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Half of the league has already concluded their full 9-dual conference slate. Just over three weeks remain until weigh-ins at the Big Ten Conference Championships. Let's take a look at the team standings, and individual seeding possibilities. As always, all rankings are courtesy of the fine fellas at InterMat.
Team Standings
| School | Conf.Record | Overall Record | Natl Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 8-0 | 13-0 | 1 |
| Nebraska | 8-1 | 11-1 | 10 |
| Ohio State | 8-1 | 12-3 | 3 |
| Minnesota | 7-2 | 11-2 | 4 |
| Wisconsin | 7-2 | 9-3 | 18 |
| Penn State | 6-3 | 10-3 | 6 |
| Illinois | 6-3 | 12-4 | 11 |
| Michigan | 4-4 | 6-5 | 17 |
| Rutgers | 2-7 | 12-7 | 23 |
| Purdue | 1-7 | 8-8 | 24 |
| Northwestern | 1-7 | 9-8 | 25 |
| Michigan State | 0-7 | 9-8 | NR |
| Maryland | 0-8 | 5-14 | NR |
| Indiana | 0-7 | 2-8 | NR |
Right off the bat, we see the inherent problem with a 9-dual schedule for a 14-team conference. The #10 Cornhuskers are 8-1, but guess which four Big Ten foes they missed? That would be Iowa, Ohio State, Minnesota, and Penn State - the four highest ranked teams. How convenient. At the opposite end of the scale is Rutgers. Their nine duals included all of the top 7 squads in the conference, plus Northwestern (who has been ranked as highly as 9th nationally this season) and Maryland. Woof. Fortunately for them, the Knights return practically their entire squad next season. Expect them to climb the conference ladder quickly in 2015/16.
125 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conf Total | Conf.Duals | Bonus% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Delgado | Illinois | 5-0 | 3-0 | 3-0 | 40% |
| 2 | 5 | Gilman | Iowa | 16-1 | 11-0 | 9-0 | 76% |
| 3 | 7 | Tomasello | Ohio State | 21-4 | 10-1 | 8-1 | 58% |
| 4 | 12 | Lambert | Nebraska | 16-6 | 10-1 | 8-1 | 21% |
| 5 | 8 | Conaway | Penn State | 22-4 | 7-3 | 7-2 | 46% |
| 6 | 20 | Youtsey | Michigan | 17-9 | 7-5 | 6-2 | 19% |
| 7 | NR | McCabe | Rutgers | 9-8 | 4-4 | 4-4 | 13% |
| 8 | NR | White | jNW | 12-12 | 4-4 | 4-4 | 12% |
| US | NR | Rogaliner | Sparty | 9-10 | 4-5 | 1-5 | 26% |
| US | NR | Lizak | Minnesota | 12-7 | 3-4 | 1-3 | 40% |
| US | NR | Assad | Purdue | 6-13 | 1-5 | 0-2 | 14% |
| US | NR | Cavallaris | Wisconsin | 0-3 | 0-3 | 0-3 | 0% |
| US | NR | Polacek | Maryland | 4-12 | 0-6 | 0-5 | 6% |
| US | NR | Forfeit | Indiana | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Our Guy: Jordan looks like a lock for the 5-seed at Big Tens. He's beaten both of the guys immediately behind him, and lost to the three immediately in front of him. That would give Jordan a quarterfinal rematch with Nebraska's #12 Lambert (who upset Jordan at the Scuffle but just lost to Michigan's Youtsey), and a semi-final match with #1 Delgado, who is wearing a giant shoulder harness and clearly wrestling with one arm right now.
Estimated NCAA Bids: 6
Overall: If you have BTN Plus, go watch Delgado wrestle Wisconsin's Jimenez/Cavallaris, and see if you agree with me that the defending national champ has one arm.
