It's around this time of the season when doing these Weekly Outlooks that i have one of those “double edged sword” moments. It's great because almost all teams are in action, meaning lots of wrestling and lots of fantasy potential. The down side? It takes so damn long. But it's worth it, for you loyal readers. Yes, all 14 of you.
Now is the time where Team Managers are going to show what they are made of. Making some savvy pickups, making the crucial drops, and not overthinking your starting lineup. Will you make the right picks? We will find out in about five weeks.
Two Tournaments this week, Cyclone Open and the Purple Raider Open. Not a lot of D1 action for the Purple Raider Open, but Cyclone Open will. Entries are still coming through, so keep those notifications on.
A reminder of some important rules:
Wrestlers entered at a weight must compete at that weight or else their results will not be counted. Wrestlers in the “Floater” spots can compete at ANY weight and accumulate Fantasy points. A wrestler will LOCK on your roster at 11 am ET on the day of their first competition for the week. (refer to the SHP’s Week Preview) Only results against D1 competition (starters, backups, and redshirts) will count towards Fantasy Points.  Check your league settings to know how many add/drops are permitted per week.   
Have a question, concern, suggestions, or just want to chat about Fantasy Wrestling? Hit us up on Twitter or head over to the InterMat Forums where we have a Fantasy Wrestling dedicated Forum page!
 
Wrestlers I Like This Week
Wrestler (School)- competition for the week [Proj Score]*
 
125:
Kysen Terukina (ISU) - Cyclone Open
Nick Babin (PITT)- @ Bucknell , Purple Raider Open
Anthony Molton (CAMP) - @ Gardner-Webb, @ Chattanooga  [+9]
Diego Sotelo (HARV) - @ American, @ Navy  [+8]
Tanner Jordan (SDSU) - @ California Baptist, @ Air Force  [+7]
Dylan Acevedo-Switzer (HOF) - Bloomsburg  [+6]
Spencer Moore (UNC) - @ Duke  [+5]
Marc-Anthony McGowan (PRIN) - @ Clarion  [+5]
Charlie Farmer (ARMY) - @ American  [+4]
Joey Cruz (IOWA) - Vs Illinois  [+4]
Sheldon Seymour (LEH) - @ Navy  [+4]
Cooper Flynn (MINN) - Vs Michigan  [+4]
Vincent Robinson (NCST) - @ Virginia  [+4]
Blake West (NIU)- @ Central Michigan  [+4]
Dedrick Navarro (NW) - Vs Michigan  [+4]
Troy Spratley (OKST) - Vs West Virginia  [+4]
Chris Vargo (EDIN) - @ Ohio  [+3]
Caleb Weiand (MSU) - Vs Buffalo  [+3]
Gage Walker (MIZZ) - Vs Utah Valley  [+3]
Stevo Poulin (UNCO) - Vs North Dakota State  [+3]
Maximo Renteria (ORST) - Vs Wyoming  [+3]
Dean Peterson (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+3]
Eddie Ventresca (VT) - @ Appalachian State  [+3]
 
133:
Evan Frost (ISU) - Cyclone Open
Nasir Bailey (LR) - Davidson Duals [+13]
Anthony Noto (LHU) - Davidson Duals  [+11]
Derrick Cardinal (SDSU) - @ California Baptist, @ Air Force  [+7]
Tristan Lujan (MSU) - Vs Buffalo  [+5]
Tyler Wells (MINN) - Vs Michigan  [+5]
Ethan Berginc (ARMY) - @ American  [+4]
Colton Camacho (EDIN) - @ Ohio  [+4]
Chase Liardi (HOF) - @ Bloomsburg  [+4]
Ethan Oakley (UNC) - @ Duke  [+4]
Nic Bouzakis (OHST) - Vs Purdue  [+4]
Cleveland Belton (OU) - Vs West Virginia  [+4]
Tyler Knox (STAN) - Vs Arizona State  [+4]
Angelo Rini (IND)- @ Purdue  [+3]
Braxton Brown (MARY) - Vs Wisconsin  [+3]
Kai Orine (NCST) - @ Virginia  [+3]
Dylan Shawver (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+3]


