As we know most of the eyes this friday will be on Michigan vs Penn State with the big #1 vs #3 matchup. Ohio State vs Iowa is nothing to look past with some matches that may just shift the outcome of this dual should they go in favor of the Buckeyes.
125- #10 Drake Ayala vs #18 Malik Heinselman
I think the clear favorite here is Ayala but even with all of that being said Heinselman has looked solid so far this season and if Iowa is not on point here it could be an easy shot for Ohio State to jump out to a quick lead.
133- Cullen Schriever vs Will Betancourt
Honestly this is just a shot in the dark for either team. I want to say that Iowa has the advantage in this bout even with no Desanto but to be completely honest I don’t even know who I would pick here.
141- #2 Jaydin Eierman vs #23 Dylan D’Emilio
This match should not be too crazy close with Eierman taking the win here. D’Emilio looked solid with a 12-7 loss vs Stevan Micic of Michigan so maybe this one is closer than expected but probably still not in a position for a win here.
149- #10 Max Murin vs #2 Sammy Sasso
Sasso has been in some close matches this season and Murin has looked hot so this may be an interesting match here. Murin is coming off a win over Yayha Thomas so maybe that means something being that is a guy Sasso has had close matches with in the past. There really is not a reason to pick for an upset but things can happen.
157- #12 Kaleb Young vs Jashon Hubbard
Should be an interesting match to see if Young can grab bonus points here. The dual is not really at risk here or at least it should not be so a win is pretty much good enough and that seems to be where Young is the best where he takes his time and makes smart attacks rather than a lot of attacks. This match should go to Kaleb Young and possibly a major.
165- #1 Alex Marinelli vs #7 Carson Kharchla
Definitely the biggest match of the dual here and 165 is much closer of a battle than it looks. Marinelli has looked great this season and has not lost a match. Kharchla has had a much harder schedule and dropped a 1 point bout to national champ Shane Griffith at CKLV so this should be a good match all around.
174- #2 Michael Kemerer vs #7 Ethan Smith
Even with Kemerer coming back from injury he looks great this season in the few matches he has wrestled. Should be a very interesting bout with how Smith has looked. Dropped a bout last week to Logan Massa where he was leading until the third period and he could definitely grab a big win here. Not a match where I would bet against Kemerer but should be decently competitive should Kemerer and Smith both bring their A game.
184- #18 Abe Assad vs #7 Kaleb Romero
Looking at how Romero looked last weekend against Myles Amine this match should not be close. The entire season I have been very impressed with Romero at 184 and this definitely looks like a great move for him. If he fixes a couple things he just may be coming for that title this season. Romero should have no problem getting the win here and may be looking for a bonus point win.
197- #4 Jacob Warner vs #20 Gavin Hoffman
I feel both of these guys are ranked a bit high but either way Warner should still be a big favorite here. This season started off rough for him and he needs to get back on track for this Penn State dual on the 28th where he will have his biggest task yet with #2 Max Dean. Hoffman is solid but Warner should have no trouble getting this win here.
285- #5 Tony Cassioppi vs #12 Tate Orndorff
Should not be too close of a match. Last time these two wrestled at nationals it was 11-0 and the time before that it was a Cassioppi pin. With Cassioppi having a much smaller frame than last time I do not know how that will play a difference here but it should end up as a bonus point win for Cassioppi.
