Did The Race For Second Just Get More Interesting?

[Wrestleknownothing]

Or Is It The Race To Avoid Fifth?

First let's take a look at how the Intermat team totals shake out based on today's rankings for teams two through five.

Intermat still has Jacori Teemer ranked #1 at 157. That makes sense. No one knows the extent of his injury. But let's just say it is season ending (but let's hope it is not). With everyone at 157 moving up a slot, the team totals would now look like this:

If Teemer's injury is serious it eliminates all of Iowa's room for error. Of course, Iowa has a lot of lineup flexibility with a logjam a few weights higher. But asking 165 - 184 to each slide down a weight has problems of it's own. First, if those were their optimal weights, odds are they would already be wrestling there. Second, asking three wrestlers to cut is a lot riskier than asking one. So even if Iowa were to go with the slide down strategy over the plug in strategy it is likely that much of their room for error would be eliminate.  Nebraska, Oklahoma State, and Minnesota are all firmly in the mix.

Injuries suck. And especially if they put Iowa at risk of finishing fifth again. 

In other news

The wrestlestat rankings look especially screwy this week with Gable Steveson sliding from first to fifth in spite of wrestling twice and putting two two tech falls on the board. Somehow going from 0-0 to 2-0 cost him over 100 Elo points. Go figure.

In other other news

I know you were all a little worried about Penn State, but with Luke Lilledahl entering the top 33 it appears that they are going to be OK.

They now have a 0.2% chance of finishing with 10 All-Americans.

For reference, this still trails Minnesota's 2001 all-All-American squad which had a 0.8% chance of 10 AA's based on seeds. But if all else stays the same and Lilledahl is able to grab an 8 seed, PSU's chances of 10 AA's jumps to 2%.

 

[scourge165]

I've not paid real close attention the past week or so, but...what's going on with Davis?

They have, IMO, title contenders at '25, '41, '49, '57, '65, '74, '84 and HWT-And no, I'm not saying I'm picking Kerk over Gable or even Beau over Mendez...SVN over Henson, just these guys should just about all be favored to get to the NCAA Finals. 

So that leaves you with '97. Barr looks pretty damn impressive. I ain't betting against that kid. Or Cochran frankly. I think he COULD make the podium. And then '33. If Davis is healthy...I'd think you'd have your 10 AAs. That's and 6 NCs is about all PSU has left to really accomplish that's not just chasing their own records. 

[Spencerlee]

Jacori is not out for the year.

[Wrestleknownothing]

6 minutes ago, scourge165 said:

I've not paid real close attention the past week or so, but...what's going on with Davis?

They have, IMO, title contenders at '25, '41, '49, '57, '65, '74, '84 and HWT-And no, I'm not saying I'm picking Kerk over Gable or even Beau over Mendez...SVN over Henson, just these guys should just about all be favored to get to the NCAA Finals. 

So that leaves you with '97. Barr looks pretty damn impressive. I ain't betting against that kid. Or Cochran frankly. I think he COULD make the podium. And then '33. If Davis is healthy...I'd think you'd have your 10 AAs. That's and 6 NCs is about all PSU has left to really accomplish that's not just chasing their own records. 

Davis was the only starter not to go to the Black Knight Invitational. It would lead one to believe he is dealing with illness or injury.

[Wrestleknownothing]

6 minutes ago, Spencerlee said:

Jacori is not out for the year.

Good news. Any idea when he will be back? I would guess not for the Princeton or Army duals. Maybe for the Soldier Salute? Or maybe wait until January?

[Spencerlee]

6 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

Good news. Any idea when he will be back? I would guess not for the Princeton or Army duals. Maybe for the Soldier Salute? Or maybe wait until January?

January

[scourge165]

15 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

Davis was the only starter not to go to the Black Knight Invitational. It would lead one to believe he is dealing with illness or injury.

Yes, I know he's out with a knee injury. I just haven't seen any update on how bad it is. Was it an MCL sprain or was it an ACL or a meniscus? It's a wide range of outcomes. Even a Meniscus could impact him long enough that it'd really hurt an AA shot. 

[AgaveMaria]

It looks like Penn State has it - but flu, covid, other illness & injury can hit.

Every year we see a few wrestlers go on a streak. On paper it is over but reality can be different.

[Wrestleknownothing]

5 hours ago, Spencerlee said:

January

Follow up question. How do you know that?