 
141:
Jacob Frost (ISU) - Cyclone Open
Wyatt Henson (LHU) - Davidson Duals  [+13]
Jordan Williams (LR) - Davidson Duals [+11]
Jesse Mendez (OHST) - Vs Purdue  [+5]
Justin Hoyle (HOF) - @ Bloomsburg  [+5]
 Jayden Scott (UNC) - @ Duke  [+4]
Andrew Alirez (UNCO) - Vs North Dakota State  [+4]
Jacob Byra (NIU)- @ Central Michigan  [+4]
Tagen Jamison (OKST) - Vs West Virginia  [+4]
Eligh Rivera (PRIN) - @ Clarion  [+4]
Dylan Cedeno (UVA) - Vs NC State  [+4]
Sam Latona (VT) - @ Appalachian State  [+4]
Richard Treanor (ARMY) - @ American  [+3]
Danny Pucino (ILL) - @ Iowa  [+3]
Joshua Koderhandt (NAVY) - Vs Lehigh  [+3]
Cael Happel (UNI) - @ Arizona State  [+3]
Joey Olivieri (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+3]

 
149:
Paniro Johnson (ISU) - Cyclone Open
Mason Shrader (CMU) - Vs Northern Illinois, Vs Cleveland State  [+8]
Gavin Drexler (NDSU) - @ Northern Colorado, @ Air Force  [+7]
Ivan Garcia (BING) - @ Franklin & Marshall, @ Drexel  [+6]
Kaden Cassidy (GMU) - @ Cleveland State  [+5]
Lachlan McNeil (UNC) - @ Duke  [+5]
Caleb Henson (VT) - @ Appalachian State  [+5]
Trae McDaniel (ARMY) - @ American  [+4]
Sam Ewing (BUFF) - @ Michigan State  [+4]
Noah Tapia (HOF) - @ Bloomsburg  [+4]
Zeke Seltzer (MIZZ) - Vs Utah Valley  [+4]
Ty Whalen (PRIN) - @ Clarion  [+4]
Andrew Clark (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+4]
Gabe Willochell (WYO) -@ Oregon State  [+4]
Paul Kelly (CBU) -  Vs South Dakota State  [+3]
Malyke Hines (LEH) - @ Navy  [+3]
Kal Miller (MARY) - Vs Wisconsin  [+3]
Sam Cartella (NW) - Vs Michigan  [+3]
Willie McDougald (OU) - Vs West Virginia  [+3]
Carter Young (OKST) - Vs West Virginia  [+3]
Finn Solomon (PITT) - @ Bucknell  [+3]
 
157:
Cody Chittum (ISU) - Cyclone Open
James Conway (MIZZ) - Vs Utah Valley , Cyclone Open
Joey Blaze (PUR) - Vs Indiana , @ Ohio State  [+8]
Johnny Lovett (CMU) - Vs Northern Illinois, Vs Cleveland State  [+6]
Kaleb Burgess (BUFF) - @ Michigan State  [+4]
Ethen Miller (MARY) - Vs Wisconsin  [+4]
Sonny Santiago (UNC) - @ Duke  [+4]
Ryder Downey (UNI) - @ Arizona State  [+4]
Peyten Keller (OHIO) - Vs Edinboro  [+4]
Caleb Fish (OKST) - Vs West Virginia  [+4]
Luke Nichter (DREX) - Vs Binghamton  [+3]
Jurius Clark (HOF) - @ Bloomsburg  [+3]
Jason Kraisser (ILL)- @ Iowa  [+3]
Ed Scott (NCST) - @ Virginia  [+3]
Dylan Evans (PITT) - @ Bucknell  [+3]
Vince Zerban (UNCO) - Vs North Dakota State  [+3]
Conner Harer (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+3]
Rafael Hipolito (VT) - @ Appalachian State  [+3]

