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Just a few short hours from now, the weekend begins, at least from a wrestling fan standpoint. Across a large chunk of the country, the weather is poor so it’s the perfect time to stay in Friday night and take advantage of a Big Ten Network Tripleheader. There are also some other great duals on over the next three days outside of the B1G, so fire up those alternate devices and get those extra TV’s ready. The entire weekend is littered with entertaining duals and individual matchups, but we’ve specifically noted 32 matches to watch out for between now and Sunday. A handful of these matches are in the Penn State/Michigan dual. We’ve already posted a preview for that entire dual, so if you want to read about that matchup in more detail, do so here. Those matches have been posted below and are in italics; however, we did not comment on them further. Enjoy. 125 lbs #1 Drake Ayala (Iowa) vs. #2 Matt Ramos (Purdue) The last time we saw Matt Ramos against an Iowa wrestler it was rather memorable. This one is rather important as Drake Ayala has assumed the top spot in the country at 125 lbs in this week's rankings update. We’ve come to expect the unexpected at 125 lbs, so does that mean we’re expecting an upset or would the top guy prevailing now be more rare? #2 Matt Ramos (Purdue) vs. #7 Caleb Smith (Nebraska) Caleb Smith has been excellent since coming to Nebraska from Appalachian State. Smith showed he could be an All-American contender by downing Ramos at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on his way to a third-place finish. Smith comes in losing two of his last three duals. How will he hold up during the rigors of the Big Ten schedule? #5 Michael DeAugustino (Michigan) vs. #13 Dean Peterson (Rutgers) After a big match with true freshman Braeden Davis on Friday, veteran Michael DeAugustino has another against Dean Peterson on Sunday. Last year, Peterson dropped a tight 3-2 match to DeAugustino, then at Northwestern. Peterson is also looking to return to his winning ways after dropping two of three. #5 Michael DeAugustino (Michigan) vs. #14 Braeden Davis (Penn State) #7 Caleb Smith (Nebraska) vs. #18 Patrick McKee (Minnesota) An early season loss to Tanner Jordan caused Patrick McKee to tumble down the rankings. Even though these two are separated by 11 spots, rankings-wise, this is probably a toss-up. It’ll be the first of two matches against returning All-American’s for Smith this weekend. #16 Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) vs. #19 Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State) With the crazy nature of the 125 lb weight class, Brandon Kaylor is the only wrestler to defeat top-ranked Drake Ayala this year. Kaylor also has four losses on the year himself. Troy Spratley has some excellent wins on his resume this year. Another one at Kaylor’s expense could prove that he should be ranked higher and should be thought of as a high All-American contender. #17 Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) vs. #20 Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado) An important matchup for Big 12 seeding will take place on Friday as the returning conference champion Stevo Poulin takes on Tanner Jordan. In last year’s dual, Poulin prevailed to the tune of 9-2. Poulin is coming in after a weekend filled with mixed results. He started it off with a major decision over Dom Mendez (Cal Poly), but was upset by Eli Griffin (California Baptist). Both of Poulin’s losses this season have come to conference opponents, so another could be harmful to his potential conference seed. 133 lbs #1 Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) vs. #10 Michael Colaiocco (Penn) Top-ranked freshman Ryan Crookham’s next test comes against 2022 EIWA champion Michael Colaiocco. Crookham’s only non-bonus point wins of the year have come against All-American’s Vito Arujau and Aaron Nagao, so he’s taken care of business against everyone else. At the season-opening Journeymen Collegiate Classic, Colaiocco lost to Crookham’s teammate Connor McGonagle, 8-2, and was majored by Arujau. #4 Aaron Nagao (Penn State) vs. #6 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) #6 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) vs. #8 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) A couple weeks after the first round, we’ll have another battle of the Dylan’s between Ragusin and Shawver. In their Midlands final, Ragusin prevailed with a 4-1 decision. On Friday, Ragusin will have a huge test against Aaron Nagao and may or may not be undefeated. Shawver has been excellent in his first year at 133 lbs, losing only three times in 18 outings. #16 Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State) vs. #18 Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado) After the top-tier of contenders at 133 lbs is pretty wide open. Derrick Cardinal and Dominick Serrano represent a new crop of possible threats at the weight. Cardinal was sixth at the CKLV, while Serrano made the finals of the Southern Scuffle. Serrano also won the Cougar Clash and has won 15 of 18 matches in his first year as a starter. 