OSU / Ill.

[MPhillips]

 No. 4 Ohio State (8-0, 0-0) begins Big Ten competition this weekend with a road contest against No. 10 Illinois (6-0, 1-0) and then a home meeting with No. 17 Rutgers (8-2, 0-0) at the Covelli Center. The matchup with the Illini will start at 8 p.m. Friday with B1G+ providing the live stream. The Big Ten Network will broadcast the match against the Scarlet Knights at 6 p.m. Sunday. 
The Buckeyes won a 37-34 edge in the all-time series against Illinois and have won seven of the last duals. Four of the last six battles in Champaign have gone to the Buckeyes. In the series with Rutgers, Ohio State is 10-0-1, which includes a 5-0 record in Columbus. After a tie in the first meeting (24-all) Feb. 10, 1984, Ohio State has won the last 10. 

 

125-No. 10 Brendan McCrone (R-So.) vs. Caelan Riley (Jr.)
133-No. 9 Nic Bouzakis (R-So.) vs. No. 2 Lucas Byrd (R-Sr.)
141-No. 1 Jesse Mendez (Jr.) vs. No. 13 Danny Pucino (R-Jr.)
149-No. 12 Dylan D'Emilio (Gr.) vs. No. 11 Kannon Webster (R-Fr.)
157-No. 9 Paddy Gallagher (R-Jr.) vs. Jason Kraisser (Gr.)
165-No. 11 Sammy Sasso (Gr.) or Bryce Hepner (R-Sr.)/e'Than Birden (Fr.) vs. No. 10 Braeden Scoles (R-Fr.)
174-No. 9 Carson Kharchla (Gr.) vs. No. 21 Danny Braunagel (R-Sr.)
184-No. 14 Ryder Rogotzke (So.) vs. No. 10 Edmond Ruth (R-Sr.)
197-Seth Shumate (R-So.) vs. No. 11 Zac Braunagel (R-Sr.)
HWT-No. 7 Nick Feldman (R-So.) vs. No. 11 Luke Luffman (R-Sr.)

[Wrestleknownothing]

Ohio State higher ranked in 5, Illinois higher ranked in 5. 

Tasty.

[MNRodent]

Lots of great matchups!

[Gantry]

Please everyone show up, "we" need a dual like this

[Gene Mills Fan]

Byrd, Webster, Scoles, Ruth, Big Brauny, all have to win. Riley and Pucino have to keep it to a regular decision.

Rooting for the Orange but going to be tough! 

[Hammerlock3]

Gallagher better look out, got it on good authority from @ILLINIWrestlingBlog that Kraisser is the best on top in the whole country

[Gene Mills Fan]

14 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

Gallagher better look out, got it on good authority from @ILLINIWrestlingBlog that Kraisser is the best on top in the whole country

If Illini get 157 I smell upset; They aren't going to wrestle in that tiny room again are they?

[PortaJohn]

This thread feels empty without @ILLINIWrestlingBlog

[MPhillips]

4 minutes ago, PortaJohn said:

This thread feels empty without @ILLINIWrestlingBlog

No...

[MPhillips]

10 minutes ago, Gene Mills Fan said:

They aren't going to wrestle in that tiny room again are they?

 Huff Hall.

[ionel]

Here's my copy and paste from the club forum.  This is the best case scenario for the buck_iis. 

 Uusing WS rank #s and WS is just wrong on this one.    

125:  Riley169 vs McCrone10

I'm still disappointed Renteria left, I really liked that kid, thought he was going places and he has, saw him at Corvallis late last year he is looking great, just beat the McCrone.  Riley is the guy but the nuts will put up 4 or 5 here, lets say 5.

0 - 5  OhS

133:  Byrd4 vs Bouzakis3

The chirp byrd versus a bouzakis, whatever that is, 3pt Illini

3 - 5  OhS

141:  Pucino15 vs Mendez1

Ok gotta call this one for the bucks, 3 pts

3 - 8 OhS

149:  Webster7 vs D'Emilio12

By definition this has decision written all over it, 3 IL

6 - 8 OhS

157: Kraisser44 vs Gallagher21

Kraissier things have happed but can Jason put Paddy to his back, tough call here, but ok for now lets say 3 OhS

6 - 11 OhS

165:  Scoles 17 vs Sasso6

Ok I like Sammy, its great he made it back, I saw him up close and personal in Vegas and this is not the same Sammy, sorry but 3 pt Illinois

9 - 11 OhS

174:  D-Braunagel27 vs Kharchia6

The little Brawny gave KOT all he wanted but I'm guessing Jason is ready for it, 3 pt bucknuts

9 - 14 OhS

184:  Ruth15 vs Rogotzke16 

Are you kidding ... The Destroyer of Worlds versus a ryder, this match'll be decided on their feet, 3 pt Illinois

12 - 14 OhS

197:  Z-Braunagel14 vs Shumate25

The Big Brawny all day and twice on Friday, 3 pt Illini

15 - 14  IL

285:  Luffman13  vs Feldman4

The dual is on the line, which kind of man is gonna show up.  If my good buddy Wkn were making the call he might say Luke with the pinfeld.  But me ... I think the big LL is gonna poke Nick in the ribs early, just to make sure he's good to go, and then win a hard fought decision and a dual win for the Illini.  Sorry MP and buckEs, 3 pt Illinois.

