Penn State Wrestling once again travels away from home for a Friday night showdown with rival Ohio State
The No. 2 ranked Penn State Wrestling (4-0) head to Columbus Friday (2/19) for a prime time dual meet against No. 13 ranked Ohio State (5-3). Coverage will air nationally at 7 p.m. on the Big Ten Network and the PS Radio Network.
As I stated in my most recent B1G Power Rankings, I have the Buckeyes as the 7th best team in the conference, while the Nittany Lions are currently sitting at No. 2. Don’t let the disparity fool you in thinking this will be cake walk for Penn State, because Ohio State still has elite wrestlers at several weight classes. I think we may see some exciting matches Friday night that could go either way.
Here’s a look at the Nittany Lions lineup heading into Friday:
Penn State Lineup
125 – Robert Howard (1-0) – decision
133 – No. 3 Roman Bravo Young (4-0) – 3 decisions and 1 fall
141 – No. 2 Nick Lee (4-0) – 2 tech falls, 1 major decision, and 1 decision
149 – No. 20 Terrell Barraclough (2-2)
157 – No. 8 Brady Berge (4-0) – 3 decisions and 1 major decision
165 – No. 14 Joe Lee (3-1) – 2 decisions and 1 major decision
174 – No. 5 Carter Starocci (4-1) – 3 decisions and 1 tech fall
184 – No. 2 Aaron Brooks (4-0) – 2 major decisions, 1 decision, and 1 tech fall
197 – No. 16 Michael Beard (1-1) – tech fall
Hwt – No. 8 Seth Nevills (3-1) – 1 decision, 1 tech fall, and 1 fall
A couple of changes to note in Penn State Wrestling’s lineup since my Michigan preview. Robert Howard has locked down the starting 125 spot after a fantastic debut last Sunday where he won by decision over Michigan’s Jack Medley (6-5).
Several Penn State wrestlers were handed their first losses of the season as Joe Lee, Michael Beard, and Seth Nevills all faced tough opponents last match.
Can the underclassman shake this off, focus on the task at hand, and earn points for the good guys on Friday?
All three guys should have favorable matchups, which is a stark contrast to having to face the No. 13 165, No. 2 197, and No. 2 Hwt wrestler at their respective weight class.
Ohio State Lineup
125 – No. 10 Malik Heinselman (6-1) – 4 decisions, 1 major decision, 1 fall
133 – Jordan Decatur (6-3) – 6 decisions
141 – Anthony Echemendia or Dylan D’Emilio
149 – No. 2 Sammy Sasso (8-0) – 4 decisions, 3 falls, 1 tech fall
157 – Elijah Cleary (4-5) – 3 decisions and 1 SV1
165 – No. 10 Ethan Smith (7-1) – 3 decisions, 3 major decisions, 1 tech fall
174 – No. 3 Kaleb Romero (5-1) – 3 major decisions and 2 decisions
184 – No. 20 Rocky Jordan (4-4) – 3 decisions and 1 major decision
197 – Chase Singletary (4-1) – 2 major decisions, 1 fall, 1 SV1
Hwt – No. 16 Tate Orndorff (4-4) – 2 major decisions, 1 fall, 1 decision
The biggest thing that jumps out here is the number of matches the Ohio State wrestlers have participated in versus the Penn State guys. If my math checks out, *grabs calculator* 5+3=8 and 4+0=4. So therefore ,if my complex algorithm is correct, most of the Buckeyes at this point have twice the number of matches under their belt.
Ohio State, just as with Penn State, has several underclassman in its starting lineup. And we all know the only way to get better at wrestling (outside of clean eating, lifting constantly, running 14 miles a day, stretching every joint, and practicing 2 hours each day) is to wrestle a lot of matches.
Experience matters. But will it be enough for the Buckeyes to upset the Nittany Lions?
Let’s take a look at several key matches.