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Ohio State Wrestling (2015/2017/2018 B1G Champs, 2015 National Champs, 2019 National Runners-up)

The B10 seems to be shining through in these duals. Cementing our conference as #1 in nation. Love to see that. Maybe it's the exposure to the B10 channel that brings to light these great wrestlers? Fun to watch, tape the match, and play it fast forward a bit until there is some discrete action. Rewind and watch the action compressed going forwards. Go Bucks! Point for the B10's, and then the Nati's!

Yeah, and the #2 conference (whoever it is) is further behind the B1G than Twice A Prince (the 2nd place horse) was in the 1973 Belmont Stakes.

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EP8BIdtUwAALLP7


WRESTLING: NO. 6 OHIO STATE HOSTS NO. 23 NORTHWESTERN ON SENIOR NIGHT


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Ohio State is looking to send its seniors out on a high note Sunday.

The No. 6 Buckeyes (9-3 5-2 Big Ten) host No. 23 Northwestern (3-5 1-4 Big Ten) for senior night, the final home meet for a trio of wrestlers.

“With the last one, we want to send our seniors out in style,” Ohio State associate head coach J Jaggers said.

The Wildcats are coming off a tight 19-18 road loss to Illinois, but they host Michigan State Friday before making the trip to Columbus.

After dropping its second dual meet of the past four to No. 4 Nebraska this past week, Ohio State will need a win against Northwestern to stay among the nation’s elite.

Ohio State senior Luke Pletcher, the nation’s No. 1 wrestler at 141 pounds, said he feels a mix of emotions for his final dual meet at the Covelli Center.

“I’m just excited. Last dual meet, it’s a little weird feeling but, I’m excited for it,” Pletcher said.

After the loss to the Cornhuskers, Ohio State dropped from the No. 3 ranking down to No. 6.

Jaggers said he’s not too concerned about the results, and happy with the team’s steady improvement.

“I think we’ve been trending up all year, which is good, even in defeat,” Jaggers said. “All we’re looking at is progress, and we’re seeing that.”

One Buckeye who continues to trend upward is redshirt freshman Sammy Sasso, who ascended to the No. 1 spot among 149-pound wrestlers this week. His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, and his 20-2 record this season has earned praise from his peers.

“He’s disciplined. The way he’s working in the room, he’s just bringing a lot of energy. He’s focused and you can tell he’s dialed in,” Pletcher said.

Jaggers said it’s that energy that separates Sasso as a wrestler.

“I think what makes Sammy so unique is just his enthusiasm for wrestling,” Jaggers said.

Sasso will be in one of four probable ranked matchups Sunday against Northwestern redshirt sophomore Yahya Thomas, the No. 16 wrestler at 149 pounds.

Entire article: https://www.thelantern.com/2020/02/...-takes-on-no-23-northwestern-on-senior-night/

 
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Wrestling: No. 7 Ohio State (9-3) vs. No. 22 Northwestern (3-5) Preview

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The Buckeyes return to the Covelli Center Sunday afternoon (2:00 pm, BTN Plus) for their final home dual of the year against No. 22 Northwestern. There will be standing room only for this dual as Buckeye Nation celebrates the Seniors on this squad.

Ohio State is 9-3 this season with their last dual coming against No.6 Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Buckeyes were defeated 19-14 after winning 4/10 matches. The dual was tied 14-14 going in to the last match of the night where Ethan Smith wrestled against Isaiah White, the No. 4 165-pounder in the country. Smith lead the entire match until White caught Smith in a cradle and pinned him with 2 seconds left.

Northwestern is 3-5 this season with wins against No. 14 Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, and Indiana. Northwestern also had close losses against No. 11 Virginia Tech, No. 18 Purdue, Michigan, and Illinois.

Please read below for weight by weight previews.

