13 - PSU 4
165: Campell (OSU) vs. Joseph (PSU) - Having Campbell down here helps tremendously imo. That being said, it will just be to again limit the damage. Could also be looking at a fall or tech, but I will say major. Goal here is a decision, as Campbell can keep scores down (including his own) with his style. Pretty sure he got destroyed by Joseph last year, so can't have that happen again.
OSU 13 - PSU 8
174: Smith (OSU) vs. Hall (PSU) - Not really sure what to expect here. Of course Hall is amazing but Smith has been wrestling very well and for the most part gives some top guys runs for their money. And it will be the first time Hall sees Smith I believe. That being said, I smell a major decision here for Hall.
OSU 13 - PSU 12
184: #1 Martin (OSU) vs. #2 Rasheed (PSU) - Apparently Rasheed does not look healthy and to the contrary, Martin looks unstoppable. I see Myles definitely taking this match, although Rasheed can be sneaky. I will go with a decision here, but Myles is a guy that could break it loose if we need him to.
OSU 16 - PSU 12
197: #2 Kollin Moore (OSU) vs. #1 Bo Nickal - Here is by far the most crucial and most exciting match on the slate. It isn't just #1 vs. #2, it is that the dual could come down to this match depending on what weight they start at. And it is also that both wrestlers are relentless attackers and have such fun, yet contrasting styles. They have never met and this one should be one all wrestling fans watch. Both wrestlers have looked great all year and while I HATE to pick against Kollin, Nickal has the better track record throughout his career and usually comes up in the clutch on big matches. Decision Nickal and I hope I am wrong, because there is a good chance the match comes down to this one if we are still in it.
OSU 16 - PSU 15
HWT: #19 Singletary vs. #3 Cassar - Chase had the flu last weekend and should be back, but we better not be hoping for him to win this one to win the dual. Ain't happening, although Chase might keep it close. Decision Cassar.
PSU 18 - OSU 16
- Limiting PSU's bonus points where we can is absolutely key, but realistically I think we need to win all of our matches and get one upset, with the most likely "upset" being Kollin Moore. If things shake out similar to my prediction above, the Moore match wins it. I don't think Heinselmann counts as an upset per se, but who knows on that one and he better win it if we want a chance. Being at home, I hope the crowd brings it and the team feeds off the energy. Either way, cannot wait to watch this one.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Penn State-Ohio State wrestling picks and prediction: Top-5 thriller looms in Columbus; Will all the stars go?
FWIW, the other point of view: https://www.pennlive.com/expo/sport...-looms-in-columbus-will-all-the-stars-go.html
FWIW, the other point of view: https://www.pennlive.com/expo/sport...-looms-in-columbus-will-all-the-stars-go.html
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Let's hope they lose to the Bucks in wrestling too.
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PREVIEW: NO. 2 OHIO STATE VS. NO. 1 PENN STATE
Andy Vance on February 8, 2019 at 1:05 pm @andyvance
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Last season Ohio State's "super team" rolled into Happy Valley with the best wrestler on the planet leading the charge, but even Kyle Snyder couldn't bring Penn State's incredible dual-meet win streak to an end.
PENN STATE
NITTANY LIONS
10-0, 6-0 Big Ten Conference
ROSTER / SCHEDULE
8:30 P.M. – FRIDAY, FEB. 8
ST. JOHN ARENA
COLUMBUS, OHIO
BROADCAST: Big Ten Network
STREAMING: FloWrestling
The Buckeyes lost the dual in a 19-18 heartbreaker.
In some ways this year's story is similar – the teams are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, both are incredibly talented, and Penn State is still the 800-pound gorilla – but these two teams are not the same squads that squared off a year ago in the Pennsylvania backwoods.
Kyle Snyder is gone. Zain Retherford isn't suiting up for the Nittany Lions. These are still the two "super teams" in college wrestling, but last year's squads were simply legendary. Their 2019 analogs have more young wrestlers trying to make their mark, even if the story of an incredible Ohio State team challenging the invincible Penn State program feels the same.
On home turf, in front of 13,000 screaming fans, Ohio State feels like it can be as good as any team in the country: even perennial national champion Penn State.
