Big Ten Wrestling power rankings: Penn State Wrestling push for No. 1?

Dual Rank: 1
Record Last Season: 5-0
Ranked Wrestlers: 10
125 No. 1 Spencer Lee
133 No. 4 Austin DeSanto
141 No. 3 Jaydin Eierman
149 No. 11 Max Murin
157 No. 6 Kaleb Young
165 No. 2 Alex Marinelli
174 No. 2 Michael Kemerer
184 No. 15 Nelson Brands
197 No. 3 Jacob Warner
285 No. 3 Tony Cassioppi

I’m not really sure what needs to be said here.

The Hawkeyes are the reigning NCAA Champions and the entire roster is returning. They are the only squad to have all ten wrestlers ranked in the preseason top 25. And they have the reigning Dan Hodge Trophy co-winner (Spencer Lee).

Until I see it with my own eyes, I simply don’t see anyone taking down these wrestling behemoths. They are too talented, too experienced, and too deep of a squad.

But there are some chinks in the Iowa armor. The Hawkeyes aren’t particularly strong at 149 and 184 and while Alex Marinelli (165) is ranked at No. 2, he’s never won “The Big One”. Which, as a fan of college wrestling, is mind-blowing considering how good he can be.

Iowa won the team title last season and they only had one individual champion (Spencer Lee), who just so happened to complete this feat with zero intact ACL’s. If they’re able to replicate the same success they had last season and either Murin, Young, Marinelli, or Brands is able to get near the podium, then five national champions(RBY, Lee, Starocci, Brooks, and Dean) from Penn State still Wrestling wouldn’t supplant them at the top.

Which is both impressive and maddening.