Fi: B1G Time B1G 10 Preview!

Fi: B1G Time B1G 10 Preview!

Mar 4, 2015 by Christian Pyles
Fi: B1G Time B1G 10 Preview!
.post-content img { padding: 10px; }Every year we go on about how amazing the Big 10 is.  That's because every year it's true.  Not only will we have start to finish huge matches.  We will get a sneak peak of the National Title race.  With the exception of Missouri, all the bit time players will be in Columbus looking to set themselves up for the NCAA tournament.  You'll see the Big 10 pre-seeds, the # of allocations, some analysis and predictions for each weight.  Dig in!

Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In

Every year we go on about how amazing the Big 10 is.  That's because every year it's true.  Not only will we have start to finish huge matches.  We will get a sneak peak of the National Title race.  With the exception of Missouri, all the bit time players will be in Columbus looking to set themselves up for the NCAA tournament.  You'll see the Big 10 pre-seeds, the # of allocations, some analysis and predictions for each weight.  Dig in!

125 lbs # of Allocations: 5
1. Thomas Gilman, IOWA
2. Jesse Delgado, ILL
3. Nathan Tomasello, OSU
4. Tim Lambert, NEB
5. Jordan Conaway, PSU
6. Conor Youtsey, MICH
7. Garrison White, NU
8. Luke Welch, PUR

It was fairly surprising to see the Big 10 only land 5 auto-qualifiers, but a deep dive and it makes sense. I’d bet money they ultimately get at least 6 from the Big 10 here as Jesse Delgado will likely bump someone like Youtsey (who has been quite solid) out of the auto qualifier spot.

This is a weight with a real unknown variable. It’s March now and we still have no clue what Jesse Delgado is. He’s faced the two ends of the spectrum: The very, very best: Alan Waters and a small handful of guys with little to no shot of even qualifying.

Something that was brought to my attention, I forget by who, is that what if Jesse in these lackluster wins is simply doing exactly what he has to do to win, and nothing more? Being completely risk-averse in the name of self preservation makes sense to me. Don’t use it unless you have to. His draw to the semi’s is simple, and I think his match against Tomasello is completely fascinating. The high pace, high output style of Tomasello could play right into what Jesse is looking to do: pass legs and score. Are high crotches as easy to pass? Of course not. However, it’s Jesse Delgado we’re talking about. Nahshon Garrett blew through him on a double (the killer of all funk) and he still passed legs like it wasn’t anything. My point is he’ll be able to pass legs still. We have seen in limited action he still has that skill to a high degree. I’m doing a complete flip on Jesse Delgado. He’s going to beat Nathan Tomasello. I think Nathan (one of my favorite guys to watch) may make a few critical errors that the 5th year senior will capitalize on. Jesse to the finals. You heard me.

On the other side, Thomas Gilman seems likely to make the finals. I give him a .01% chance of not making the semi’s. I’ve been high on Conaway this season, and I like him to avenge an earlier loss to Lambert and set up a Conaway/Gilman rematch in the semi’s. Their earlier meeting went according to plan for the most part, with the exception of Gilman fading late and Conaway coming on like a wild man (which he does from time to time). Conaways high-output nature is favorable for Gilman who can turn your shot in to his score in no time flat. I think Conaway plays it a little closer to the vest this time around, but Gilman still emerges victorious.

Which sets up another rematch. Last time Gilman and Delgado hit it was 2013 Midlands where Gilman caught a quick set of nearfall late to win the match. Gilman is the same guy then if not a touch better. Gilman is not a high volume shooter, however, he does favor a single leg. Single’s favor Delgado’s leg pass game. Gilman is an excellent finisher and when he gets in, he finishes at a high clip. A large part of me is ready to go all in on the Jesse Delgado comeback tour 2k15, but a larger part of me is being realistic. It’s a hedge of sorts the first of many in this preview. Give me Gilman.