141 lbs #3 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. #14 Kal Miller (Maryland) After earning All-American honors as a true freshman in 2023, Jesse Mendez moved up to 141 lbs and has been as good as ever. Maybe better. His signature performance came at the CKLV where he took home the title in a weight class that featured six other wrestlers currently ranked in the top ten. He’ll represent the toughest test of the year for Kal Miller. Miller only has one loss on the year and boasts a pair of wins over past AA Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh). #8 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) vs. #19 Vance VomBaur (Minnesota) Last season, Brock Hardy was a CKLV champion, a Big Ten runner-up, and an NCAA semifinalist. For the year, he only had eight losses. This year he already has five. He certainly hasn’t been bad, just not as sharp as his first year in the Nebraska lineup. Vance Vombaur is a first-year starter for the Gophers that has been very solid. Both wrestlers fell to top-ranked Real Woods last weekend; VomBaur had a chance to tie the match with the Hawkeye superstar had he been able to finish a takedown at the buzzer. Should he put out a similar performance, he might notch the biggest win of his career. #11 Mitch Moore (Rutgers) vs. #25 Sergio Lemley (Michigan) Graduate transfer Mitch Moore will put his perfect record to the test on Sunday against star true freshman Sergio Lemley. Moore has missed some time but has still managed to rack up ten wins and a title at the Sheridan Invitation. Lemley brings a three-match winning streak into Friday’s dual with Penn State, a streak started by an upset win over two-time All-American Clay Carlson (South Dakota State). 149 lbs #1 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) vs. #13 Drew Roberts (Minnesota) We saw last Friday, in Nebraska’s dual with Iowa, that number one gets everyone’s best shot, especially in rivalry duals. Ridge Lovett got his hand raised but had some difficulty racking up points against Caleb Rathjen. Now he has another similarly ranked opponent in Drew Roberts. Depending on dual strategy/scoring, does Roberts try to keep it close or go after the Cornhusker star. #5 Chance Lamer (Cal Poly) vs. #15 Nash Singleton (Oregon State) The dual between Cal Poly and Oregon State is a special one as the Mustang lineup features three Lamer brothers, all from Crescent Valley High School, near the Oregon State campus. Oregon State’s lineup should include at least one (Gabe Whisenhunt) of their teammates, which is a remarkable feat for a single high school (and not even a prep school). In front of family and friends, Chance Lamer will surely be looking to put on a show. Last weekend, he totaled 61 points across three matches. Nash Singleton has put together a solid freshman campaign and would probably love to spoil the homecoming, of sorts. #6 Austin Gomez (Michigan) vs. #16 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) #9 Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State) vs. #17 Ethen Miller (Maryland) Last weekend saw returning All-American Dylan D’Emilio get shocked by true freshman Kannon Webster. He’ll look to return to the winner’s circle against Maryland’s Ethen Miller. Last year, at 141 lbs, D’Emilio downed Ethen’s younger brother Kal, 6-3. Ethen is coming off a 1-1 weekend, where he fell to Austin Gomez but put up a tech fall against Northwestern. Miller has been solid thus far but is looking for a big signature win and D’Emilio would qualify as one. 157 lbs #2 Jared Franek (Iowa) vs. #16 Joey Blaze (Purdue) It’ll be one of those weeks that makes or breaks you as a true freshman. Joey Blaze has a Friday/Saturday tilt that includes bouts with the second and third-ranked wrestlers in the nation. But, is this the best time for him to meet Jared Franek; if there is one? Franek was just knocked off by Michael Blockhus Monday night, so either he’s vulnerable or ready to bounce back in a big way. #3 Peyton Robb (Nebraska) vs. #10 Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) This leads us to Blockhus against Peyton Robb. Both, he and Peyton Robb, are sixth-year seniors who made the Big Ten finals in 2023 and subsequently, the NCAA podium. This will be the final opportunity for Minnesota native Peyton Robb to wrestle in front of fans from his home state, so I’m sure he’ll elicit a few cheers from the Gopher faithful. After defeating Franek on Monday, a win by Blockhus might elevate him into the national title discussion. #3 Peyton Robb (Nebraska) vs. #16 Joey Blaze (Purdue) The second half of the weekend challenge for Blaze includes a matchup with Robb in Nebraska. With some of the excellent freshmen at this weight, Blaze has been overlooked a bit. In just his second collegiate event, Blaze upset All-American Ed Scott (NC State), so as of now, Blaze has a perfect record against returning AA’s. #4 Vince Zerban (Northern Colorado) vs. #15 Cael Swensen (South Dakota State) Earlier this week, as we examined the remaining schedules for unbeaten wrestlers, we identified this