JeanGuy

What do we assume is the Gable way? Most great coaches have the ability to figure out what the athlete needs to excel. Some guys need the hard @$$ coach while others need the buddy coach. Great coaches can be both. Figuring out what makes guys tick is the trick. The other thing is to know yourself and recruit guys that let you be yourself most of the time. Cael probably won't chase a guy that needs a Manning in his corner. I don't think that Cael could have gotten out of DeSanto what Brands did. There is nothing wrong at Iowa. I can assure everyone here that in two weeks there will only be 10 guys win national championships, and they will come from various schools. Same with the All-Americans. If Iowa has zero champs and 6 AA's (which I think is their floor) is it a successful tournament? I think so.

How Teemer wrestled you can debate but he did wrestle all the way through the consolation rounds when he didn't look physically good.

After this season and the way things went does he leave Iowa? I know he has said that he is happy there, but it could be him being a good team guy by not airing dirty laundry in public.

Like Gable and AJ?

I don't think it had anything to do with be asked to step aside. If there is bad feelings it was about letting Downey get the nod in 2019 because Taylor didn't show at Finals X. He he known Taylor was sitting he might have made a run at 86kg.

I have no clue. My experience is an acquaintance worked for a B1G football coach and when you are close to it you get a feel for how things work. It is just pure speculation on my part so I very likely could be wrong.

I think Keuter can be a very good 285, but only if he is training wrestling year-round. I have said before and will say it again knowing how big time CFB works I believe that Keuter was told to wrestle by Ferentz because he didn't view him as being in their plans. I could be wrong, but those guys are taking care of themselves not entertaining the desired of a kid torn between two worlds. If Ferentz believed Keuter is on the 2-deep or 3-deep he does not let him pause football for a year. Just not how that sport typically works.

I would tend to agree. can't imagine either Brands or Kennedy wouldn't, but if say if Brands went and would miss he probably doesn't have a good case for an at-large.

Do you think they have any concern over allocations?

I think it is a little different. Steveson left college wrestling after the national tournament in 2022. Did some other stuff that didn't pan out and came back in 2024/25 season. So, he missed 2022-23 and 2023/24 but was given a magical redshirt. Starocci was a college wrestle the entire time. I didn't say he shouldn't be allowed to compete, I just said I could see him not getting a ton of support for the Hodge.

I would be surprised if Steveson gets a lot of support. I think there is a general fatigue with him. Some aren't thrilled that he was allowed to come back and wrestle this year.

Is history has shown us anything, it is a thought things are impossible right up until they happen. It is likely but you never know. I wonder if Steveson would be viewed different if that ref at the Olympics had refereed that ending differently and he is only a Silver Medalist.

Hard to see a Big Ten Champ take a DQ rather than engaging

How can a guy with no conference matches qualify for the conference championships? I ask that rhetorically as I know the answer. The real question is how do you rank him? Even if he wins the conference what ranking does he deserve?

I think most skill development is on the individual athlete. Where I see the biggest impact of coaching is teaching good strategy and approach to the competitive process. So much is the right approach for the right athlete. The coach's ability to connect specifically with the athlete is the trick. Not all athletes and coaches will mesh. Bassett really seems like a volume grinder. If I was worried about him at all it would be about keeping him feeling good about wrestling. He has been doing a lot for a long time. Some guys need that and some guys it kills.

No doubt he was right there. I just never thought he would convert.

I don't know Starocci is one of those guys that knows how much he needs to do to win. I didn't think that the match as close as it was, was ever in doubt.

They have been awarding a team championship in wrestling for around 90 years, and it seems to work. There has never been an NCAA Wrestling Dual Tournament. The NCAA isn't interested. It has always been some outside entity trying to get their piece of the pie. I'm not saying things can't change but what is the benefit of the change? Does it serve the competitors? Without NCAA sponsorship it isn't legitimate in my mind.

My opinion is that Keuter has been told to wrestle. There is no way that Ferentz gives him a year away from the team if he thinks he is in their plans at football. Again, just my opinion as somebody who has been around Big Time College Football. As to his wrestling I would be surprised if he is not an AA this year. He seems plenty big to be at 285 with the way the class has been trending.

I am going to argue with ChapGPT's assessment much like people argue with computer rankings.

Keckeisen wasn't a good enough test for you?

I really hate the coaching tree concept. The best coaches should have multiple influences plus their own personal flavor. A guy like Gillman is a great example. He has influences from Brands, Sanderson, Varner, plus a list of many others that work with the national team. Couple that with all the athletes that they train with. If you are going to be a good coach all those things should be incorporated into who you are as a coach.

Coaches don't want guys approaching 40 matches a year for the most part. Going to tournaments especially the top guys add a lot of matches. Is there a benefit to Gable Steveson to wrestle 35 matches this season versus 20? Probably not. Sports as a whole are changing and I think the big tournament model is going to be gone before long.

While they are not old by age, they have been coaching a good amount of time. Tom has been a head coach for 20 years. He might be thinking 25 years is plenty and retire. I think it is a valid question of any team that a coach that is approach 25 years of running programs and 60 years of age. Ohio State should be asking the same questions.