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Thomas Gilman-Iowa
2. Jesse Delgado-Illinois
3. Nathan Tomasello-Ohio State
4. Jordan Conaway-Penn State
5. Tim Lambert-Nebraska

133 lbs # of Allocations: 12
1. Chris Dardanes, MINN
2. Ryan Taylor, WIS
3. Jimmy Gulibon, PSU
4. Johnni DiJulius, OSU
5. Cory Clark, IOWA
6. Zane Richards, ILL
7. Danny Sabatello, PUR
8. Rossi Bruno, MICH
9. Eric Montoya, NEB
10. Scott Delvecchio, RU
11. Geoff Alexander, MD
12. Dom Malone, NU
13. Garth Yenter, MSU
14. Alonzo Shepherd, IND


Where to start with this behemoth? 133 at the Big 10, with its 12 qualifying spots is a bear to tackle. Chris Dardanes has cemented himself as a very deserving one seed. Back down at 133, Dardanes is the complete package: relentless hand fighting, frequent leg attacks and a motor that doesn’t run out. He’s seemingly shored up some of his bottom deficiencies. I was telling Willie on Flo Radio Live you can’t feel that great about him as a favorite, then I talked myself into him being a prohibitive favorite.

Let’s look at the quarters. We’ll have Bruno v. Dardanes in all likelihood. I saw this match at Vegas and there just weren’t many opportunities there for Bruno. Dardanes takes it with little issue (though numerically close). The red-hot Badger, Ryan Taylor will face Danny Sabatello of Purdue. Sabatello notched some nice wins this year, including one over Gulibon and another over Zane Richards. However, Ryan Taylor hung an 18-6 beatdown on him last time around. Not picking against that result. The most intriguing quarter of them all is Gulibon v. Richards. If you’re PSU and company Zane is a brutal draw for the 3rd seed. Richards beat Gulibon twice last year. Both guys have upped their game since a year ago. I think matchups matter. Richards can withstand the physicality and snaps of Gulibon, and won’t put himself in tough positions where he can give up an easy go-behind (which Gulibon is amazing at). I think Richards takes it once again, but these are two guys known for inconsistent results. Gulibon looks like a world beater one week, then is blanked 6-0 by Sabatello. Richards got teched by Taylor this year, yet he nearly beat Dardanes and has a win over Clark. It’s tough to get a read on who you are going to get. Give me Richards simply because of history. I don’t feel good about that pick. Nobody should.

The final quarter is DiJulius v. Clark. I think Clark has a better game plan this time around. I don’t feel great about this one either but I feel like Clark has been wrestling more consistent at this point. He needs to keep his elbows away from JDJ (something he struggled to do in the dual). If he does that, I think he’s the better guy.

That sets up the semi’s. I won’t waste too much time here: Dardanes takes the match over Clark or JDJ. I think he matches up well with both guys. Clark struggled to give himself any opportunities to score. Dardanes got away with no issue last time as well. So CD to the finals. He’ll take on the winner of Taylor v. Richards and well, if you saw that match last time around, there’s little reason to expect Richards to win. Taylor teched him, and the most baffling part was how Richards was able to get to his underhook (his best hold from neutral) and Taylor still picked him apart: leg attacks, go behinds, throw bys, turns it was a complete demolition from 3 positions. It’ll be closer, potentially a LOT closer, but at the end of it all, it’s Taylor with the win.

So we’ll see Dardanes v. Taylor. Two guys who wrestle hard and look to put major points on the board. I favor Dardanes here with the caveat that I wonder how he will do with Taylor’s imposing top game. Taylor is a savage, but I see Dardanes getting the takedown, getting away on bottom and keeping his undefeated streak alive.

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Chris Dardanes-Minnesota
2. Ryan Taylor-Wisconsin
3. Zane Richards-Illinois
4. Jimmy Gulibon-Penn State
5. Cory Clark-Iowa
6. Johnni DiJulius-Ohio State
7. Rossi Bruno-Michigan
8. Danny Sabatello-Purdue
9. Geoff Alexander-Maryland
10. Scott Delvecchio-Rutgers
11. Eric Montoya-Nebraska
12. Dom Malone-Northwestern


141 lbs # of Allocations: 8
1. Logan Stieber, OSU
2. Nick Dardanes, MINN
3. Anthony Abidin, NEB
4. Steven Rodrigues, ILL
5. Anthony Ashnault, RU
6. Josh Dziewa, IOWA
7. Jameson Oster, NU
8. Nick Lawrence, PUR
9. Kade Moss, PSU
10. George Fisher, MICH
11. Javier Gasca III, MSU
12. Shyhiem Brown, MD
13. Jessie Thielke, WIS
14. Sean Brown, IND