125 pounds: Dylan Koontz (12-8, r-So.) vs. No. 11 Michael DeAugustino (13-6, r-Fr.)
  • With the continued struggles in this weight class, Coach Tom Ryan seems to be looking for immediate answers. Koontz started the season out at 133 pounds and has now moved down to 125 pounds in an effort to help the team. Koontz represented Ohio State at the Cliff Keen Invitational earlier this season and surprised everyone finishing 6th in the 133-pound weight class. Koontz’s opponent Michael DeAugustino is the No. 11 125 pounder in the country. In his last match, DeAugustino was defeated by an unranked Illinois opponent in a 4-2 decision. Koontz is tough on top and I think that will be the difference in this match. I think Koontz wins by decision making the team score 3-0 OSU.
133 Pounds: Jordan Decatur (10-7, Fr.) vs. No. 3 Sebastian Rivera (7-2, r-Jr.) or Dylan Utterback (2-9, Jr.)
  • In his last match, Decatur was defeated by Ridge Lovett, the No. 14 133-pounder in the country from Nebraska by a 6-5 decision. Decatur has shown an elite ability to score at times but has also struggled on bottom. In Northwestern’s last match, Utterback was defeated by Travis Piotrowski, the No. 7 133-pounder in the country by a 21-3 tech fall. Rivera last competed at the Midlands Championships where he had to medically forfeit in his 6th match against Travis Piotrowski. Rivera was leading 5-3 when he got hurt. This would be a great match for Rivera to come back but ultimately, I do not think he does. If Utterback wrestles, I think Decatur wins by decision but if Rivera wrestles, I think he wins by decision. Decatur’s victory would make the team score 6-0 OSU.
141 Pounds: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (22-0, Sr.) vs. Alec McKenna (4-6, r-Sr.)
  • In his last match, Pletcher defeated Chad Red, the No. 6 141-pounder in the country from Nebraska in a 10-1 major decision. In Northwestern’s last match, McKenna was defeated by Dylan Duncan, the No. 12 141-pounder in the country in a 5-0 decision. I expect Pletcher to score at will in this match winning by tech fall. Pletcher’s victory would make the team score 11-0 OSU.
149 Pounds: No. 1 Sammy Sasso (20-2, r-Fr.) vs. No. 16 Yahya Thomas (9-5, r-So.)
  • In his last match, Sasso defeated Collin Purinton, the No. 15 149-pounder in the country by a 13-4 major decision. In Northwestern’s last match, Thomas defeated an unranked Illinois opponent by a 2-1 decision. Thomas wrestles an unorthodox style but Sasso has taken the next step in his progression this season. He has elite defense and can hit a big move if it presents itself. I believe Sasso wins by major decision. Sasso’s victory would make the team score 15-0 OSU.
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continued
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As we get closer and closer to March, Coach Tom Ryan has established his team as a contender to win the title. Iowa will be extremely tough to defeat but Ohio State has 3 serious contenders to win individual titles. The team race will come down to the other 7 weight classes and how many points they can get for the team. Either way, I believe Ohio State has a bright future with this lineup, especially with the wrestlers that redshirted this season and those committed for 2021 and beyond.

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2020/02/wrestling-no-7-ohio-state-9-3-vs-no-22-northwestern-3-5-preview/
 
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Wrestling: No. 7 Ohio State (9-3) vs. No. 22 Northwestern (3-5) Preview

Wrestling-OSU-Mat-1170x780.jpg


The Buckeyes return to the Covelli Center Sunday afternoon (2:00 pm, BTN Plus) for their final home dual of the year against No. 22 Northwestern. There will be standing room only for this dual as Buckeye Nation celebrates the Seniors on this squad.

Ohio State is 9-3 this season with their last dual coming against No.6 Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Buckeyes were defeated 19-14 after winning 4/10 matches. The dual was tied 14-14 going in to the last match of the night where Ethan Smith wrestled against Isaiah White, the No. 4 165-pounder in the country. Smith lead the entire match until White caught Smith in a cradle and pinned him with 2 seconds left.

Northwestern is 3-5 this season with wins against No. 14 Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, and Indiana. Northwestern also had close losses against No. 11 Virginia Tech, No. 18 Purdue, Michigan, and Illinois.

Please read below for weight by weight previews.