THE PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
HEAD COACH CAEL SANDERSON
PROBABLE MATCHUPS
WT OSU PSU
125 Malik Heinselman (14-5, Fr.) Devin Schnupp (6-11, r-So.)
133 No. 6 Luke Pletcher (18-2, Jr.) No. 16 Roman Bravo-Young (15-2, Fr.)
141 No. 2 Joey McKenna (14-0, Sr.) No. 6 Nick Lee (20-1, So.)
149 No. 3 Micah Jordan (18-1, r-Sr.) No. 12 Brady Berge (14-2, r-Fr.)
-OR- Jarod Verkleeren (14-5, r-Fr.)
157 No. 8 Ke-Shawn Hayes (16-5 r-Jr.) No. 1 Jason Nolf (19-0, r-Sr.)
165 Te'Shan Campbell (9-2, Sr.)
-OR-Kaleb Romero (7-6, r-Fr.) No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (17-0, r-Jr.)
174 No. 17 Ethan Smith (14-5, r-Fr.) No. 1 Mark Hall (19-0, Jr.)
184 No. 1 Myles Martin (13-0, Sr.) No. 6 Shakur Rasheed (15-0, r-Sr.)
197 No. 2 Kollin Moore (13-0, r-Jr.) No. 1 Bo Nickal (18-0, r-Sr.)
HWT No. 16 Chase Singletary (15-4, r-Fr.) No. 3 Anthony Cassar (17-1, r-Sr.)
-OR- Nick Nevills (8-2, r-Sr.)
What Cael Sanderson has done since taking the reins of the Penn State wrestling program is nothing short of astounding. Prior to his arrival, Penn State was not considered among the sports' elite programs – the Nittany Lions hadn't won an NCAA team title since 1953.
Himself one of the all-time great wrestlers in the sport, Sanderson left his alma mater Iowa State and created a dynasty on the order of Nick Saban's Crimson Tide or Bill Belichick's New England Patriots. His teams have won seven of the past eight NCAA Championships, a streak itself interrupted only by Ohio State in 2015.
The program is almost unbeatable in dual meets, coming into Columbus looking to win their 56th in a row, a streak stretching back to Feb. 22, 2015. Nine members of the lineup are ranked by FloWrestling, and four are No. 1 in their weight class.
Jason Nolf, Vincenzo Joseph, Mark Hall and Bo Nickal make up Penn State's murderer's row, with seven individual NCAA titles among them. Three of them face ranked Buckeye challengers, but only Nickal faces a competitor who an objective observer would give a reasonable shot at pulling off the upset.
Joining them are a group of up and coming freshmen and sophomores in the lighter weights, and a pair of Top-5 seniors at 184 and heavyweight. Ohio State will open strong in its first four matches, but Penn State finishes as strong as any team in the history of the sport.
BUCKEYE BREAKDOWN
Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan said on the Eleven Warriors Radio Hour earlier this week that, "on paper, this meet is 5-5." The Buckeyes feel confident they can win the first four matches in the meet, and that Myles Martin will win at 184.
NCAA MOST DOMINANT STANDINGS
RANK NAME SCHOOL WEIGHT AVG. TEAM POINTS
1 Bo Nickal Penn State 197 5.33
2 Jason Nolf Penn State 157 5.16
3 Vincenzo Joseph Penn State 165 5
4 Shakur Rasheed Penn State 184 4.8
5 Alex Marinelli Iowa 165 4.69
6 Sebastian Rivera Northwestern 125 4.56
7 Anthony Ashnault Rutgers 149 4.53
7 Daniel Lewis Missouri 174 4.53
9 Zahid Valencia Arizona State 174 4.5
10 Nicholas Piccininni Oklahoma State 125 4.4
Penn State knows it will win four of the last six, and has a strong favorite at heavyweight.
The difference in winning and losing if the dual is truly 5-5 comes down to bonus points, and Penn State scores them in buckets. Earlier this week the NCAA released its most-dominant wrestler standings through January's duals, and Penn State features the Top 4 men in the country.
Nickal, Nolf and Joseph each have at least 10 pins to their credit this season, adding on average more than 5 team points per match to Penn State's score. If the Buckeyes grind out a series of low-scoring decisions in their victories, Penn State goes home with win number 56.
