November normally means the start of the NCAA season, and while we don't have the typical litany of college duals and opens this year, Buckeye fans will get a preview of two of the next four years of their middleweights on Saturday night when Anthony Echemendia and Sammy Sasso take the mat.

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Back in June, Nomad took a deep look into the depth of Ohio State's roster. At the top of the depth chart at 141 and 149 were Anthony Echemendia and Sammy Sasso. Of course one notable difference between June and now is the NCAA's announcement that competing this year will not count against athletes' eligibility, so Echemendia could technically compete for the next five years for the buckeyes, and Sasso could for the next four.

Many Ohio State fans already know Echemendia and Sasso's exploits, but for those who need extra incentive to keep an eye on these Buckeye middleweights, here's a quick primer on two of the top athletes at 141 and 149.

Sasso is a Legit Title Contender

In case quarantine has scrambled your brain, please remember that Sammy Sasso is a legitimate NCAA title contender, and he was as a freshman. In his first year of varsity competition, Sasso was ranked #1 at various points last year. He was a Big Ten finalist and the #3 seed at the NCAA Championships.

Sasso's loss in the Big Ten finals came at the hands of Iowa's Pat Lugo whose conference title and solid season earned him the top seed at the 2020 NCAA Championships, but don't forget that Sasso also has two wins over Lugo. The first win came in overtime at the 2019 Midlands Championships during Sasso's true freshman year, and the second was a tiebreaker win during last year's Iowa vs Ohio State dual.

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Sasso's match on November 14 against NCAA finalist Tyler Berger will be his first match since the 2020 Big Ten Championships, and it will be a solid test. Berger's most recent match was a win against another Buckeye, Joey McKenna, at the first Wrestling Underground event. Berger recently came on The Bader Show and shared his thoughts about the match with Sasso. This test will give Buckeye fans a picture of where Sasso sits relative to someone who has competed on the NCAA's biggest stage.

Will Echemendia's Power Translate at the Next Level?

Anthony Echemendia's story has taken the wrestling world by storm. So much so that we made a film about his incredible journey from Cuba to the United States. One of the most notable aspects about Echemendia on first glance is his ridiculous size. He does not seem like a 141-pounder, visually, but he is. Take, for example, a photo from one of Echemendia's most recent tweets.

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/Voo84GHmff

— Anthony Echemendia (@AnthonyEchemen1) October 30, 2020

Echemendia's power is not just aesthetic. His competition and training reveal the same level of explosiveness that you'd expect. His intense practice sessions have become legendary, and his domestic matches have revealed a guy with incredible big move potential.

In 2019, he competed at Fargo and at Who's #1 against some of the best high school athletes the US could offer. He passed all tests with Fargo titles in freestyle and Greco and a big win over Josh Saunders at Who's #1.

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While Echemendia has looked great at the highest levels of high school, his college or senior level acumen remain to be seen. That's why his match with Evan Henderson this weekend is so fascinating. Henderson was a 2x All-American at North Carolina and was a recent Senior Nationals finalist. He will offer Buckeye fans a glimpse into Echemendia's level of preparedness for competing at the next levels.

Sasso & Echemendia Are a Dynamic Duo

The Sasso, Echemendia duo are not just interesting because they are two individual pieces of the Buckeye lineup, they're interesting because of their collaborative work together toward common goals. Over the summer, Ohio State Head Coach Tom Ryan explained that Sasso and Echemendia make perfect workout partners because of their shared love of wrestling and their perfectly contrasting styles.

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Buckeye fans may need to get used to Echemendia and Sasso going back-to-back in dual meets for the foreseeable future, and while they'll be a few matches apart on Saturday night, they will appear in an event together for the first time working toward the shared goal of dominance over quality senior level opponents on a huge stage.