133 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conference | Conf.Duals | Bonus% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Dardanes | Minnesota | 16-0 | 6-0 | 5-0 | 55% |
| 2 | 7 | Taylor | Wisconsin | 12-1 | 8-0 | 8-0 | 61% |
| 3 | 10 | DiJulius | Ohio State | 20-2 | 6-2 | 6-2 | 43% |
| 4 | 5 | Gulibon | Penn State | 16-4 | 8-2 | 7-2 | 22% |
| 5 | 11 | Sabatello | Purdue | 20-6 | 7-4 | 5-2 | 30% |
| 6 | 8 | Richards | Illinois | 18-4 | 10-4 | 6-3 | 35% |
| 7 | 18 | DelVecchio | Rutgers | 15-6 | 5-4 | 5-4 | 25% |
| 8 | 6 | Clark | Iowa | 10-4 | 6-4 | 3-4 | 46% |
| 9 | 9 | Bruno | Michigan | 11-6 | 3-5 | 1-2 | 20% |
| 10 | NR | Montoya | Nebraska | 12-9 | 5-5 | 5-4 | 24% |
| US | 20 | Alexander | Maryland | 11-7 | 4-6 | 3-5 | 20% |
| US | NR | Malone | jNW | 16-14 | 2-7 | 2-6 | 27% |
| US | NR | Esquivel | Sparty | 8-8 | 2-4 | 1-3 | 18% |
| US | NR | Sheppard | Indiana | 2-13 | 0-8 | 0-7 | 6% |
Our Guy: Jimmy's gutsy win over Iowa's Clark moves him clear of most of the jumble at this weight. Not all of it, though. I have him as the 4-seed, but he's beaten 3-seed DiJulius and lost to 5-seed Sabatello. So prepare for a little movement come tournament time.
Estimated NCAA Bids: 10
Overall: Look out for Wisconsin's Taylor. He destroyed Illinois' Zane Richards by tech fall, using a simple throw by for a bunch of takedowns, and getting back points from a tilt out of a mat return. Dude is definitely country strong, and would seem to match up well with Minnesota's Dardanes (who sat out both of his matches this weekend).
141 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conference | Conf.Duals | Bonus% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Stieber | Ohio State | 19-0 | 9-0 | 8-0 | 84% |
| 2 | 8 | Abidin | Nebraska | 18-2 | 10-0 | 9-0 | 41% |
| 3 | 4 | Dardanes | Minnesota | 16-2 | 7-1 | 6-1 | 42% |
| 4 | 9 | Ashnault | Rutgers | 17-4 | 7-4 | 7-2 | 40% |
| 5 | 6 | Dziewa | Iowa | 14-5 | 7-4 | 4-3 | 40% |
| 6 | 12 | Rodrigues | Illinois | 13-7 | 7-3 | 6-3 | 25% |
| 7 | NR | Moss | Penn State | 16-12 | 3-7 | 3-5 | 27% |
| 8 | NR | Lawrence | Purdue | 15-12 | 3-5 | 3-4 | 19% |
| US | NR | Fisher | Michigan | 17-13 | 5-8 | 3-5 | 29% |
| US | NR | Oster | jNW | 14-11 | 3-6 | 3-5 | 38% |
| US | NR | Brown | Maryland | 13-9 | 6-6 | 3-5 | 28% |
| US | NR | Thielke | Wisconsin | 3-7 | 2-6 | 2-6 | 18% |
| US | NR | Gasca | Sparty | 9-4 | 1-4 | 0-2 | 44% |
| US | NR | Brown | Indiana | 8-13 | 0-7 | 0-6 | 16% |
Our Guy: None of us knew it, but apparently Kade was not cleared to wrestle Jeva in the BJC match until just before weigh-ins. "Cleared" of what? I have no idea, but that's the phrasing Cael used in his post-match presser. Let's hope it's nothing serious. Kade's made giant leaps forward this year, and I'd like to see him keep that rolling.
Estimated NCAA Bids: 6
Overall: Goldy's Nick Dardanes gave Logan Stieber his first match of the season, dropping a 10-9 nail biter over the weekend (Minnesota lost the dual to Ohio State).