125 pounds: Dylan Koontz (12-8, r-So.) vs. No. 11 Michael DeAugustino (13-6, r-Fr.)
  • With the continued struggles in this weight class, Coach Tom Ryan seems to be looking for immediate answers. Koontz started the season out at 133 pounds and has now moved down to 125 pounds in an effort to help the team. Koontz represented Ohio State at the Cliff Keen Invitational earlier this season and surprised everyone finishing 6th in the 133-pound weight class. Koontz’s opponent Michael DeAugustino is the No. 11 125 pounder in the country. In his last match, DeAugustino was defeated by an unranked Illinois opponent in a 4-2 decision. Koontz is tough on top and I think that will be the difference in this match. I think Koontz wins by decision making the team score 3-0 OSU.
133 Pounds: Jordan Decatur (10-7, Fr.) vs. No. 3 Sebastian Rivera (7-2, r-Jr.) or Dylan Utterback (2-9, Jr.)
  • In his last match, Decatur was defeated by Ridge Lovett, the No. 14 133-pounder in the country from Nebraska by a 6-5 decision. Decatur has shown an elite ability to score at times but has also struggled on bottom. In Northwestern’s last match, Utterback was defeated by Travis Piotrowski, the No. 7 133-pounder in the country by a 21-3 tech fall. Rivera last competed at the Midlands Championships where he had to medically forfeit in his 6th match against Travis Piotrowski. Rivera was leading 5-3 when he got hurt. This would be a great match for Rivera to come back but ultimately, I do not think he does. If Utterback wrestles, I think Decatur wins by decision but if Rivera wrestles, I think he wins by decision. Decatur’s victory would make the team score 6-0 OSU.
141 Pounds: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (22-0, Sr.) vs. Alec McKenna (4-6, r-Sr.)
  • In his last match, Pletcher defeated Chad Red, the No. 6 141-pounder in the country from Nebraska in a 10-1 major decision. In Northwestern’s last match, McKenna was defeated by Dylan Duncan, the No. 12 141-pounder in the country in a 5-0 decision. I expect Pletcher to score at will in this match winning by tech fall. Pletcher’s victory would make the team score 11-0 OSU.
149 Pounds: No. 1 Sammy Sasso (20-2, r-Fr.) vs. No. 16 Yahya Thomas (9-5, r-So.)
  • In his last match, Sasso defeated Collin Purinton, the No. 15 149-pounder in the country by a 13-4 major decision. In Northwestern’s last match, Thomas defeated an unranked Illinois opponent by a 2-1 decision. Thomas wrestles an unorthodox style but Sasso has taken the next step in his progression this season. He has elite defense and can hit a big move if it presents itself. I believe Sasso wins by major decision. Sasso’s victory would make the team score 15-0 OSU.
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.
continued
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As we get closer and closer to March, Coach Tom Ryan has established his team as a contender to win the title. Iowa will be extremely tough to defeat but Ohio State has 3 serious contenders to win individual titles. The team race will come down to the other 7 weight classes and how many points they can get for the team. Either way, I believe Ohio State has a bright future with this lineup, especially with the wrestlers that redshirted this season and those committed for 2021 and beyond.

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2020/02/wrestling-no-7-ohio-state-9-3-vs-no-22-northwestern-3-5-preview/

Excellent breakdown, kudos. I love the move at 125 with Koontz cutting down... he is a great wrestler and I think will be an improvement at 125. Curious to see how he does there.
 
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Last season Ohio State was third in the country in average attendance, behind perennial top-draw Iowa and multi-year national champ Penn State. The Buckeyes drew 5,817 fans to 6 duals, but if you pull out the 13,276 who filled The Schott for the Penn State dual, the average drops to 4,325... in other words, pretty close to a capacity crowd at Covelli.

From 2002 to 2017, the largest crowd to watch Ohio State wrestle a dual meet in St. John was around 6,500 – roughly 50% capacity. In 2017 the program hosted Penn State in the Schottenstein Center and drew 15,338, a feat it would repeat the following season versus Iowa (15,117); Penn State drew 13,276 last season.

With The Schott just down Fred Taylor Drive, the program has the option of drawing those larger crowds for the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions, and will likely do so at least once next season when one or both of those programs come to Columbus.

In case you wondered....

WRESTLING SINGLE MATCH TICKETS
Tickets are $15.00 for adults, $11.00 for youth, and $8 for groups of 10 or more (when purchased in advance). Service fees may apply. Ohio State University students and children under the age of 2 are free.
 
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WRESTLING: NO. 6 OHIO STATE TAKES ON NO. 2 PENN STATE IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE

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Since 2011, Ohio State and Penn State have captured every NCAA Division I Team Wrestling Championship.

The powerhouse programs clash again Saturday, as the No. 6 Buckeyes (10-3, 6-2 Big Ten) attempt to close out the regular season with a road win against conference rival No. 2 Penn State (10-2, 7-1) on the road.

“It’s a dual meet we look forward to every year. They’re considered our natural rival from the Big Ten scheduling standpoint and we just gotta be tough,” Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan said.

Penn State is currently defending their ninth national championship, having won consecutive titles from 2011 to ‘14 and 2016 to ‘19. The Buckeyes won their first title in 2015 and have been runner-up to the Nittany Lions for the past three seasons.

“[Ohio] is a gritty, tough state with gritty, tough people that produce gritty, tough people, and the same with Pennsylvania,” Ryan said.

Ohio State redshirt freshman Rocky Jordan, No. 12 in the nation at 184 pounds, will be wrestling in Happy Valley for the first time but has been there before as a spectator to watch his older brothers while they were at Ohio State.