 
165:
Joseph Bianchi (LR) - Davidson Duals [+10]
Domonic Baker (CAMP) - @ Gardner-Webb, @ Chattanooga  [+7]
Drake Rhodes (SDSU) -  @ California Baptist, @ Air Force  [+6]
Gunner Filipowicz (ARMY) - @ American  [+5]
Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) - @ Nebraska  [+5]
Evan Maag (GMU) - @ Cleveland State  [+4]
Kyle Mosher (HOF) - @ Bloomsburg  [+4]
Jared Kelsar (PITT) - @ Bucknell  [+4]
Blaine Bergey (PRIN) - @ Clarion  [+4]
Terrell Barraclough (UVU) - @ Missouri  [+4]
Michael Caliendo (IOWA) - Vs Illinois  [+3]
Peyton Hall (WVU) - @ Oklahoma, @ Oklahoma State  [+7]
Anthony White (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+3]
Cooper Voorhees (WYO) - @ Oregon State  [+3]

 
174:
Avery Bassett (LHU) - Davidson Duals  [+10]
Brevin Cassella (BING) - @ Franklin & Marshall, @ Drexel  [+8]
Alex Cramer (CMU) - Vs Northern Illinois, Vs Cleveland State  [+8]
John Worthing (CLAR) - Vs SIU-Edwardsville, Vs Princeton
Cade DeVos (SDSU) -  @ California Baptist, @ Air Force  [+8]
Sergio Desiante (CHAT) - Vs Campbell  [+4]
Logan Messer (GMU) - @ Cleveland State  [+4]
Patrick Kennedy (IOWA) - Vs Illinois  [+4]
Joshua Ogunsanya (UNC) - @ Duke  [+4]
Garett Thompson (OHIO) - Vs Edinboro  [+4]
Carson Kharchla (OHST) - Vs Purdue  [+4]
Dean Hamiti (OKST) - Vs West Virginia  [+4]
Lorenzo Norman (STAN) - Vs Arizona State  [+4]
Matthew Singleton (NCST) - @ Virginia  [+3]
Levi Haines (PSU) - @ Nebraska  [+3]
Danny Wask (NAVY) - Vs Lehigh  [+3]
Jared Simma (UNI) - @ Arizona State  [+3]
Jackson Turley (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+3]
Lennox Wolak (VT) - @ Appalachian State  [+3]
 
184:
Brock Delsignore (LR) - Davidson Duals [+9]
Adrian Cramer (CMU) - Vs Northern Illinois, Vs Cleveland State  [+8]
Will Ebert (BING) - @ Franklin & Marshall, @ Drexel  [+7]
Bennett Berge (SDSU) -  @ California Baptist, @ Air Force  [+7]
Jaxon Smith (MARY) - Vs Wisconsin  [+5]
Dustin Plott (OKST) - Vs West Virginia  [+5]
Ross McFarland (HOF) - @ Bloomsburg  [+4]
Gavin Kane (UNC) - @ Duke  [+4]
Dylan Fishback (NCST) - @ Virginia  [+4]
Carter Starocci (PSU) - @ Nebraska  [+4]
Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+4]
TJ Stewart (VT) - @ Appalachian State  [+4]
Malachi Duvall (GMU) - @ Cleveland State  [+3]
Max McEnelly (MINN) - Vs Michigan  [+3]
Reece Heller (PITT) - @ Bucknell  [+3]

