As compelling as these storylines become, the week leading up the conference tournament also gives fans the chance to talk about which individual matchups will leave the fans applauding their mat heroes.
Here are this weekend's most exciting (potential) conference matchups.
125: No. 2 Nico Megaludis (PSU) vs. No. 3 Jesse Delgado (Illinois)
Jesse Delgado defeated Nico Megaludis in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Still, this matchup will only take place if Delgado can get past Cory Clark (Iowa) in the semifinals. Delgado lost to Clark last season, and with assertions from the Brands bros. that Clark is better with his weight and stronger than before, the semifinals could be as interesting as the finals.
141: No. 3 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Zain Retherford (PSU)
One of the most surprising results of the season was when true freshman Retherford rode Stieber to the redshirt junior's first loss since Feb. 12, 2012. Their first match was razor close, with Retherford using a ride-time point to hand the two-time NCAA champion his first loss. Retherford's performance wasn't a fluke. He's undefeated on the season and can ride almost anyone he wishes. If Stieber can't figure out how to avoid the ride, and earn offensive points of his own, he might be looking at only his fourth loss in three seasons.
141: No. 8 Richard Durso (F&M) vs. No. 9 Luke Vaith (Hofstra)
The EIWA has come to be dominated by Cornell, but that doesn't mean there aren't some non-Ivies in the conference with talent of their own. Lehigh could contend for the team crown, but much of the attention will be on the individual performances of traditional also-rans with horses buried in their lineup. One such powerful equine is Franklin & Marshall's Richard Durso, who is the defending EIWA champion and was only a few points away from placing at the NCAA tournament. He'll likely face Hofstra's Luke Vaith in the finals, assuming both make it past a talented field including Mike Nevinger (Cornell) and Laike Gardener (Lehigh).
141: Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 16 Joe Spisak (Virginia)
Virginia Tech's Devin Carter is proving to be a tough man to keep down. The Hokie junior's Wolverine-like regenerative powers are mind-boggling to behold. After a 14-11 victory over Joe Spisak at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December, it was revealed that Carter had torn his hamstring and would be done for the season. Then, like a Rocky of Appalachia, it was revealed this week that Carter had healed in less than half the time predicted by doctors and was at full strength. Carter was undefeated at the time of the injury.
Though Spisak has never beaten Carter, it will be an interesting matchup of rivals, likely in the semifinals of the ACC. The Cavaliers are exceptional in the postseason, and against rivals they've been even better. For Carter to win he'll need a great match without hesitancy. If he does that then he'll also be in the hunt for the top prize come NCAAs.
149: No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) vs. No. 17 Tywan Claxton (Ohio)
Houdashelt has been the most consistent performer at 149 pounds this season, but his one blemish came at the hands of Ohio's Tywan Claxton. The Mizzou wrestler faced Claxton in his first-ever week atop the rankings, and it's conceivable that the pressure of the top spot affected his game. The consistency of the Mizzou program will be seen in Houdashlet's performance. He's the team leader and the wrestler with the most to prove in a single match. If Sammie The Bull and Coach Smith have their team ready, it will be reflected in Houdashlet's performance this match.
157: No. 6 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) vs. No. 3 James Green (Nebraska)
Two of the most exciting men in college wrestling are likely to meet in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament. Green will look to keep the match on his feet and finish his singles and doubles with authority, while Ness will want to make the match confusing for Green by putting him in awkward situations with few good solutions.
The winner will likely face sudden All-Star Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin in the finals if he can get past returning NCAA champion Derek St. John of Iowa, but how they deal with each other in the semifinals will give fans a peek into the rest of the postseason at 157 pounds.
174: No. 2 Chris Perry (OSU) vs. No. 1 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma)
Returning NCAA champions and cross-state rivals doing battle for the second time this season. Do you need me to outline the incredible attractiveness of this match? No. No, you don't.
Howe won their first matchup, 4-2, but look for Perry to have matured and for Coach Smith to have a strategy he thinks can manage Howe's intensity and hand-fighting technique. Still, to win, Perry will need to create counter-offense and control the center of the mat. Not an easy chore, but a fun one to watch him undertake.
Also of note is that these two wrestled in Norman during their first meeting, but for Bedlam II in Stillwater, Howe was bumped to 184 pounds. The Big 12s are in Norman again, but that will only matter this week, since the NCAAs are going to be in Oklahoma City -- neutral ground.
174: No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) vs. No. 4 Matt Brown (PSU)
"Bob" and Brown have tangled only once before, with Bob winning 10-7 in the dual meet last season. That was more than a year ago and both wrestlers have improved their skill set and conditioning. Kokesh will need to continue his excellent season by finding a way to repeat last year's victory, while Brown needs to limit mistakes and finish shots if he's going to avoid Kokesh's creative reshots and formidable front head.
184: No. 2 Ed Ruth (PSU) vs. No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota)
Ed Ruth defeated Kevin Steinhaus earlier this season (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)285: The entire Big Ten heavyweight bracket
No. 1 Adam Coon (Michigan), No. 2 Adam Chalfant (Indiana), No. 3 Mike McMullan (Northwestern), and No. 4 Bobby Telford (Iowa) are all seeded AHEAD of defending two-time NCAA champion and No. 5 seed Tony Nelson (Minnesota).
Every wrestling fan knows that this assemblage of Brontosaurus meat has taken turns besting each other in the 30-foot circle. When it comes time for them to roll in Madison, it's anyone's to win. Every match from the quarterfinals could be a prequel to the NCAA finals.
Don't look now, but the Big Ten heavyweight division might be the most exciting conference weight class of the past 20 years.
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