“Watching Bo and Mic wrestle there, them telling me about it, it’s a pretty crazy environment there,” Jordan said. “It gets a little loud, gets a little crazy there for sure. So I’m really looking forward to it.”

The meet’s marquee will take place in the 141-pound weight class.

Ohio State senior Luke Pletcher –– the No. 1 141 pounder –– will wrestle Penn State junior Nick Lee, who is No. 2. Both wrestlers are coming into the matchup undefeated, Pletcher at 23-0 and Lee at 16-0. Pletcher, though, is battle-tested with 12 wins against top 25 opponents.

“The match of the night is [141], Pletcher and Lee. Lee is a tremendous, tremendous wrestler. Pletcher, we’ve seen the dominance, he’s a tremendous wrestler,” Ryan said.

There will be a few familiar foes for the Buckeyes Saturday.

Ohio State redshirt senior Kollin Moore, the No. 1 wrestler at 197 pounds, will potentially go head-to-head with Penn State redshirt senior Shakur Rasheed, No. 18 in the class. It would be the third all-time meeting between Moore and Rasheed, and Moore has a chance to go 3-0.

Decatur will be looking to jump back into the rankings with a win over Penn State sophomore Roman Bravo-Young, ranked at No. 4 in the 133-pound weight class. Decatur and Bravo-Young competed against each other in the 2016 United World Wrestling Cadet World Championships.

“I’m feeling great. I’m ready to go. For the rest of the season, I’m stuck here at [133],” Decatur said.

The Buckeye lineup is still uncertain though, with potential changes coming at 125 and 157 pounds.

“Both teams have guys there but, they haven’t been wrestling the way that they can,” Ryan said. “At [125] and [157], those aren’t maybe for us. You’ve got to have those [wins].”

Entire article: https://www.thelantern.com/2020/02/...-on-no-2-penn-state-in-regular-season-finale/

 
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Well, here comes the big PSU dual that has turned into quite the huge rivalry. Per annual tradition, I give you the OSU/PSU dual prediction below:

125: Heinselman vs. Bradon Meredith
Prediction - Heinselman/Koontz over Meredith by decision OSU 3 - PSU 0 (dead even bout imo and I guess the optimist in me likes OSU here)
133: Decatur vs. #4 Bravo-Young
Prediction - Bravo-Young over Decatur by major decision PSU 4 - OSU 3 (I actually think Decatur matches up nicely against RBY stylistically and could give him problems...still do not see him keeping it all that close, hopefully he can keep it to a decision)
141: #1 Pletcher vs. #2 Lee
Prediction - Pletcher over Lee by decision OSU 6 - PSU 4 (really tough match for Luke, Lee always is a tough match for him...but Luke is a man on a mission this year and I see him with a very narrow win here, but giving up a takedown or two in the process)
149: #1 Sasso vs. Gardner/Verkleen
Prediction - Sasso by decision over Garder/Verkleen OSU 9 - PSU 4 (if its Gardner, I think Sammy gets a major...if its Verkleen, then decision, Verkleen seems to keep matches close even against top opponents)
157: Cleary/Kinner vs. Berge/Pipher
Prediction: Berge/Pipher by decision over Cleary/Kinner OSU 9 - PSU 7 (this is a match that we could steal and potentially win the dual...but I don't see it, particularly if it is Berge)
165: #14 Smith vs. #1 Joseph
Prediction: Joseph over Smith by major decision PSU 11 - OSU 9 (really need Smith to keep this to a decision but not sure he does, Joseph is a hammer)
174: #7 Romero vs. #2 Hall
Prediction: Hall over Romero by decision PSU 14 - OSU 9 (really interesting matchup of styles and I think Romero keeps it close, but Hall prevails)
184: #12 Jordan vs. #7 Brooks
Prediction: Jordan over Brooks by decision PSU 14 - OSU 12 (call me biased here, but I really think Rocky matches up well and gets a big win on his resume here...at the very least, needs to be a close one)
197: #1 Moore vs. #18 Rasheed
Prediction: Moore over Rasheed by major decision OSU 16 - PSU 14 (Moore matches up great against Rasheed and Rasheed looks rusty so far...Kollin could be looking for a pin or tech at this point though, as we will likely need it to win)
HWT: #23 Traub vs. #13 Nevills
Prediction: Nevills over Traub by decision PSU 17 - OSU 16 (the Gas Tank has seemed to slow down lately and Nevills is tough...would be interesting to see if it comes down to this match)

- Obviously we want to win and think we can if some things fall our way, but things could get out of control with the dual being in Rec Hall. Don't give up bonus and get bonus where we can, and we have a shot. Hopefully it will be a fun dual to watch.
 
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