149 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conference | Conf.Duals | Bonus% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Sorensen | Iowa | 18-1 | 11-0 | 7-0 | 48% |
| 2 | 3 | Tsirtsis | jNW | 26-1 | 9-1 | 7-1 | 37% |
| 3 | 13 | Pantaleo | Michigan | 14-4 | 7-1 | 7-1 | 28% |
| 4 | 17 | Theobold | Rutgers | 19-5 | 9-3 | 7-2 | 27% |
| 5 | 18 | Beitz | Penn State | 13-7 | 6-4 | 6-3 | 26% |
| 6 | 6 | Stieber | Ohio State | 1-2 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0% |
| 7 | NR | Arthur | Nebraska | 13-9 | 5-5 | 4-5 | 9% |
| 8 | NR | Langenderfer | Illinois | 12-10 | 4-7 | 3-6 | 32% |
| 9 | NR | Lubeck | Wisconsin | 5-8 | 3-6 | 2-6 | 0% |
| US | NR | Nelsen | Purdue | 14-10 | 5-7 | 2-5 | 33% |
| US | NR | Short | Minnesota | 10-8 | 2-5 | 2-5 | 9% |
| US | NR | Trimble | Sparty | 5-11 | 1-6 | 1-5 | 9% |
| US | NR | Moody | Indiana | 3-13 | 1-6 | 1-6 | 5% |
| US | NR | Dorsay | Maryland | 1-8 | 1-5 | 1-4 | 9% |
Our Guy: Zack's been wrestling well. He's proven that he's right there with the top guys in this weight. Just a little bit more, and he can start knocking them off. I like his chances this post season.
Estimated NCAA Bids: 5
Overall: We have the same problem here as we've had for the last few weeks. We don't project many NCAA bids for Big Tens, yet the field is loaded with past qualifiers who are having uneven seasons (or, no season at all, like Hunter Stieber). That could make this weight class awfully entertaining, or frightening, depending upon your perspective.
157 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conference | Conf.Duals | Bonus% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Martinez | Illinois | 22-0 | 11-0 | 9-0 | 72% |
| 2 | 1 | Ness | Minnesota | 20-0 | 8-0 | 8-0 | 60% |
| 3 | 3 | Green | Nebraska | 18-3 | 8-3 | 7-2 | 45% |
| 4 | 10 | Murphy | Michigan | 18-9 | 9-3 | 6-2 | 11% |
| 5 | 11 | Welch | Purdue | 21-7 | 9-4 | 5-2 | 12% |
| 6 | 8 | Alton | Penn State | 7-3 | 3-1 | 2-1 | 20% |
| 7 | 12 | Demas | Ohio State | 9-4 | 4-4 | 2-4 | 0% |
| 8 | 14 | Perrotti | Rutgers | 13-6 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 43% |
| US | 16 | Kelly | Iowa | 11-5 | 7-5 | 3-4 | 22% |
| US | NR | Mascola | Maryland | 12-11 | 6-7 | 3-5 | 25% |
| US | NR | Donar | Wisconsin | 9-9 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 15% |
| US | NR | Blanton | Indiana | 7-11 | 3-6 | 2-3 | 12% |
| US | NR | Curley | Sparty | 3-7 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 11% |
| US | NR | Sullivan | jNW | 4-12 | 0-7 | 0-6 | 23% |
Our Guy: It sounded like Dylan wanted to go on Sunday, but the staff chose to give him a little more rest. As much as I'd have liked to have seen Dylan beat on Iowa's Mike Kelly, and give PSU a shot at beating Iowa, holding him out was the right call. It's the post-season that matters for Dylan.
Estimated NCAA Bids: 6
Overall: Dylan Ness barely survived Ohio State's Demas this weekend, and Rutgers' Perrotti has won three straight to climb out of the basement and into the seeds. That, by my estimation, puts Iowa's Kelly on the seeding bubble.