Can anybody spoil the Dardanes/Stieber rematch? I feel like the guy best suited to knock off Dardanes is going to be Ashnault. With Anthony opposite Nick, we won’t see that. The quarters are somewhat interesting here. Stieber v. Moss or Lawrence is but a formality as is Dardanes v. Oster. The 3 v. 6 between Abidin and Dziewa is one that I think is very much in the balance. Abidin really established himself this year with some excellent wins: Ashnault, Rodrigues and Horan. Dziewa’s offense has been MIA, but his top game and defense make him someone to sweat despite the fact that Abidin has been the better guy. I’ll take Abidin here. Rodrigues got the better of Ashnault last time around. However, I see Anthony getting a measure of revenge here and punching his ticket to the semi’s.

Stieber rolls against Ashnault here to make his 4th Big 10 final. He’s just on another level. Dardanes v. Abidin is very intriguing. Abidin is dangerous athletically. That being said, Dardanes I think is a cut above from neutral and I think that is the difference. Dardanes takes it to set up the rematch.

Last time around Logan was up big and faded. Hard. Won’t happen this time. Logan will be well fed and ready to show Dardanes the last time was not the reality. Logan is not a gasser. He’ll score points for 7 minutes. This match won’t be close or ever in doubt in my mind.

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Logan Stieber-Ohio State
2. Nick Dardanes-Minnesota
3. Anthony Abidin-Nebraska
4. Anthony Ashnault-Rutgers
5. Steven Rodrigues-Illinois
6. Josh Dziewa-Iowa
7. Kade Moss-Penn State
8. Javier Gasca-Michigan State


149 lbs # of Allocations: 7
1. Brandon Sorensen, IOWA
2. Jason Tsirtsis, NU
3. Hunter Stieber, OSU
4. Ken Theobold, RU
5. Alec Pantaleo, MICH
6. Zack Beitz, PSU
7. Justin Arthur, NEB
8. Rylan Lubeck, WIS

What we see from this weight will 100% have a huge impact on the National title picture. How Brandon Sorensen performs at his first Big 10 Tournament, and how Hunter Stieber looks are tremendous storylines both for this tournament and the National title picture. Hunter was my preseason pick to win it all. I believe in this kid. However, like Delgado, we aren’t sure what we’ve got. If you watched his match with Sorensen, he was winning for a lot of the match and really lost his composure and then the match. That match, at the time looked bad. Now looking back, turns out Brandon Sorensen is kinda good at this wrestling thing. So he’s lost to Sorensen and Houdashelt and beat Beitz. To the quarter finals.
The most intriguing quarterfinal out there is the Stieber/Beitz rematch. I’m assuming Hunter’s health is on par with the last time these two met. So I’ll take him once again. Sorensen I expect to have little trouble with Lubeck. Tsirtsis will take care of business against Justin Arthur. I like Pantaleo to knock off Theobold.

So the semi’s we’ll see Sorensen v. Pantaleo pt 2. Last time around it was close, but with Pantaleo giving himself no scoring opportunities. Sorensen wins in similar fashion this time around as well. Tsirtsis v. Hunter I feel pretty strongly about Tsirtsis. I think that a 100% Hunter would struggle the most with Tsirtsis. I think he presents some positional obstacles that Hunter at his best would struggle to overcome (though I think he would). I can’t pick Hunter here. Give me the Champ to do Champ things. Tsirtsis to the finals once again.

So we get Tsirtsis v. Sorensen pt 2. Last time around it was Sorensen the winner in tiebreakers. Not feelin’ that this time around. Tsirtsis takes care of business. It might take a few tiebreakers, but Tsirtsis will find a way to get Big 10 title #2.