18 - 14 IL

•  

Edited Thursday at 05:03 PM by ionel

[ionel]

3 minutes ago, MPhillips said:

 Huff Hall.

No and don't listen to MP, if you show up at 8pm you will miss half a great dual.  If you show up at Huff you'll miss all of a great dual.  

[MPhillips]

5 minutes ago, ionel said:

If you show up at Huff you'll miss all of a great dual.  

 

Ignore Lionel...

[ionel]

1 minute ago, MPhillips said:

 

Ignore Lionel...

Did they move it?  I'm wrong?  I've never been wrong before.  But note it ain't at 8! Don't listen to MP ... 

[MPhillips]

1 minute ago, ionel said:

But note it ain't at 8!

ET is the only time zone that really counts. 8pm it is...

[ionel]

1 minute ago, MPhillips said:

ET is the only time zone that really counts. 8pm it is...

... don't be silly ... its at 6pm MT ... I already set my alarm ...

[PortaJohn]

6 minutes ago, ionel said:

... don't be silly ... its at 6pm MT ... I already set my alarm ...

Mountain Time is very misleading.  There are no mountains in Julesburg Colorado

[ionel]

1 minute ago, PortaJohn said:

Mountain Time is very misleading.  There are no mountains in Julesburg Colorado

Mountain Time!!

[PortaJohn]

3 minutes ago, ionel said:

Mountain Time!!

Julesburg Colorado...Mountain Time!

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

47 minutes ago, Gene Mills Fan said:

Byrd, Webster, Scoles, Ruth, Big Brauny, all have to win. Riley and Pucino have to keep it to a regular decision.

Rooting for the Orange but going to be tough! 

This is a good synopsis. I wrote up a detailed preview at the ILLINI Wrestling Blog and Forum and Beyond Plus. I also see it as a match in which each team will have five wrestlers favored to win. The Buckeyes have the two best shots at bonus (125, 141), but I also think that the ILLINI have the two best shots at upsets (174, 285). Then, there's the Kraisser wildcard.

BIGGEST STORIES

Two undefeated top ten teams. 

With a 6-3 record and coming off a 1-0 win over the #102 kid from OSU, I don't think anybody wants to see Sammy Sasso wrestle Braeden Scoles. Huge ups to Sammy for coming back, getting that 100th win, and for being a warrior and inspiration, but he's not ready yet for what Scoles brings to the table. Hepner has been out with an injury forever. I have the ILLINI favored here, and it could be bonus as well. 

Lucas Byrd versus the beta version of Lucas Byrd. 

Luuuuuke Luffman and Nick Feldman is a match that I've been waiting for and anxious to see. Luffman has been lights out this year, and all ILLINI fans are rooting for an AA. People forget how agile and quick and flexible he is. This match will go a long way to determining future seeds and rankings. Has Feldman truly recovered from injury? That'll be put to the test here. 

Does Ryder Rogotzke really want to go upper body with Edmond Ruth? 

Absolutely crucial matches up and down these lineups. Pucino has had a brilliant year, but can he keep it to a regular decision against the national champ? He couldn't at last year's dual. Little Brawlnagel can wrestle with the best in the country. (Check out his career mark versus Cam Amine). He's never faced Kharchla. 

Are the Huff Dogs still as delicious as they once were? I'm trying to make it back for this dual, and I'm saving room for two dogs, mustard, onions, relish and a diet coke. Sorry to those readers who're cutting weight. 

As for @MPhillips, I love him like a brother. Like a brother who fumbled around with his gun while our father was shot, then took sides with Moe Greene over the family, and finally, snitched us out to Hyman Roth and his um associate Johnny Ola. 

 

 

[juniorvarsity]

Wrestlestat has Bouzakis over Byrd

[MPhillips]

4 minutes ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

As for @MPhillips, I love him like a brother.

I'm bigger than US Steel...

[ionel]

21 minutes ago, PortaJohn said:

Julesburg Colorado...Mountain Time!

Sumpn' missing in that picture.  

[Truzzcat]

I think Illinois can win 

133
149
165 (would love for Sammy to win but I honestly think he could give up bonus here scoles is super good in scrambles and goes at a crazy pace. Current Sammy I think really struggles here maybe a Birden match)
174
184
197

Ohio State could get bonus at 125,141 maybe heavy? Luffman does not really give up bonus but sometimes Feldman blows the doors off of good guys.

149 and 174 seem like the most important matches of the dual to me I favor Illinois at both weights I think.
 

[ionel]

43 minutes ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

As for @MPhillips, I love him like a brother. Like a brother who fumbled around with his gun while our father was shot, then took sides with Moe Greene over the family, and finally, snitched us out to Hyman Roth and his um associate Johnny Ola. 

This gonna make me pause and think the next time MP says:  get on it bro.