The big show is this weekend in St. Louis, and every match counts. However, some matter more than others when it comes to the team race at the NCAA Championships. We all know the goal is to finish with the most points or to at least be in the top four to earn a team trophy.

We came up with a dirty dozen batch of key bouts, primarily quarterfinals, that will help shape the team race more than all the others combined.

Match 503: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio St) vs. Cory Clark (Iowa)

Yes, this assumes seeds hold and both make it to the 133lb semifinals, get used to that the rest of this article. For Iowa to win a team trophy (which the Hawkeyes did not last year), they'd like for all three of Thomas Gilman, Michael Kemerer, and Clark to make the finals. As for Ohio State, for it to beat Penn State again, the Buckeyes will need Tomasello to do better than third.

Match 471: Luke Pletcher (Ohio St) vs. Someone Good

Given how he wrestled Anthony Ashnault this year, Pletcher will likely find himself on the backside rather quickly. For the freshman to outperform his seed and place (as Andrew Spey predicted he would not do) would go a huge way in Ohio State being able to win its second title in three years, and it starts with this consolation match to put Pletcher into the round of 12

Match 354: Micah Jordan (Ohio St) vs. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa)

This 149lb quarterfinal also has implications for the succeeding semifinal against Zain Retherford. Many of the same principles in Tomasello/Clark apply: Iowa is looking to get another trophy, while tOSU needs the semi points to keep it in the race with the Nittany Lions. As for Retherford, he has teched Jordan both time they've wrestled but has only been able to decision Sorensen in two out of their three matches. PSU fans probably won't dig Spey's forecast for this one.

Match 358: Joseph Smith (Oklahoma St) vs. Tyler Berger (Nebraska)

Overwhelmingly, almost all of the quarterfinals are rematches from this season or last year. This is the rare exception, and it is similar to the Micah Jordan quarter. While both are underdogs in their semi against Penn State, having those top six points already banked gives the Cowboys hope going into Friday night. Berger made it to the bloodround last year after being unseeded and losing in the first round, while Smith enters as the fifth seed and placed seventh a year ago.

Match 360: Michael Kemerer (Iowa) vs. Dylan Palacio (Cornell)

One of the big three for the Hawkeyes, Kemerer has been the second-best guy at 157 all year. But he's in his first national tournament and is facing a returning All-American in his final shot. Not only that but one who has an extremely funky style (Peterson extraordinaire) and has few matches this year to truly give us an idea of where he stands. A Palacio win could give the Brands Brothers headaches.

Match 363: Vincenzo Josseph (Penn St) vs. Daniel Lewis (Missouri)

Like Smith versus Berger, one of the rare quarterfinals that we haven't seen yet. A Cenzo win here and a subsequent one over Logan Massa, neither of whom he has wrestled this year, could potentially seal the title for the Nittany Lions, cancelling out Suriano if the lightweight is unable to wrestle. But Lewis is one of the top wrestlers in the country and is extremely dangerous come time for NCAAs.

Match 366: Mark Hall (Penn St) vs. Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech)

Continuing the "crucial Penn State quarters" train, we get to Hall/Epperly, one we did not get to see this year. Virginia Tech will once again be in a dog fight with Iowa for a team trophy, and their upperweights (174-285) will have to drag them to the finish line. Hall is likely the second biggest X-factor behind Suriano for Penn St.

Match 370: Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma St) vs. Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech)

Seeds and bonus-point rates indicate Penn State still being in the driver's seat for NCAAs. But Oklahoma State qualified all 10, with nine seeded to place and Chandler Rogers seeded ninth. They represent the best shot since Minnesota in 2001 to All-American at every weight. Boyd is as crucial to the plan of every scorer for the Cowboys as Zavatsky is to VaTech's hammers pushing them toward a team trophy.

Match 374: Matt McCutcheon (Penn St) vs. Jared Haught (Virginia Tech)

This 197lb quarterfinal won't come long after the Hall/Epperly match, which means by this time we will have a very good idea of how the team race is shaping up. Their seeds matched their final ranking of the year, giving a slight edge to McCutcheon. However, based on CP's original 197 preview, as well as the first ranking of the year, Haught was slotted third.

Match 375: Kollin Moore (Ohio St) vs. Preston Weigel (Oklahoma St)

Both of these guys burst onto the scene in spring of last year, with Moore making the junior world team and Weigel winning Big 12s. Now they face off in one of the potential OSU versus tOSU matches here in this 197lb quarterfinal. Moore should and will be the favorite, but Weigel is so tough on top that getting the first takedown could drastically alter the match.

Match 378: Jacob Kasper (Duke) vs. Nick Nevills (Penn St)

After not qualifying for NCAAs last year in large part due to a foot injury, Nevills is looking to be like James Lawson in 2015 and give the Nittany Lions some team points at heavyweight. Kasper may be one of the stories of the year, but it will all be for naught if he can't close out his career on the podium.