Presuming the dual starts at 125, Ryan and company like their chances in the early going, and the focus for Malik Heinselman, Luke Pletcher, Joey McKenna and Micah Jordan will be to give the guys after them as much cushion as possible in the team score.
Heinselman has a shot to do so given the level of competition he is facing in this match, but he only has five bonus point victories to his credit this season. Pletcher opened the year with a string of bonus point victories, but hasn't done so in a dual meet since Arizona State.
Undefeated Joey McKenna has bonus in 9 of his 14 wins, and is riding a 5-match bonus streak. He also faces a young sophomore in Nick Lee who has only one loss on his record this season; when the two met last season, McKenna won by a single point.
Micah Jordan earned bonus points in six of his last seven victories, and has four pins and four tech falls to his credit on the season. He probably has the best shot of the first four to add more than three points to the team tally.
From there, the pendulum swings widely in Penn State's favor.
Ke-Shawn Hayes moved up to 157 this season, where Nolf is on track to win his third-straight NCAA title. Against common opponents, Hayes is 6-4 and Nolf is 16-1, and the 1 in that record was an injury default.
Vincenzo Joseph will likely manhandle either Te'Shan Campbell or Kaleb Romero, and although Ethan Smith is having one of the best seasons of Ohio State's first-year starters, he faces a two-time NCAA finalist in Mark Hall. Smith hasn't backed down from anyone yet, though, so how he responds to a wrestler of Hall's caliber will be exciting to watch in any event.
So the outcome of the match likely comes down to the final three bouts.
At 184, Myles Martin knows he has what it takes to win this match, and Ohio State has nothing but confidence in their undefeated senior captain.
The 197-pound weight class should have been all about Kollin Moore this season, but Bo Nickal decided to move up. Nickal hasn't lost a match since Myles Martin upended him at the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, and he entered the year favored over Moore, who finished fourth at last year's NCAA tournament after a pair of shocking losses to Kent State's Kyle Conel.
Moore is undefeated this season, and has four pins in his last seven matches along with a tech and a major decision. His mental preparation for the match will likely be the key to victory, as he presents a totally different style of wrestler for Nickal than Myles Martin did the past two years.
If the first nine matches play out as they do on paper, that leaves the dual up to the big eaters... just like last season. Kyle Snyder won via a major decision in Happy Valley, but needed a tech fall to seal the deal.
This season the Buckeyes can't pin their hopes on needing four or five points from redshirt freshman Chase Singletary. Singletary has done a solid job in his first year of duty in the starting lineup, with eight bonus point victories to his credit – on the other hand, he's dropped decisions to the two top-10 wrestlers he's faced since the Cliff Keen tournament, and Anthony Cassar presents every bit the challenge Mason Parris did in the Michigan dual.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Fireworks. Plenty of fireworks. Ohio State is contesting this dual at St. John Arena and has reportedly sold upward of 13,000 tickets for the meet.
Asking fans to dress for a "scarlet-out," the team is pulling out all the stops to create a fan-friendly atmosphere that is intimidating for the heavily-favored visitors.
Ohio State hasn't defeated Penn State in a dual in quite some time, and the teams have traded Big Ten and NCAA titles over the past four seasons, with one winning the conference crown and the other winning the NCAA championship two weeks later.
The story of college wrestling for the better part of the decade has been these two teams. Tonight's meet is just the next chapter in what has become an incredible rivalry.
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...opCU-g_obdQhwuDSX008NFxo03qTChRJvzIxdxYxzHRZU
Andy Vance on February 8, 2019 at 1:05 pm @andyvance
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Last season Ohio State's "super team" rolled into Happy Valley with the best wrestler on the planet leading the charge, but even Kyle Snyder couldn't bring Penn State's incredible dual-meet win streak to an end.
PENN STATE
NITTANY LIONS
10-0, 6-0 Big Ten Conference
ROSTER / SCHEDULE
8:30 P.M. – FRIDAY, FEB. 8
ST. JOHN ARENA
COLUMBUS, OHIO
BROADCAST: Big Ten Network
STREAMING: FloWrestling
The Buckeyes lost the dual in a 19-18 heartbreaker.
In some ways this year's story is similar – the teams are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, both are incredibly talented, and Penn State is still the 800-pound gorilla – but these two teams are not the same squads that squared off a year ago in the Pennsylvania backwoods.
