Fi: Cael's Dilemma

Fi: Cael's Dilemma

Oct 31, 2014 by Christian Pyles
Fi: Cael's Dilemma
I don’t envy Cael Sanderson’s predicament for this year.

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I don’t envy Cael Sanderson’s predicament for this year.

On the heels of his 4th team title the PSU head man has a tough choice: Go for it, or hold off for a year.

Is it possible to contend and win a title each and every year at the D1 level? I’m not sure that it is anymore. The D1 landscape is changing.  Training is improving and good wrestlers can be found everywhere. Gone are the days of Gable when winning every single year was expected and reasonable.

I concede that the use of the word "dilemma" may be a bit hyperbolic.  The idea that Cael is deciding what to do with his bevy of elite talents is a "dilemma" almost every D1 coach would welcome with open arms.  

The talent in Happy Valley right now is good enough to contend for a title this year.   I firmly believe that. The question is, do you take the weakest years of Jason Nolf, Bo Nickal and Nick Nevills and use them now and forfeit that 5th year senior season? That’s what you lose when you wrestle a guy year 1 in many cases.

It’s a brutal decision for sure. Cael has to weigh what is best for the individual as well as what is best for the team and attempt to strike a balance.

Take a look at what COULD be this year at PSU.

125-Nico Megaludis
133-Jimmy Gulibon
141-Zain Retherford
149-Jason Nolf
157-Dylan Alton
165-Garrett Hammond
174-Matt Brown
184-Bo Nickal
197-Morgan McIntosh
285-Nick Nevills

If you don’t think that team could contend for a title this year, I’d strongly disagree with you. Sure it’s young, but Ohio State isn’t? Sure they’ve got a weak weight, but Minnesota doesn’t? Nolf, Nickal and Nevills are D1 ready. I firmly believe that, too. Will they win titles this year? Not likely. But they are high enough caliber to place right away. In a year with no clear cut juggernaut or favorite PSU’s mix of talent has the chops to challenge any team. As a Coach it has to be excruciating to have to hold that kind of talent back knowing its potential. Especially when you have won the last 4. Winning begets a greater hunger for winning.

Cael is making the tough call. These guys are going to sit. All of them.  If you’re a PSU stud and have a redshirt available you're using it.  Nico, Zain, Nolf, Nevills and Nickal all will be out of the PSU picture for this season.  Cael and company see the big picture here I believe. You can see it in their recruiting choices, you can see it in their decision making long term as well. Recall during Caels first year they redshirted DT, Ed and Quentin. Turns out that’s a lot of points off the board. However, look what that short term sacrifice later yielded the insuing 3-4 years: 7 Titles, 3 other finals trips and a total of 11 All American finishes between the 3. The year to grow and mature for even the most gifted technicians paid off.

Now they’re faced with a similar decision. Do they send out this lineup?

125-Jordan Conaway
133-Jimmy Gulibon
141-Kade Moss
149-Zach Beitz
157-Dylan Alton
165-Garrett Hammond
174-Matt Brown
184-Matt McCutcheon
197-Morgan McIntosh
285-Jon Gingrich

Like their 2010 team that placed 9th this team will have success despite lacking the title contending level of talent. Top 5-7 is not out of the question for a team still rife with blue chip talent. The 141 spot will be a question mark, but Moss seems like the likely candidate unless Beitz can find his way down there again and allow Luke Frey to assume the 149 pound spot.

Regardless of the decision Coach Sanderson makes, it would seem certain his success will have bought him the necessary leeway with the Administration as well as fans. A “down” year, in relative terms will not be met with much, if any scrutiny considering the historic success Penn State has had.

The PSU Coaching staff is electing to redshirt a lot of their talent. While nothing is certain for the PSU lineup, don’t be surprised if we look back on this year and say: “They got it right. Again.”