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Jason Tsirtsis-Northwestern
2. Brandon Sorensen-Iowa
3. Hunter Stieber-Ohio State
4. Zack Beitz-Penn State
5. Alec Pantaleo-Michigan
6. Ken Theobold-Rutgers
7. Justin Arthur-Nebraska


157 lbs # of Allocations: 8
1. Isaiah Martinez, ILL
2. Dylan Ness, MINN
3. James Green, NEB
4. Brian Murphy, MICH
5. Doug Welch, PUR
6. Josh Demas, OSU
7. Mike Kelly, IOWA
8. Anthony Perrotti, RU
9. Luke Frey, PSU
10. Louis Mascola, MD
11. Luke Blanton, IND
12. TJ Ruschell, WIS
13. Ben Sullivan, NU
14. Travis Curley, MSU

The top three here are so juicy I can hardly stand it. What an amazing group. I-Mar has been superb all year long. I slowed the hype train on him earlier this year. His lack of tame-ness has made him a favorite of mine. He tech falls guys at an astounding clip. A unique combo of aggression, athleticism and fire, I-Mar is one of the more entertaining guys out there. Dylan Ness, despite only one loss on the year, had a rough last couple of outings. He had some underwhelming wins, then took a loss to Realbuto at National Duals. He frankly hasn’t looked himself in some time. By the same token, I haven’t seen the James Green I have come to expect in awhile either. Green looked great against Ian Miller at the All-Star. However, Miller has since struggled mightily and Green was handled by I-Mar and beaten by Doug Welch. We’ll get back to this momentarily, let’s set the table.

The quarters will be juicy with All American Anthony Perrotti against I-Mar. I got I-Mar there without much trouble, but Perrotti started to come on strong this time last year as well. Possibly sleeper upset match? We should see the Ness/Kelly rematch in the quarters. Ness looked brutal in that one and still found a way to win. I think he takes this one in less dramatic fashion this time around. Green will face Demas which you have to expect to be a one takedown or so match just given these two’s track record. I like Green there but there’s another potential upset special as well. Doug Welch has the better wins on the year, but Murphy was the victor last time around. I like Welch to turn it around this time and punch his ticket to the semi’s.

So that will give us I-Mar v. Welch. Give me I-Mar, comfortably. Green v. Ness last time around was a very controlled win for Dylan. Green really had very few opportunities to score. It was a statement win for Ness. I don’t know what Ness we’ll get here, but shoot, Green hasn’t given me the sign that he’s in the form to make it happen. I’m a Green fan (full disclosure) but I am going Ness. I think he plays it straight again and takes it. However, if Ness is giving up his legs like he was against Realbuto, it could be another story.

So I-Mar v. Ness. I’ll tell you what, I feel great about this one. I think it’s a good matchup for Martinez personally. I see his hips/explosion as a real detriment to what Ness likes to do and his pace/pressure will force mistakes. I see a controlled win for Martinez here. This may be the match I want to see more than any other. I think Martinez surprises a lot of people with a win here (Also, I get like 10% of my Dylan Ness match predictions right, so take this for what its worth).

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Isaiah Martinez-Illinois
2. Dylan Ness-Minnesota
3. James Green-Nebraska
4. Doug Welch-Purdue
5. Josh Demas-Ohio State
6. Brian Murphy-Michigan
7. Anthony Perrotti-Rutgers
8. Mike Kelly-Iowa


165 lbs # of Allocations: 8
1. Bo Jordan, OSU
2. Isaac Jordan, WIS
3. Taylor Walsh, IND
4. Pierce Harger, NU
5. Jackson Morse, ILL
6. Garett Hammond, PSU
7. Nick Moore, IOWA
8. Nick Wanzek, MINN
9. Austin Wilson, NEB
10. Pat Robinson, PUR
11. Nick Visicaro, RU
12. Garrett Sutton, MICH
13. Roger Wildmo, MSU
14. Justin Alexander, MD

I’ve been on the BoJo hype train for some time now. I couldn’t be more excited to see him in action at the Big 10 tournament. When you consider that his cousin Isaac will be his likely finals opposition, the intrigue heightens even further.

There will be some interesting quarterfinals at this weight. While Bo will take care of Wanzek with little issue, I am fascinated with the Isaac Jordan/Nick Moore match up. I’ve been high on Nick Moore for awhile. However, there’s little to be extremely excited about this year. When he’s on he has shown he can beat some of the best out there. Since NCAA’s last year though, we haven’t seen that guy. He’s reluctant to pull the trigger. It’s a shame, because his attacks are crisp and he’s a prolific finisher. He’s all too often content to fake an entire period with very limited commitment to attacks. Jordan can play things close to the vest at times, but is so solid in all positions, I don’t see him taking a loss in this spot. Yet his loss to Jesse Stafford reminds me Isaac is not immune to a letdown match. I’ll take Isaac here. Taylor Walsh will take on Garrett Hammond. Walsh should take care of business there. Harger has typically gotten the better of Morse. I’ll predict the same here.