Kyle Snyder is gone. Zain Retherford isn't suiting up for the Nittany Lions. These are still the two "super teams" in college wrestling, but last year's squads were simply legendary. Their 2019 analogs have more young wrestlers trying to make their mark, even if the story of an incredible Ohio State team challenging the invincible Penn State program feels the same.
On home turf, in front of 13,000 screaming fans, Ohio State feels like it can be as good as any team in the country: even perennial national champion Penn State.
THE PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
HEAD COACH CAEL SANDERSON
PROBABLE MATCHUPS
WT OSU PSU
125 Malik Heinselman (14-5, Fr.) Devin Schnupp (6-11, r-So.)
133 No. 6 Luke Pletcher (18-2, Jr.) No. 16 Roman Bravo-Young (15-2, Fr.)
141 No. 2 Joey McKenna (14-0, Sr.) No. 6 Nick Lee (20-1, So.)
149 No. 3 Micah Jordan (18-1, r-Sr.) No. 12 Brady Berge (14-2, r-Fr.)
-OR- Jarod Verkleeren (14-5, r-Fr.)
157 No. 8 Ke-Shawn Hayes (16-5 r-Jr.) No. 1 Jason Nolf (19-0, r-Sr.)
165 Te'Shan Campbell (9-2, Sr.)
-OR-Kaleb Romero (7-6, r-Fr.) No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (17-0, r-Jr.)
174 No. 17 Ethan Smith (14-5, r-Fr.) No. 1 Mark Hall (19-0, Jr.)
184 No. 1 Myles Martin (13-0, Sr.) No. 6 Shakur Rasheed (15-0, r-Sr.)
197 No. 2 Kollin Moore (13-0, r-Jr.) No. 1 Bo Nickal (18-0, r-Sr.)
HWT No. 16 Chase Singletary (15-4, r-Fr.) No. 3 Anthony Cassar (17-1, r-Sr.)
-OR- Nick Nevills (8-2, r-Sr.)
What Cael Sanderson has done since taking the reins of the Penn State wrestling program is nothing short of astounding. Prior to his arrival, Penn State was not considered among the sports' elite programs – the Nittany Lions hadn't won an NCAA team title since 1953.
Himself one of the all-time great wrestlers in the sport, Sanderson left his alma mater Iowa State and created a dynasty on the order of Nick Saban's Crimson Tide or Bill Belichick's New England Patriots. His teams have won seven of the past eight NCAA Championships, a streak itself interrupted only by Ohio State in 2015.
The program is almost unbeatable in dual meets, coming into Columbus looking to win their 56th in a row, a streak stretching back to Feb. 22, 2015. Nine members of the lineup are ranked by FloWrestling, and four are No. 1 in their weight class.
Jason Nolf, Vincenzo Joseph, Mark Hall and Bo Nickal make up Penn State's murderer's row, with seven individual NCAA titles among them. Three of them face ranked Buckeye challengers, but only Nickal faces a competitor who an objective observer would give a reasonable shot at pulling off the upset.
Joining them are a group of up and coming freshmen and sophomores in the lighter weights, and a pair of Top-5 seniors at 184 and heavyweight. Ohio State will open strong in its first four matches, but Penn State finishes as strong as any team in the history of the sport.
BUCKEYE BREAKDOWN
Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan said on the Eleven Warriors Radio Hour earlier this week that, "on paper, this meet is 5-5." The Buckeyes feel confident they can win the first four matches in the meet, and that Myles Martin will win at 184.
NCAA MOST DOMINANT STANDINGS
RANK NAME SCHOOL WEIGHT AVG. TEAM POINTS
1 Bo Nickal Penn State 197 5.33
2 Jason Nolf Penn State 157 5.16
3 Vincenzo Joseph Penn State 165 5
4 Shakur Rasheed Penn State 184 4.8
5 Alex Marinelli Iowa 165 4.69
6 Sebastian Rivera Northwestern 125 4.56
7 Anthony Ashnault Rutgers 149 4.53
7 Daniel Lewis Missouri 174 4.53
9 Zahid Valencia Arizona State 174 4.5
10 Nicholas Piccininni Oklahoma State 125 4.4
Penn State knows it will win four of the last six, and has a strong favorite at heavyweight.