 
197:
Stephen Little (LR) - Davidson Duals [+14]
Levi Hopkins (CAMP) - @ Gardner-Webb, @ Chattanooga  [+8]
Luke Cochran (CMU) - Vs Northern Illinois, Vs Cleveland State  [+7]
John Poznanski (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+6]
Wyatt Voelker (UNI) - @ Arizona State  [+5]
Michael O’Malley (DREX) - Vs Binghamton  [+4]
Michael Beard (LEH) - @ Navy  [+4]
Chase Mielnik (MARY) - Vs Wisconsin  [+4]
Cade Lautt (UNC) - @ Duke  [+4]
Christian Knop (NCST) - @ Virginia  [+4]
Seth Shumate (OHST) - Vs Purdue  [+4]
Luke Surber (OKST) - Vs West Virginia  [+4]
Josh Barr (PSU) - @ Nebraska  [+4]
Nick Stemmet (STAN) - Vs Arizona State  [+4]
Andy Smith (VT) - @ Appalachian State  [+4]
Wolfgang Frable (ARMY) - @ American  [+3]
Stephen Buchanan (IOWA) - Vs Illinois  [+3]
Remy Cotton (MSU) - Vs Buffalo  [+3]
Kael Bennie (UVU) - @ Missouri  [+3]
Mac Stout (PITT) - @ Bucknell  [+3]
 
285:
Daniel Herrera (ISU) - Cyclone Open
Gavin Hoffman (LHU) - Davidson Duals  [+10]
Cohlton Schultz (ASU) - @ Northern Iowa, @ Stanford  [+8]
Cory Day (BING) - @ Franklin & Marshall, @ Drexel  [+8]
Wyatt Hendrickson (OKST) - Vs West Virginia  [+6]
Owen Trephan (LEH) - @ Navy  [+5]
Gable Steveson (MINN) - Vs Michigan  [+5]
Nick Feldman (OHST) - Vs Purdue  [+5]
Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) - @ Nebraska  [+5]
Jimmy Mullen (VT) - @ Appalachian State  [+5]
Max Vandia (MSU) - Vs Buffalo  [+4]
Issac Trumble (NCST) - @ Virginia  [+4]
Dayton Pitzer (PITT) - @ Bucknell  [+4]
Sebastian Garibaldi (PRIN) - @ Clarion  [+4]
Yaraslau Slavikouski (RUT) - Vs Wisconsin  [+4]
Seth Nevills (MARY) - Vs Wisconsin  [+3]

For years, I have been beating the drum that DI wrestling needs to have some sort of a National Duals-type event. That happened this year with the mid-major schools participating in the NWCA/National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. An important distinction to make is that the National Duals haven’t “returned” it’s DI wrestling that has returned to the event. The other levels of wrestling and women’s wrestling have constantly been included in the National Duals. 
I would like it to have some sort of an official title given out in conjunction with the event - in order to make it attractive for coaches. There has to be some sort of a stake involved for many coaches to change the training cycle and schedule. Personally, I wouldn’t mind the NCAA team title being determined in a team dual format - but we’re not ready for that discussion! Money is also a good incentive for most. 
With the NWCA/National Duals fresh on fans' minds, we saw on Tuesday morning that fans aren’t the only ones who enjoyed the event and are clamoring for more. First-year Oklahoma State head coach David Taylor posted the following tweet:

This is significant because the DI portion of the National Duals died because some of the most prominent DI head coaches disagreed on many elements surrounding the event. They stopped participating and others followed suit. Now having Taylor ready to discuss National Duals is a huge step in the right direction. 
Taylor’s tweet said that the event should happen in November. I’m not opposed to that. I like the idea of having a huge event kick off your season. NASCAR basically starts its season with the Dayton 500. Unless you’re a hardcore golf fan, many don’t start paying attention until the Masters in April. 
Having a tournament like that would be dependent on the previous season's results - which is fine. I don’t think coaches would mind knowing in May that they are opening their year with a dual tournament, rather than trying to qualify for one throughout the season and adding another tournament in February. 
So, what would a full DI National Dual tournament look like? In the past, I have used Twitter to post a hypothetical 24-team bracket every few weeks during the regular season. For the ease of scheduling and the purposes of getting this event done in one weekend, I think we’d have to mimic the current National Duals and make it a 16-team bracket. 
I would give all conference tournament winners from the previous season an automatic berth. That means, NC State (ACC), Iowa State (Big 12), Penn State (Big Ten), Cornell (EIWA), Central Michigan (MAC), Arizona State (Pac-12), and Appalachian State (SoCon) are automatically in. 
Since Cornell is no longer qualifying through the EIWA, we need an EIWA representative. Second place Lehigh is in. The same goes for the Pac-12 and Arizona State. Little Rock is in as well. 
For the remainder of the field, I have two options. The first would be the prior year’s NCAA Tournament placement. This is the easiest option. There could be some weird fluctuations between dual and tournament strength, but generally, it’s going to generate a strong field. 
This is what the bracket could look like based on preseason team dual rankings from InterMat. The only tweak I made to it was moving Michigan into the #8 seed rather than facing Big Ten rival Ohio State in the opening round. Otherwise, nothing else was taken into consideration. 