Bo should have little issue with Harger. Harger has some nice leg attacks for sure and will get in deep on occasion potentially. I think Bo will win this with his defense, riding and positioning. Isaac has done well against Walsh traditionally as well. I’ll take him over Walsh setting up the All Jordan Big 10 Finals.

High school teammates and also family, the Bo and Isaac are as familiar of opponents as you’ll find. I have always viewed Bo as the superior overall athlete. I think he wins a controlled match here. It could come down to OT, but honestly I really don’t see the path to victory for Isaac. Many have told me this is a bad match up for Bo, but I just don’t see it.

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Bo Jordan-Ohio State
2. Isaac Jordan-Wisconsin
3. Pierce Harger-Northwestern
4. Taylor Walsh-Indiana
5. Jackson Morse-Illinois
6. Nick Moore-Iowa
7. Garett Hammond-Penn State
8. Nick Wanzek-Minnesota


174 lbs. # of Allocations: 10
1. Robert Kokesh, NEB
2. Matt Brown, PSU
3. Mike Evans, IOWA
4. Logan Storley, MINN
5. Zach Brunson, ILL
6. Mark Martin, OSU
7. Chad Welch, PUR
8. Frank Cousins, WIS
9. Taylor Massa, MICH
10. Nathan Jackson, IND
11. Josh Snook, MD
12. Phil Bakuckas, RU
13. Nick Proctor, MSU

Styles make fights. That’s what will determine the 174 pound winner here. I think I talked myself into the narrative that all the match ups between the top 4 are toss ups. It’s actually not really the case. Each guy has someone they struggle with and guys they have more success with. We’ll get to that shortly. let’s get the quarters squared away first.

The x factor of all x factors is Taylor Massa. He’s missed tons of time this year and changed weights. He still earned a 9 seed, but he’s the scariest 9 seed out there. I like him to knock off Cousins then give Kokesh a fight. Robert Kokesh is that dude, however, and he takes care of business in a quarterfinal that is a bit tougher than a 1 seed is accustomed to.

Meanwhile Logan Storley will tangle with Zach Brunson. Brunson has been good this year, but Storley will take care of business here again. Evans will beat Martin once again and Brown will take out Chad Welch.

So we get to the semi’s and I feel pretty strongly about the match outcomes here. As good as Robert Kokesh has been, throughout his career Storley has been the victor almost without exception. See last years quarterfinal here.  Match ups matter. Give me Logan once again. By the same token, Brown has been the guy more often than not against Evans. He’s proven he can win on his feet against Evans or on the mat. I like guys with multiple paths to victory. So give me Brown to make it to the finals once more.

In the finals, I’ll take Brown to down Storley. These two have been a bit closer, but we’ve still seen a slight edge in Brown’s favor. So let’s go with him. I feel like this is more of a toss up match than the others. Storley’s hips mean he’s never more than 1 second away from putting you in danger.

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Matt Brown-Penn State
2. Logan Storley-Minnesota
3. Robert Kokesh-Nebraska
4. Mike Evans-Iowa
5. Taylor Massa-Michigan
6. Zach Brunson-Illinois
7. Mark Martin-Ohio State
8. Chad Welch-Purdue
9. Frank Cousins-Wisconsin
10. Phil Bakuckas-Rutgers


184 lbs # of Allocations: 10
1. Sam Brooks, IOWA
2. Dom Abounader, MICH
3. Ricky Robertson, WIS
4. Brett Pfarr, MINN
5. Kenny Courts, OSU
6. TJ Dudley, NEB
7. Nikko Reyes, ILL
8. Matt McCutcheon, PSU
9. John Rizqallah, MSU
10. Patrick Kissel, PUR
11. Anthony Pafumi, RU
12. Mitch Sliga, NU
13. Matt Irick, IND
14. Tony Gardner, MD

One of the more unique weights in that the NCAA rankings have nobody in the top 8, yet this weight is still sending 10 guys to the dance (at a minimum). So what does that mean? I think you get a high probability of some crazy outcomes. Let’s kick it to the quarters!
Brooks had little issue with Abounader at the Rec Hall dual, so look for that to continue. Abounader will take Nikko Reyes, who has been sneaky solid all year long. Reyes is a potential bracket-buster here. I’m going Abounader here. Cautiously.