165 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conference | Conf.Duals | Bonus% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | I.Jordan | Wisconsin | 16-0 | 9-0 | 8-0 | 68% |
| 2 | 5 | B.Jordan | Ohio State | 13-0 | 9-0 | 8-0 | 62% |
| 3 | 8 | Morse | Illinois | 19-4 | 7-4 | 6-3 | 44% |
| 4 | 7 | Harger | jNW | 22-5 | 7-4 | 6-2 | 41% |
| 5 | 9 | Moore | Iowa | 10-5 | 7-4 | 5-2 | 50% |
| 6 | 6 | Walsh | Indiana | 22-4 | 11-3 | 4-3 | 63% |
| 7 | 10 | Massa | Michigan | 9-5 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 33% |
| 8 | 17 | Wanzek | Minnesota | 13-8 | 3-4 | 3-4 | 32% |
| US | 18 | Hammond | Penn State | 19-9 | 6-4 | 5-4 | 44% |
| US | NR | Wilson | Nebraska | 11-10 | 5-4 | 5-4 | 24% |
| US | NR | Visicaro | Rutgers | 4-8 | 2-6 | 1-5 | 7% |
| US | NR | Wildmo | Sparty | 12-12 | 1-7 | 0-5 | 33% |
| US | NR | Robinson | Purdue | 9-12 | 1-6 | 1-6 | 13% |
| US | NR | Mannion | Maryland | 1-14 | 0-8 | 0-7 | 12% |
Our Guy: Wow. That's a memory that will last a lifetime. Congratulations, Garett.
Estimated NCAA Bids: 7
Overall: With each passing week, this weight looks more and more like a Jordan vs. Jordan final. The rest of the spots are completely up in the air. But the top two look pretty solid to me.
174 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conference | Conf.Duals | Bonus% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Kokesh | Nebraska | 23-0 | 11-0 | 9-0 | 43% |
| 2 | 2 | Brown | Penn State | 22-2 | 9-1 | 9-0 | 68% |
| 3 | 3 | Evans | Iowa | 12-1 | 9-1 | 6-1 | 52% |
| 4 | 4 | Storley | Minnesota | 21-3 | 7-2 | 6-2 | 52% |
| 5 | 10 | Brunson | Illinois | 20-4 | 9-4 | 6-3 | 35% |
| 6 | 15 | Jackson | Indiana | 17-7 | 4-4 | 4-2 | 31% |
| 7 | 13 | Martin | Ohio State | 14-7 | 7-3 | 3-2 | 18% |
| 8 | NR | Cousins | Wisconsin | 14-9 | 5-8 | 4-5 | 7% |
| US | NR | Bakuckas | Rutgers | 13-11 | 2-9 | 2-7 | 39% |
| US | NR | Proctor | Sparty | 6-10 | 2-5 | 2-3 | 8% |
| US | NR | Welch | Purdue | 14-13 | 3-8 | 2-5 | 14% |
| US | NR | Salazar | Michigan | 11-8 | 4-6 | 2-3 | 15% |
| US | NR | Snook | Maryland | 5-12 | 3-6 | 2-4 | 17% |
| US | NR | Forfeit | jNW | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0% |
Our Guy: Has Penn State had a more consistent guy than Hulk Hands? I'm not counting wrestling savants Taylor and Ruth, who are completely out of the ordinary. And maybe that is the wrong question to ask, since there appear to be nothing but dedicated, hard working guys in that room. But Matt Brown comes to freaking work every. single. day, doesn't he?
Estimated NCAA Bids: 7
Overall: It's the top four, and then everyone else. It's been that way for two years now.
184 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conference | Conf.Duals | Bonus% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Brooks | Iowa | 12-2 | 8-0 | 8-0 | 61% |
| 2 | 20 | Robertson | Wisconsin | 16-4 | 8-1 | 8-1 | 21% |
| 3 | 15 | Dudley | Nebraska | 15-6 | 7-4 | 7-1 | 25% |
| 4 | 10 | Courts | Ohio State | 14-4 | 7-3 | 7-2 | 32% |
| 5 | 12 | Abounader | Michigan | 14-6 | 7-2 | 6-2 | 19% |
| 6 | 13 | Pfarr | Minnesota | 18-7 | 8-3 | 6-3 | 35% |
| 7 | 19 | McCutcheon | Penn State | 19-10 | 7-4 | 5-4 | 32% |
| 8 | NR | Reyes | Illinois | 11-8 | 5-4 | 5-4 | 20% |
| US | NR | Parfumi | Rutgers | 11-10 | 4-4 | 2-4 | 28% |
| US | NR | Kissel | Purdue | 12-9 | 3-6 | 1-6 | 16% |
| US | NR | Rizqallah | Sparty | 9-9 | 1-7 | 1-5 | 12% |
| US | NR | Sliga | jNW | 9-15 | 3-7 | 1-7 | 4% |
| US | NR | Masengale | Indiana | 6-14 | 0-5 | 0-5 | 13% |
| US | NR | Gardner | Maryland | 0-13 | 0-8 | 0-8 | 0% |
Our Guy: I'm still firmly on the Matt McCutcheon bandwagon.