Another potential way to fill out the brackets is to use the final 2024 NWCA Coaches Poll (February 21st) to fill out the remaining eight slots in the bracket. 
Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Minnesota - in that order. 
 
That bracket would look like. 


In the brackets that I’ve posted on Twitter, I have put effort in to make sure that conference teams and teams that already wrestle each other during the season don’t hit early on. I don’t know if it’s possible to do this and keep the integrity of the bracket/seeds. Which is fine. 
In conclusion, adding a regular National Duals-type event and getting all of the power programs involved isn’t going to save wrestling on its own. As I mentioned last week, our sport needs more marquee, must-see events. More events with the top stars and top teams involved. Keeping our current fanbase engaged and entertained is a must. Then we can worry about trying to attract new fans. 

On this week's show Holmes and Robbie pose the question of is this the best Penn State lineup we have ever seen? They also dig into bringing back national duals along with rearranging the season, the latest D1 women's championship news and the possibilities that come with it. In the end they discuss how tough Oklahoma State looks and what's coming up this weekend on the college slate.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:12 - Discussion on Viewer Comments
00:04:43 - Analysis of College Wrestling Tournament Dynamics
00:07:59 - Perspectives on College Sports as Entertainment
00:10:35 - Examination of NCAA Marketing Strategies
00:13:20 - National Duals Format Discussion
00:22:04 - Overview of Upcoming Matches in NCAA Wrestling
00:25:41 - Penn State's Dominance in College Wrestling
00:30:10 - Implications of New NCAA Women's Championship
00:34:50 – This Week’s ACC Matches to Watch
00:47:15 – This Week’s Big Ten Matchups to Watch 
Summary:
1.    Introduction: The podcast welcomes listeners and acknowledges missing hosts due to personal commitments.
2.    Discussion on Viewer Comments: Highlights a comment from a viewer regarding the nature of sports competition and entertainment. 
3.    Analysis of College Wrestling Tournament Dynamics: The hosts reflect on the changes in college wrestling tournaments and participation over the years.
4.    Perspectives on College Sports as Entertainment: The importance of entertainment value in wrestling is discussed, emphasizing the need for engaging fan experiences and promoting the sport.
5.    Examination of NCAA Marketing Strategies: The presenters evaluate how different colleges market their wrestling programs and the varying levels of success.
6.    National Duals Format Discussion: A conversation on the proposal for a National Duals format, weighing the benefits and challenges of reinstating it.
7.    Overview of Upcoming Matches in NCAA Wrestling: Key matches and competitions in the NCAA wrestling calendar are previewed, highlighting noteworthy rivalries.
8.    Penn State's Dominance in College Wrestling: The hosts analyze Penn State's current team lineup and their potential to break records based on past performances.
9.    Implications of New NCAA Women's Championship: The recent approval of a women’s NCAA championship is explored, discussing its impact on women's wrestling.
10.    This Week’s ACC Matches: The presenters recap recent ACC wrestling matches, highlighting unexpected outcomes and key match performances.
11.    This Week’s Big Ten Matchups to Watch: Discussion of PSU vs Nebraska, Illinois vs Iowa, and Michigan vs Minnesota