The difference in winning and losing if the dual is truly 5-5 comes down to bonus points, and Penn State scores them in buckets. Earlier this week the NCAA released its most-dominant wrestler standings through January's duals, and Penn State features the Top 4 men in the country.
Nickal, Nolf and Joseph each have at least 10 pins to their credit this season, adding on average more than 5 team points per match to Penn State's score. If the Buckeyes grind out a series of low-scoring decisions in their victories, Penn State goes home with win number 56.
Presuming the dual starts at 125, Ryan and company like their chances in the early going, and the focus for Malik Heinselman, Luke Pletcher, Joey McKenna and Micah Jordan will be to give the guys after them as much cushion as possible in the team score.
Heinselman has a shot to do so given the level of competition he is facing in this match, but he only has five bonus point victories to his credit this season. Pletcher opened the year with a string of bonus point victories, but hasn't done so in a dual meet since Arizona State.
Undefeated Joey McKenna has bonus in 9 of his 14 wins, and is riding a 5-match bonus streak. He also faces a young sophomore in Nick Lee who has only one loss on his record this season; when the two met last season, McKenna won by a single point.
Micah Jordan earned bonus points in six of his last seven victories, and has four pins and four tech falls to his credit on the season. He probably has the best shot of the first four to add more than three points to the team tally.
From there, the pendulum swings widely in Penn State's favor.
Ke-Shawn Hayes moved up to 157 this season, where Nolf is on track to win his third-straight NCAA title. Against common opponents, Hayes is 6-4 and Nolf is 16-1, and the 1 in that record was an injury default.
Vincenzo Joseph will likely manhandle either Te'Shan Campbell or Kaleb Romero, and although Ethan Smith is having one of the best seasons of Ohio State's first-year starters, he faces a two-time NCAA finalist in Mark Hall. Smith hasn't backed down from anyone yet, though, so how he responds to a wrestler of Hall's caliber will be exciting to watch in any event.
So the outcome of the match likely comes down to the final three bouts.
At 184, Myles Martin knows he has what it takes to win this match, and Ohio State has nothing but confidence in their undefeated senior captain.
The 197-pound weight class should have been all about Kollin Moore this season, but Bo Nickal decided to move up. Nickal hasn't lost a match since Myles Martin upended him at the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, and he entered the year favored over Moore, who finished fourth at last year's NCAA tournament after a pair of shocking losses to Kent State's Kyle Conel.
Moore is undefeated this season, and has four pins in his last seven matches along with a tech and a major decision. His mental preparation for the match will likely be the key to victory, as he presents a totally different style of wrestler for Nickal than Myles Martin did the past two years.
If the first nine matches play out as they do on paper, that leaves the dual up to the big eaters... just like last season. Kyle Snyder won via a major decision in Happy Valley, but needed a tech fall to seal the deal.
This season the Buckeyes can't pin their hopes on needing four or five points from redshirt freshman Chase Singletary. Singletary has done a solid job in his first year of duty in the starting lineup, with eight bonus point victories to his credit – on the other hand, he's dropped decisions to the two top-10 wrestlers he's faced since the Cliff Keen tournament, and Anthony Cassar presents every bit the challenge Mason Parris did in the Michigan dual.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Fireworks. Plenty of fireworks. Ohio State is contesting this dual at St. John Arena and has reportedly sold upward of 13,000 tickets for the meet.
Asking fans to dress for a "scarlet-out," the team is pulling out all the stops to create a fan-friendly atmosphere that is intimidating for the heavily-favored visitors.
Ohio State hasn't defeated Penn State in a dual in quite some time, and the teams have traded Big Ten and NCAA titles over the past four seasons, with one winning the conference crown and the other winning the NCAA championship two weeks later.
The story of college wrestling for the better part of the decade has been these two teams. Tonight's meet is just the next chapter in what has become an incredible rivalry.
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...opCU-g_obdQhwuDSX008NFxo03qTChRJvzIxdxYxzHRZU
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Luke goes down to in OT to Roman Bravo-Young, they started at 133. Dual is over after the first match, that sucks. Just enjoy the individual matches at this point, no way to come back from that.
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McKenna gets beat by Lee 6-5, looked totally gasses in the 3rd. On our way to getting our asses absolutely stomped at home in front of a sold out crowd. Wow.
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