Ricky Robertson has been having a fine season as well but him as a 3 seed surprised me a bit. His only ranked wins within the Big 10 are Dudley and Reyes. I find guys like Courts and Pfarr to be a bit more formidable, personally. It’s a minor quibble I suppose. That being said Robertson handled Dudley so I like him to win again and land himself in the semi’s. Courts knocked off Pfarr in the dual last time around. I see Pfarr turning it around this time. I think it’s a coin flip match and the flip goes the other way. Just a feeling.

So in the semi’s we’ll see Brooks against Pfarr. This was a great one last time with Brooks winning in a score that appeared more lopsided than I felt the wrestling indicated. That being said, I think Pfarrs style plays into Brooks’ wheel house. His re-attacks and positioning are so good that I think he takes it once more. On the other side I like Abounader to knock Robertson into the backside. I think Abounader will be able to prevent Robertson’s low single.

So we’ve got a Sammy Brooks v. Domenic Abounader rematch. Brooks looked to have the match in hand at the Carver-Hawkeye dual but lost it late in an act of over-aggression in my mind. Brooks keeps his composure this time around and takes home the Big 10 title.

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Sammy Brooks-Iowa
2. Domenic Abounader-Michigan
3. Brett Pfarr-Minnesota
4. Kenny Courts-Ohio State
5. Ricky Robertson-Wisconsin
6. TJ Dudley-Nebraska
7. Nikko Reyes-Illinois
8. Matt McCutcheon-Penn State
9. John Rizqallah-Michigan State
10. Mitch Sliga-Northwestern


197 lbs # of Allocations: 9
1. Kyle Snyder, OSU
2. Morgan McIntosh, PSU
3. Scott Schiller, MINN
4. Nathan Burak, IOWA
5. Aaron Studebaker, NEB
6. Max Huntley, MICH
7. Alex Polizzi, NU
8. Timmy McCall, WIS
9. Braden Atwood, PUR
10. Nick McDiarmid, MSU
11. Jeff Koepke, ILL
12. Hayden Hrymack, RU
13. Rob Fitzgerald, MD
14. Luke Sheridan, IND

Speaking of team title implications, 197 is another weight with massive ramifications. Kyle Snyder continues to emerge as one of the best young stars in the country. The Buckeyes can’t just have him be good for the title shot, he must be great. Nathan Burak, who has been fine this year has had a few close calls that could have catastrophic repercussions if the results go the other way in post season time. He needed a last second takedown against Timmy McCall at Midlands as well as a late TD to knock off Max Huntley. Burak’s nature is to win tight matches, but we’ve seen that plague guys before when it matters most. Morgan McIntosh is someone I’ve always been a fan of. Can he go back to back wins over Schiller and Snyder? Let’s see.

The quarters will pit Snyder against McCall or Atwood. Regardless I think we’ll see Snyder a comfortable winner. McIntosh should have no issue with Polizzi. Studebaker has been a fine surprise for the under the radar Huskers. He’ll have a battle with Burak for sure, but I like Burak there, albeit close. I expect Schiller to run through Huntley as well. So essentially a chalk quarterfinal round.

In the semi’s we will see Snyder get a shot to avenge one of his 2 losses on the year. He lost in bizarre fashion last time around, inexplicably taking injury time between periods which gave Burak choice twice. With minimal top offerings, Snyder gave away 2 escape points, and wasn’t able to get his own attacks off. He won’t make that mistake this time. He’ll find away to a takedown at some point and that will be the difference. Match ups matter. That’s why McIntosh will knock off Schiller once again. Just not a great match up for Scott, for whatever reason.

I’m on the record for putting Kyle Snyder in the NCAA finals this year, falling only to J’den Cox. So to stick with that prediction, I’m picking Snyder to down McIntosh once again. I think Snyder will do a great job keeping McIntosh off his legs. Look for Snyder to play it close, getting to the legs only a few times, but finding a way to the finish. I don’t anticipate the mat being a factor.

