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B1G Wrestling Championship: Predicting winners for each weight class

By Chris Snyder

STATE COLLEGE, PA - FEBRUARY 5: A view of the crowd in the arena during a match between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes on February 5, 2016 at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State won 24-14. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - FEBRUARY 5: A view of the crowd in the arena during a match between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes on February 5, 2016 at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Penn State won 24-14. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /
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Iowa’s Michael Kemerer is introduced before his match at 174 pounds during a NCAA Big Ten Conference wrestling dual against the Illinois Fighting Illini, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.210131 Illinois Iowa Wr 018 Jpg
Iowa’s Michael Kemerer is introduced before his match at 174 pounds during a NCAA Big Ten Conference wrestling dual against the Illinois Fighting Illini, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.210131 Illinois Iowa Wr 018 Jpg /

174 B1G Pre-Seeds
1. Michael Kemerer, Iowa
2. Mikey Labriola, Nebraska
3. Carter Starocci, Penn State
4. Logan Massa, Michigan
5. Donnell Washington, Indiana
6. Kaleb Romero, Ohio State
7. Jackson Turley, Rutgers
8. Jared Krattiger, Wisconsin
9. Jake Allar, Minnesota
10. Drew Hughes, Michigan State
11. DJ Shannon, Illinois
12. Emil Soehnlen, Purdue
13. Troy Fisher, Northwestern
14. Philip Spadafora, Maryland

Here’s a pick where my brain is going to override my heart.

I believe your 2021 B1G Champion at 174 is going to be Iowa’s Michael Kemerer. If it’s any consolation, I think he will have to take down Penn State’s Carter Starocci in the final to claim his title.

Kemerer is too seasoned and too good of a wrestler for anyone in this group to take him down. If the seedings do stay the same and if this bracket ends up being chalk, the semi-finals matches of Kemerer/Massa and Labriola/Starocci could be epic.

We could also be treated to a Starocci/Romero rematch in the quarter-finals. I’m sure Romero still has the 1-2 TB1 loss to Starocci back on February 19th lurking in his head.

Look, in the end, Kemerer is simply too good. He’s finished runner-up in the B1G Championship twice (2017 and 2020) and he’s finished 3rd and 4th in the nation (2017-2018). For his illustrious Iowa career he has yet to secure any first place hardware. This is his year.

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