as a key bout for Northern Colorado’s Vince Zerban. His clash with Cael Swensen will be the only potential bout against a ranked opponent before the Big 12 Championships. Last year, these two met in dual competition and it was Swensen who prevailed to the tune of 4-2. Despite receiving high seeds at nationals, (Swensen/20, Zerban/32), both navigated their way to the bloodround before getting eliminated. #17 Peyten Kellar (Ohio) vs. #25 DJ McGee (George Mason) This week is very heavy on key contests between Big Ten and Big 12 rivals, so let’s break it up with an important match in the MAC. As of now, both Peyten Kellar and DJ McGee are the highest-ranked 157 lbers in the conference. The two have combined to amass a record of 32-5 thus far. McGee finished fourth at the Midlands, while Kellar won the season-opening Southeast Open. Another solid win for either could push Kellar toward the top-15 or McGee to the top-20. 165 lbs #7 Cam Amine (Michigan) vs. #9 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) 174 lbs #1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs. #4 Shane Griffith (Michigan) #4 Shane Griffith (Michigan) vs. #19 Jackson Turley (Rutgers) Not only does Shane Griffith have his hands full with Carter Starocci on Friday, but also, a red-hot Jackson Turley on Sunday. Last weekend, Turley needed less than five minutes to tech then-number nine Donnell Washington (Indiana), then took less than :30 to pin Brody Baumann (Purdue). If healthy, he could be a factor at this weight class nationally. Griffith also is coming in after a strong performance last weekend. He tallied a pair of major decisions, though both were against unranked opposition. 184 lbs #2 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) vs. #4 Trey Munoz (Oregon State) This dual, in general, is filled with plenty of fun subplots. Oregon State head coach Chris Pendleton is an Oklahoma State grad and starred for John Smith, winning a pair of national titles in the early 2000s. His 184 lber, Trey Munoz, is the son of Cowboy national champion Mark Munoz. The former Oklahoma State stars will be in a familiar venue, the legendary Gallagher-Iba Arena. As for this match itself, it’ll have huge ramifications on the upper portion of the 184 lb rankings and NCAA bracket. Dustin Plott is putting together the finest season of his two-time All-American career with only one loss in 16 matches. He was third at the CKLV Invitational. The 2023 NCAA semifinalist, Munoz, did not place in Vegas, but has rebounded to defeat Bernie Truax in the Beavers dual with Penn State. In last year's dual between these schools, Oregon State’s Aaron Olmos knocked off Plott at 174 lbs, so the Beaver staff may have a gameplan for Munoz. #3 Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) vs. #10 Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota) After top-ranked Parker Keckeisen, the rest of the NCAA podium at 184 lbs is up-for-grabs. There’s a bunch of capable wrestlers that could fill in those spots if they have a good three days in March. One that hasn’t been discussed much yet is Isaiah Salazar, who was a ninth seed at the national tournament last year and a match away from placing. He’s currently 12-1; however, that lone loss came to a non-starter from Missouri. This year, he and Lenny Pinto, should be in a battle for the top spot in the conference. In last year’s dual, Pinto edged Salazar in an entertaining, 7-6 scrap. #15 Jaden Bullock (Michigan) vs. #20 Brian Soldano (Rutgers) I wrote entertaining and suddenly Brian Soldano appears. The Scarlet Knight sophomore is one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the nation, the type that will give up seven near-fall points if it can put him in position for a fall of his own. He’ll take on Jaden Bullock who has been a very pleasant surprise for Michigan. He was sixth at a Vegas weight class where three past All-Americans missed the podium. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t a high-scoring affair. 285 lbs #1 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) vs. #4 Lucas Davison (Michigan) #5 Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) vs. #12 Dayton Pitzer (Pittsburgh) Last season, true freshman Dayton Pitzer took the Midlands by storm defeating a pair of returning All-Americans to make the finals. One of those AA’s was Arizona State’s Cohlton Schultz. Pitt head coach Keith Gavin resisted the urge to deviate from the plan and kept Pitzer in redshirt in order to bulk up the youngster. Now, Schultz gets a chance at revenge. #9 Konner Doucet (Oklahoma State) vs. #11 Boone McDermott (Oregon State) The All-OSU battle will finish with a really solid matchup between two veterans who are seeking All-American honors for the first time. Doucet comes into this matchup as a winner of his last five duals and shutout Pitzer and Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia) last weekend. Boone McDermott has been as consistent as he’s ever been and finished fourth at the CKLV. His first loss at that event came to Doucet in tiebreakers. Doucet ended up injury defaulting out in the following bout.