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Kyle Snyder-Ohio State
2. Morgan McIntosh-Penn State
3. Scott Schiller-Minnesota
4. Nathan Burak-Iowa
5. Max Huntley-Michigan
6. Aaron Studebaker-Nebraska
7. Alex Polizzi-Northwestern
8. Braden Atwood-Purdue
9. Timmy McCall-Wisconsin

285 lbs # of Allocations: 9
1. Connor Medbery, WIS
2. Adam Coon, MICH
3. Mike McMullan, NU
4. Bobby Telford, IOWA
5. Jimmy Lawson, PSU
6. Michael Kroells, MINN
7. Spencer Myers, MD
8. Billy Smith, RU
9. Nick Tavanello, OSU
10. Brooks Black, ILL
11. Collin Jensen, NEB
12. Chris Nash, MSU
13. Garret Goldman, IND
14. Gelen Robinson, PUR

The top 4 here have had extremely inconsistent results with one another. Medbery beats Coon and McMullan, but loses to Telford. Telford beats Medbery, but loses to Coon and splits with McMullan. McMullan beats Telford but loses to Medbery. Matter of fact, how does McMullan get seeded over Telford? He and Telford split, Telford beat Medbery (who beat McMullan) and McMullan didn’t face Coon. I don’t get that one. Anyways, should be a great weight to watch.

Some pretty juicy quarter finals for the big boys. Billy Smith will take on Medbery, who has been a point scoring machine all year long! No reason to pick against Connor here. Coon will take on Spencer Myers. This is a pretty dicey quarter, but Spencer hasn’t really made meaningful improvements over the years. I like Coon in this one. McMullan v. Kroells was fun last time around, but McMullan will get to his single, finish and that’ll be that. Telford v. Lawson we’ve also seen before. I like Telford once again.

Which leads us to the semi’s. Throughout their history, Telford has typically done quite well against Medbery. I think he takes this one to make the finals. I don’t view this as an upset, nor should you. As amazing as Medbery is athletically, Telford consistently has neutralized his bevy of gifts with positioning and strength. More of the same this time. On the bottom side, Coon v. McMullan is one I’ve longed to see for some time now. I think McMullan matches up well. Look for him to get to legs and force scrambles. McMullan won’t be suckered into the ties where Coon is so gifted. The little quick guys have given Coon issues to a degree. I like McMullan.

So we get McMullan v. Telford for the umpteenth time. The reason I like McMullan is we’ve seen not only can he score off his own leg attacks as well as his opponents. The thing of it is, the exact same can be said for Telford who can capitalize off of opponents mistakes and errant shots. I think McMullan takes this one. Maybe he executes on his own leg attack, or perhaps he passes the leg and scores on Telford. I just think he finds a way to win here. I can see scenarios where each of the bottom 3 take it all. I think Medbery is the least likely to win of the four. I only feel that way because of the Telford draw.

CP’s Final Predictions:
1. Mike McMullan-Northwestern
2. Bobby Telford-Iowa
3. Connor Medbery-Wisconsin
4. Adam Coon-Michigan
5. Jimmy Lawson-Penn State
6. Mike Kroells-Minnesota
7. Spencer Myers-Maryland
8. Billy Smith-Rutgers
9. Brooks Black-Illinois
10. Nick Tavanello-Ohio State

Team Standings: (based on Individual placement scoring rubric)
1. Iowa-130.5
2. Ohio State-127
3. Minnesota-109.5
4. Penn State-102
5. Illinois-87
6. Nebraska-77
7. Michigan-74
8. Northwestern-64
9. Wisconsin-59.5
10. Rutgers-37.5
11. Purdue-29
12. Indiana-12.5
13. Maryland-8.5
14. Michigan State-7.5


What is interesting, and something I didn’t anticipate was Iowa and Ohio State being so removed from Minnesota and Penn State. I felt I leaned Ohio State heavy in my predictions, so I was surprised to see them still behind Iowa. However, these don’t factor in bonus points. So when you factor in Logan and potentially Bo as big time bonus guys, it could be what takes Ohio State past Iowa. I’ll stick with that top 14 as my predictions, however if my placements are correct I think Ohio State will have the necessary bonus edge to take it. 

Tune in to watch the tournament LIVE Saturday and Sunday on the Big Ten Network or BTN 2Go here!