2019 Iowa vs Oklahoma State | NCAA Wrestling

Oklahoma State's Lineup Plans For Big 12s Becoming More Clear

Oklahoma State's Lineup Plans For Big 12s Becoming More Clear

Weigh-in sheets from the Cowboys dual at Missouri makes their lineup plans for the conference tournament very clear.

Feb 19, 2019 by Wrestling Nomad
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The headline from Saturday was that Oklahoma State ended Missouri's 35-match winning streak in an excellent dual meet. But the real juice came at weigh-ins, before the teams even took the mat.

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The headline from Saturday was that Oklahoma State ended Missouri's 35-match winning streak in an excellent dual meet. But the real juice came at weigh-ins, before the teams even took the mat.

We can't prove that it has ever definitively happened or not, but it seems to be the first time in most people's memory that a Top-5, potential trophy winning team is changing the weights of multiple All-Americans this late in the season.

We detailed the gist of it last Monday after listening to John Smith's press conference following the Air Force dual. The short version is that Preston Weigel will be at 197, leaving Dakota Geer to drop to 184, with Jacobe Smith in turn dropping to 174. He wasn't clear on Joe Smith, but based on the fact that he unnecessarily weighed in 2.4 pounds under weight, it seems likely he's also dropping down to 165.

If Smith drops as we anticipate, that means he or Chandler Rogers will be out for the post season. It might not seem ideal to the outside world to have a two-time All-American sitting at home, but that is what will happen.

Joe Smith weighing it at 171.6 means he can get as low as 169 even or 169.1 for the Iowa dual. He'll probably weigh in slightly above that, which will still give him the leeway to get down to 165 for Big 12s, based on a descension plan of 1.5% per week.

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Similarly, Jacobe Smith can weigh in just over 178 and still be able to get down to 174 for the conference tournament under his descent plan. In all likelihood, Geer won't weigh in until they get to Tulsa in a couple weeks. So Oklahoma State will have to overcome the Smiths being lighter than their Hawkeye opponents. 

It's interesting and nearly unprecedented that any team would drop three starters in weight right as the conference tournament begins. The first time Joe will make 165 is in Tulsa, Jacobe hasn't made 174 since the Reno Tournament of Champions in December, and Geer hasn't made 184 since the Oklahoma dual on December 9th.