Week 12 Outlook It’s been one hell of a week for me, with very little sleep. So no long rambling prelude to this week’s outlook. Just straight to the picks, which is what you scroll straight to anyway, right? 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 12pm 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. Wrestlers I Like This Week Wrestler (School)- competition for the week [Proj Score] *organized by most potential points to least, then by school alphabetically”: 125: Joseph Fischer (CLAR)- Vs Kent State, Vs Long Island, Ve Morgan State [+13] Anthony Noto (LHU)- Vs Buffalo, @ Bloomsburg [+9] Brayden Palmer (CHAT)- @ Duke, @ VMI [+8] Richard Figueroa (ASU)- @ Little Rock, @ Pittsburgh [+7] Stevo Poulin (UNCO)- @ South Dakota State, @ North Dakota State [+7] Anthony Molton (CAMP)- @ Davidson [+5] Sean Spidle (CMU)- Vs Edinboro [+4] Diego Sotelo (HARV)- Vs sacred Heart [+4] Justin Cardani (ILL)- Vs Northwestern [+4] Jore Volk (WYO)- @ Utah Valley [+4] Chad Bellis (APP)- Vs The Citadel [+3] Ethan Berginc (ARMY)- @ Binghamton [+3] 133: Blake Boarman (CHAT)- @ Duke, @ VMI [+7] Gable Strickland (LHU)- Vs Buffalo, @ Bloomsburg [+7] Nic Bouzakis (OHST)- Vs Maryland , @ Wisconsin [+7] Dom Zaccone (CAMP)- @ Davidson [+4] Anthony Madrigal (ILL)- Vs Northwestern [+4] Daton Fix (OKST)- Vs Oregon State [+4] Ethan Oakley (APP)- Vs The Citadel [+3] Vince Perez (CMU)- Vs Edinboro [+3] 141: Wyatt Henson (LHU)- Vs Buffalo, @ Bloomsburg [+9] Jesse Mendez (OHST)- Vs Maryland , @ Wisconsin [+9] Braden Bower (BUCK)- Vs Morgan State , Vs American [+8] Clay Carlson (SDSU)- Vs Northern Colorado, Vs California Baptist [+7] Gavin Drexler (NDSU)- Vs California Baptist, Vs Northern Colorado [+6] Beau Bartlett (PSU)- @ Michigan, @ Michigan State [+6] Mitch Moore (RUT)- @ Michigan State, @ Michigan [+6] Nathan Higley (GMU)- @ Ohio [+4] Tagen Jamison (OKST)- Vs Oregon State [+4] Gabe Willochell (WYO)- @ Utah Valley [+4] Cole Matthews (PITT)- Vs Arizona State [+3] 149: Chance Lamer (CP)- @ Oregon State , Vs CSU Bakersfield [+8] Ridge Lovett (NEB)- @ Minnesota, Vs Purdue [+7] Dylan D’Emilio (OHST)- Vs Maryland , @ Wisconsin [+7] Jaden Abas (STAN) - @ Drexel , @ Penn [+7] Kyle Parco (ASU)- @ Little Rock, @ Pittsburgh [+6] Noah Castillo (CHAT)- @ Duke, @ VMI [+6] Corbyn Munson (CMU)- Vs Edinboro [+5] Eligh Rivera (PRIN)- Vs Drexel [+4] Cody Bond (APP)- Vs The Citadel [+3] Thomas Deck (ARMY)- @ Binghamton [+3] Kannon Webster (ILL)- Vs Northwestern [+3] 157: Alejandro Herrera (CLAR)- Vs Kent State, Vs Long Island, Ve Morgan State [+11] Dylan Chappell (BUCK)- Vs Morgan State , Vs American [+8] Daniel Cardenas (STAN) - @ Drexel , @ Penn [+8] Jacori Teemer (ASU)- @ Little Rock, @ Pittsburgh [+7] Levi Haines (PSU)- @ Michigan, @ Michigan State [+7] Johnny Lovett (CMU)- Vs Edinboro [+5] Tommy Askey (APP)- Vs The Citadel [+4] Chris Earnest (CAMP)- @ Davidson [+3] Trevor Chumbley (NW)- @ Illinois [+3] Peyten Kellar (OHIO)- Vs George Mason [+3] 165: Noah Mulvaney (BUCK)- Vs Morgan State , Vs American [+9] Tanner Cook (SDSU)- Vs Northern Colorado, Vs California Baptist [+8] Avery Bassett (LHU)- Vs Buffalo, @ Bloomsburg [+6] Bryce Hepner (OHST)- Vs Maryland , @ Wisconsin [+6] Will Miller (APP)- Vs The Citadel [+4] Garrett Thompson (OHIO)- Vs George Mason [+4] Dominic Baker (CAMP)- @ Davidson [+3] Joseph Bianchi (LR)- Vs Arizona State [+3] Holden Heller (PITT)- Vs Arizona State [+3] 174: Cade DeVos (SDSU)- Vs Northern Colorado, Vs California Baptist [+9] Gavin Sax (NDSU)- Vs California Baptist, Vs Northern Colorado [+8] Carter Starocci (PSU)- @ Michigan, @ Michigan State [+8] Myles Takats (BUCK)- Vs Morgan State , Vs American [+7] Nick Incontrera (PENN)- @ Lehigh, Vs Stanford [+7] Austin Murphy (CAMP)- @ Davidson [+5] Phillip Conigliaro (HARV)- Vs Sacred Heart [+5] Lucas Uliano (APP)- Vs The Citadel [+4] Alex Cramer (CMU)- Vs Edinboro [+4] Edmond Ruth (ILL)- Vs Northwestern [+4] Ben Pasuik (ARMY)- @ Binghamton [+3] Tyler Brennan (LR)- Vs Arizona State [+3] Sal Perrine (OHIO)- Vs George Mason [+3] Luca Augustine (PITT)- Vs Arizona State [+3] 184: Bernie Truax (PSU)- @ Michigan, @ Michigan State [+6] Bennett Berge (SDSU)- Vs Northern Colorado, Vs California Baptist [+6] Jacob Nolan (ARMY)- @ Binghamton [+4] Reece Heller (PITT)- Vs Arizona State [+4] Caleb Hopkins (CAMP)- @ Davidson [+3] Tristan Wills (LR)- Vs Arizona State [+3] 197: Tanner Sloan (SDSU)- Vs Northern Colorado, Vs California Baptist [+10] Aaron Brooks (PSU)- @ Michigan, @ Michigan State [+9] Lou DePrez (BING)- Vs Army, Vs Navy [+8] Nick Stemmet (STAN)- @ Drexel, @ Penn [+8] Logan Deacetis (BUCK)- Vs Morgan State , Vs American [+7] Silas Allred (NEB)- @ Minnesota, Vs Purdue [+7] John Poznanski (RUT)- @ Michigan State, @ Michigan [+7] Stephen Little (LR)- Vs Arizona State [+5] Mac Stout (PITT)- Vs Arizona State [+5] Luke Stout (PRIN)- Vs Drexel [+5] Luke Surber (OKST)- Vs Oregon State [+3] 285: Nick Feldman (OHST)- Vs Maryland , @ Wisconsin [+7] Luke Rasmussen (SDSU)- Vs Northern Colorado, Vs California Baptist [+7] Taye Ghadiali (CAMP)- @ Davidson [+5] Tyler Mousaw (VMI)- Vs Chattanooga [+5] Keaton Kluver (HOF)- NYS Collegiate Championships , @ Franklin & Marshall [+4] Luke Luffman (ILL)- Vs Northwestern [+3]

Upsets happen in all sports. In many sports, a single player can get hot at the right time, and a less heralded team can pull out a victory over traditional power. In wrestling dual meets, upsets are much more difficult. It often takes multiple competitors to have outstanding performances on the same day. With that being said, there are still plenty of dual upsets throughout the college season, and if ever get a collegiate dual tournament there will certainly be upsets. The following are the biggest upsets of the 2023-2024 season to date. If we forgot about any dual upsets, please add them in the comment section. Pittsburgh over Ohio State 21-13 Pittsburgh has been perhaps the wildest dual team this season. The squad can seemingly go from knocking off a perennial powerhouse one week to having a razor-thin match against a newer program the following week. In early December, the Panthers caught Ohio State in a dual and pulled off a 21-13 upset on the road. Keith Gavin’s squad needed to pull off multiple upsets for the team win, and they got it done. Things got started at 125 pounds where Colton Camacho defeated Brendan McCrone. At 141 pounds Cole Mathews, who was coming off back-to-back losses against Big Ten opponents, handed Jesse Mendez his first and only loss of the season, thus far. The final key upset came at 184 pounds. Not only did Reece Heller defeat Gavin Hoffman, but he also put up bonus points as he won via a 12-2 major decision. "We battled really hard," Gavin said to PittsburghPanthers.com. "We have a tough group, even our young guys. They are really fun to coach and I'm so proud of the team. Ohio State is an elite team; any time you can get a dual win over a team like that, it means your program is in a good place and you are doing the right things. But we have to continue to work on improving and stay focused." The Panthers are currently 7-4 on the season and ranked 22nd in the InterMat dual rankings. They welcome No. 19 Arizona State to Fitzgerald Field House this Sunday. Lehigh over Cornell 17-16 It is kind of hard to consider this one an upset considering this is an old EIWA rivalry, and Lehigh has now won four of their last five duals. However, Cornell entered this match ranked in the top 10, and this was the last bout between the two schools as conference opponents with Cornell set to depart to qualify through Ivy League next season. The dual started at 133 pounds and after seven matches, Cornell held a 16-8 score. Lehigh needed someone to stop the Big Red’s momentum, and the person turned out to be No. 7 Michael Beard. He kicked off the comeback with a 10-3 decision over No. 8 Jacob Cardenas. Then at heavyweight No. 8 Nathan Taylor knocked off No. 19 Lewis Fernandez. It all came down to the 125-pound match. True freshman No. 3 Luke Stanich, who is still eligible to redshirt, scored a 3-0 decision over No. 15 Brett Ungar. After a scoreless first period, Ungar took bottom to start the second. The Lehigh wrestler rode out the entire period and picked up a point via stalling. In the third period, Stanich