Estimated NCAA Bids: 7
Overall: Take a look at the 2, 3, and 4 seeds. It's soft and gooey. Matt can make a run at Big Tens.
197 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conference | Conf.Duals | Bonus% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Snyder | Ohio State | 22-2 | 11-1 | 8-1 | 54% |
| 2 | 4 | McIntosh | Penn State | 21-2 | 10-1 | 8-1 | 45% |
| 3 | 5 | Schiller | Minnesota | 17-3 | 7-2 | 7-2 | 63% |
| 4 | 6 | Burak | Iowa | 9-2 | 5-2 | 3-2 | 26% |
| 5 | 14 | Studebaker | Nebraska | 15-6 | 9-3 | 7-2 | 36% |
| 6 | 8 | Huntley | Michigan | 15-5 | 4-5 | 3-3 | 45% |
| 7 | 16 | Polizzi | jNW | 20-7 | 6-4 | 4-4 | 41% |
| 8 | 15 | McCall | Wisconsin | 16-7 | 6-5 | 5-4 | 3% |
| US | 9 | Atwood | Purdue | 8-4 | 2-3 | 2-3 | 28% |
| US | NR | Koepke | Illinois | 13-11 | 4-7 | 4-5 | 11% |
| US | NR | McDiarmid | Sparty | 6-10 | 2-5 | 2-3 | 12% |
| US | NR | Campolattano | Rutgers | 1-4 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 0% |
| US | NR | Fitzgerald | Maryland | 6-14 | 1-8 | 1-7 | 21% |
| US | NR | Sheridan | Indiana | 12-12 | 0-7 | 0-6 | 37% |
Our Guy: more than likely, Morg's secured at least the 2-seed.
Estimated NCAA Bids: 8
Overall: Ohio State's Snyder beat Goldy's Schiller this weekend with a last second takedown, 3-1. So, he'll probably have the top seed, and Morg won't get a rematch unless they both make the final.
285 LBS
| Seed | Natl Rank | Wrestler | School | Overall | Conference | Bonus% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Medbery | Wisconsin | 21-1 | 11-1 | 9-0 | 68% |
| 2 | 2 | Telford | Iowa | 14-1 | 9-1 | 7-1 | 45% |
| 3 | 4 | McMullan | jNW | 18-2 | 6-2 | 6-1 | 48% |
| 4 | 7 | Coon | Michigan | 20-3 | 12-1 | 6-1 | 44% |
| 5 | 6 | Lawson | Penn State | 11-1 | 5-1 | 5-1 | 48% |
| 6 | 17 | Jensen | Nebraska | 11-9 | 6-6 | 5-4 | 25% |
| 7 | 12 | Myers | Maryland | 5-2 | 3-2 | 3-2 | 0% |
| 8 | NR | Black | Illinois | 12-10 | 5-6 | 4-4 | 17% |
| 9 | 13 | Kroells | Minnesota | 16-11 | 6-6 | 4-5 | 21% |
| 10 | 14 | Smith | Rutgers | 10-6 | 3-6 | 3-6 | 26% |
| US | 9 | Tavanello | Ohio State | 13-7 | 0-3 | 0-2 | 45% |
| US | NR | Goldman | Indiana | 5-10 | 5-7 | 1-5 | 0% |
| US | NR | Nash | Sparty | 6-7 | 1-5 | 1-4 | 44% |
| US | NR | Robinson | Purdue | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0% |
Our Guy: Asked by a reporter what he thought of how Jimmy Lawson did on Sunday, Cael replied, "well, he didn't really DO anything." Cael softened his language after that, but he clearly felt the same frustration many of us here at BSD felt. Heavyweight has been up in the air all season long. It seems like it might continue through the end of the year.
Estimated NCAA Bids: 7
Overall: I gave Wisconsin's Medbery the top seed here, even though his loss came to Iowa's Telford, because I like that Medbery works to score points.