Scuffle Brackets Released

We haven’t seen enough to know for sure, but the tea leaves indicate the possibility: this could be Cael Sanderson’s best Penn State Wrestling team ever.

You ever try to read Tea Leaves? It’s an ancient practice, rooted in mysticism and philosophy, but this is the Information Age and there are modern tools. No, not the kind of tools that stalk around the mat huffy & puffy and woof with empty words after actions have proven insufficient.

Modern tools, the kind that turn mysticism into empiricism.

We’re talking about Brackets!

And not the wac international brackets or old college ones that rely on fancy french words like “repechage” to work, but modern double-elimination college brackets that showcase the heart and grit and fortitude of once-defeated grapplers battling for survival in the lower consolations.

If 2019 Penn State is actually the best version of its Cael-coached self, then it will demonstrate it to the world with these modern tools.

In these brackets below (or in the downloadable version you can find here).

125

Unseeded Teasdale path: no pigtail, US Teaster (NAVY), #6 Mackall (ISU), #3 Townsell (STAN)

Unseeded Teske path: no pigtail, US Rosen (CAMP), #5 Laney (OHIO), #4 Guttierrez (CHAT)

133

3-seed RBY path: #6 Russell (APP), #2 Gomez (ISU)

141

#1 Nick Lee path: #8 Matthews (PITT), #4 Parker (ISU)

US Dom Giannangeli path: US Sparacio (BING), US Brito (APP), #2 Brock (OKST)

149

4-seed Brady Berge path: pigtail US Gissendanner (RID), US Hone (OKST), US Hagan, #5 Prince (NAVY)

6-seed Jarod Verkleeren path: no pigtail, US Burkhart (LEH), US R2 winner, #2 Gfeller (OKST)

US Luke Gardner path: #8 Zovistoski (APP), US R2 winner, #1 Finesilver (DUKE)

157

1-seed Jason Nolf path: PSU Career Falls Record (he’s at 51, Josh Moore, DT & Zain are at 53)

US Bo Pipher path: pigtail, #3 Reed (COLUMBIA), US, US, #6 Ho (GMU)

165

I’ve never tried this before, but I’m a team player...

“Our Little Meatball” 1-seed Vincenzo Joseph path: US Ferree (CAMP), US Mazzara (UNC), #8 Griffith (STAN), #4 Dellevecchia (RID)

US Mason Manville path: US Watson (CHAT), #7 DiBlasi (GMU), #2 Marsteller (LOCK)

174

1-seed Mark Hall path: #8 Coleman (ISU), #4 Carey (NAVY), #2 McFadden (VT)

184

1-seed Shakur Rasheed path: #8 Lampe (CHAT), #4 Colbray (ISU), #2 Jacobe Smith (OKST)

US Francisco Binono path: #6 Weiler (LEH), US Wiederholdt (AF), US winner, #3 Deprez

197

1-seed Bo Nickal path: ALSO THE CAREER FALLS RECORD (Bo’s at 45, behind Ed Ruth at 46, and Nolf at 51)

285

1-seed Anthony Cassar path: #8 Lawler (NCST), #4 Miller (VT), #2 Nevills (PSU)

2-seed Nick Nevills path: #7 Goodhart (DREX), #3 White (OKST), #1 Cassar (PSU)