quickly escaped and held on for the 3-0 victory with riding time. "We thought we had to steal a couple of the first four and we only got one, but these guys just fought," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said to LehighSports.com. "This is what a team is about. They're getting better and working hard. We just have to believe in what our abilities are. A few more guys and a little bit of belief is going to change the game." South Dakota State over Michigan 22-17 In the offseason, Michigan absolutely feasted in the transfer portal and entered this year with a formidable squad. Injuries have mostly kept the complete lineup out of action, but they added another piece in former All-American No. 6 Austin Gomez at 149 pounds. Despite this, South Dakota State was still able to pull the upset earlier this month. The Jackrabbits were favored in the first two matches and No. 17 Tanner Jordan and No. 16 Derrick Cardinal took care of business at 125 and 133 pounds respectively. Cardinal’s victory was a third-period fall, which was key to the team’s success. Michigan pulled off their fair share of upsets in this dual. No. 25 Sergio Lemley upset two-time All-American Clay Carlson at 141 pounds. At 165 pounds, true freshman Beau Mantanona defeated Tanner Cook. In perhaps the most anticipated bout of the night, former national champion Shane Griffith defeated Cade Devos in sudden victory at 174 pounds, which was a slight upset, on paper, at the time. However, in the end, victories by No. 14 Bennett Berge and No. 6 Tanner Sloan at 184 and 197 pounds proved to be too much for Michigan to overcome. Berge upset No. 15 Jaden Bullock, and Sloan poured on a technical fall over Brendin Yatooma. The post on X from South Dakota State head coach Damion Hahn was short and sweet. “That was fun,” he posted on the social media site. South Dakota State followed that up with wins over Kent State (50-0) and Navy (30-13). They welcome Big 12 rival Northern Colorado to Brookings on Friday. George Mason over Virginia 18-17 Earlier this month, the two Virginia schools faced off at St.Christopher’s High School in Richmond. Virginia entered the contest riding a 10-match winning streak against the Patriots. However, Frank Beasley’s squad was able to pull out the victory. Things did not get off to a great start for the Patriots. Virginia won the first three matches including a major decision by unranked Kyren Butler over No. 30 Nathan Higley. George Mason was able to get back into things in the second half of the match. The biggest victory came at 184 pounds. Mason’s Malachi Duvall scored a first-period fall over Griffin Gammell. The teams split the 10 matches with five victories each. Virginia scored a pair of major decisions, but the fall by Duvall allowed them to escape with the one-point dual victory. “There is just something special happening,” Beasley said on X (formerly Twitter) following the match. Mason followed up the victory over Virginia with a dominant 38-3 over conference opponent Edinboro. The team is currently 9-5 on the season and faces Ohio on the road tonight. Gannon over Kent State 20-19 After finishing 10th at last year’s NCAA Division II tournament, Gannon kicked off this season with an early upset over Kent State. The Golden Knights put themselves in a position to defeat the Golden Flashes by winning four of the first six matches. However, the Division I opponent stormed back with three straight victories from 174 to 197 pounds including a technical fall for Blake Schaffer over Anthony Glessner. Heading into the final bout, Kent State held a 19-13 lead. They only needed to avoid a fall to escape with the victory. Unfortunately for them, senior Matt Long had other plans. He was able to wrap up Josh Boggan late in the first period, throw him to his back, and secure the pin. Not only did the fall tie the score at 19-19, but it only gave Gannon the criteria dual win for most six-point victories. Gannon currently holds a 3-1 dual record. This weekend they travel to Shippensburg for a Friday PSAC dual, and then on Saturday, they face off against conference rival Millersville also on the road.

Between Ironman, Hall of Fame Duals, a couple Husker duals, and Blair-Sem-Delbarton, I’ve spent about 10 days at home in the last 40. For the first time in quite a while, I can sit back, relax, and get totally immersed in college wrestling this week. And it’s a robust slate. Let’s get into it… 5. It’s Conference Time From here on out, the majority of the college schedule is in-conference competition. With those matches being critical for seeding at qualifiers coupled with the low match counts for dozens of prominent contenders, I’m hoping it results in a drastic reduction of ‘ducking’ and/or high-profile matchups not materializing. 4. How Good is 2024 Michael DeAugustino? Two years ago, then at Northwestern, DeAugustino posted a terrific season that culminated in a 4th place finish at NCAA’s. But he’s been oft-injured and quite an enigma since. He was just 9-9 last year with highs (a win over Matt Ramos) and lows (a loss to Blake West). To start the year, he defaulted out of CKLV and stands at just 6-1 on the year. Well here’s a big spot for him. This weekend he gets #14 Braeden Davis (PSU) and #13 Dean Peterson (RU). If he gets through both, he’s once again a player in March and in a weight that’s totally up for grabs. 3. And More 125 In this topsy-turvy world of 125, Drake Ayala is the new #1 in the country. On Friday, he’ll face #2-Matt Ramos as the Hawks dual Purdue. 2. My (Other) Favorite Head-to-Heads #1 Ryan Crookham (LEH) vs. #10 Michael Colaiocco (PENN) No Previous Meetings #6 Dylan Ragusin (MICH) vs. #8 Dylan Shawver (RU) Ragusin won 4-1 a couple weeks ago at Midlands. #3 Peyton Robb (NEB) vs. #10 Michael Blockhus (MINN) Blockhus is fresh off a 5-4 win over #2-Jared Franek, who beat Robb last week. #9 Mitch Mesenbrink (PSU) vs. #10 Caleb Fish (MSU) Fish is coming off a win over #7 Cam Amine, who Mesenbrink wrestles Friday. #2 Dustin Plott (OKST) vs. #4 Trey Munoz (ORST) No Previous Meetings #3 Lenny Pinto (NEB) vs. #10 Isaiah Salazar (MINN) Salazar won 7-6 in last year’s dual. #5 Cohlton Schultz (ASU) vs. #12 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt) Pitzer won 4-0 over Schultz at Midlands last season. 1. Almost All of PSU-Michigan Penn State is #1, Michigan #5. And on an individual level, there are so many good matchups and questions to be answered. Let’s start with PSU’s freshmen, which are all undefeated. Braeden Davis takes on veteran #5 Michael DeAugustino. Ty Kasak takes on super senior #6 Austin Gomez. Mitch Mesenbrink will face perennial All-American Cam Amine. 133 is a #4 vs. #6 matchup between Nagao and Ragusin.174 pits two NCAA Champions: Carter Starocci and Shane Griffith. And 285 has #1 Kerkvliet vs. #4 Davidson. That’s it for me this week. It’s going to be a fun one. And I get to watch every second of it from my own couch. Also - don’t forget to tune in to one of the best atmospheres in wrestling as Buchanan hosts Clovis tonight live on MatScouts.