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Who Wore It Best - Ranking the Rankers 2026 Edition

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Wrestleknownothing

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2021
1,761
4,719
113
Who was the Mac Daddy collegiate wrestling ranker of 2026?

I am on the edge of my seat.

Was it @Kozak and JD Rader at Flo?
Or maybe Earl Smith at Intermat?
Anyone wanna guess the Wrestlestat Elo algo?
Surely the coaches know better than anyone?

Click to find out:

wrestling.guru

Who Wore It Best? - Ranking the Rankers 2026 | Wrestling.Guru

If you spend any time on the various wrestling forums (and I know you do - how else would you find this?) then you have probably spent some time complaining ...
wrestling.guru wrestling.guru
 
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A

Acacia

Senior
Oct 30, 2021
200
432
63
How did that Dec 15th Flo ranking fair to the actual results? Did Ohio State and Iowa run away with the team title?

My complaint about FLo is their early season ranking methodology. Just take the prior years rankings, drop the seniors, and move everybody up. No freshmen or redshirts in sight. Then their methodology starts as leap frog —- beat a ranked guy and take their ranking.

Then magically in the second semester, leap frog has too many inconsistencies so their methodology switches to body of work.

Finally conference results give the final ranks and NCAA seeds. So they are mostly right in the end while being way off in the first semester.
 
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A

Acacia

Senior
Oct 30, 2021
200
432
63
Wrestlestat calculates an ELO number (no idea what the formula looks like). That number sticks with the wrestler across years, injuries, or weights. for instance Crookham is currently ranked #2 although he has barely wrestled the past 2 years. And Endene is #1 at heavyweight taking his 197 scores with him. Every freshman starts at 1200 and needs 5+ matches to score higher.
 
N

Nitlion1986

All-Conference
Apr 13, 2024
1,668
4,974
113
Acacia said:
Wrestlestat calculates an ELO number (no idea what the formula looks like). That number sticks with the wrestler across years, injuries, or weights. for instance Crookham is currently ranked #2 although he has barely wrestled the past 2 years. And Endene is #1 at heavyweight taking his 197 scores with him. Every freshman starts at 1200 and needs 5+ matches to score higher.
Click to expand...
I think Flo might still have Rockey Elam P4P ranked higher than Josh.
 
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M

Misalorales

All-Conference
Jun 3, 2025
1,240
3,771
113
Coastal2 said:
Wrestlestat would be much more accurate if they diminished the value of a pin in their formula.

TFs should be the highest rate result when comparing abilities of two wrestlers.
Click to expand...
I go back and forth on the whole pin vs tech fall thing. Most elite guys who can pin could also get tech falls. Think of how many Nickal and Nolf would've had if they decided to get a tech instead.

Still dumb to over value pins.
 
C

Coastal2

All-Conference
Dec 19, 2025
272
1,047
93
Misalorales said:
I go back and forth on the whole pin vs tech fall thing. Most elite guys who can pin could also get tech falls. Think of how many Nickal and Nolf would've had if they decided to get a tech instead.

Still dumb to over value pins.
Click to expand...
You can tell they over value pins when you'll see a freshman at #29 or something being 3-3 but having 2 pins.

A pin is the ultimate goal in wrestling but not all pins are equal. Pinning an opponent when up 12-3 is different than pinning an opponent while losing 6-2. Wrestlestat treats both the same when it would be simple to work that into the formula.

For their formula, a TF having the highest value would give a more accurate representation of a wrestler's ability and subsequent rating.

It really doesn't matter a ton where a wrestler has separated themselves at the top like Mesinbrink but they get wonky ratings up and down the lists. Another thing that would improve their system would be a higher recency effect.

Edit: I did want to add that I think Wrestlestat is one of the best sites there is and my opinions should be taken as constructive criticism and not hate.
 
Last edited:
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K

Kozak

Sophomore
Jul 1, 2025
32
151
33
Wrestleknownothing said:
Who was the Mac Daddy collegiate wrestling ranker of 2026?

I am on the edge of my seat.

Was it @Kozak and JD Rader at Flo?
Or maybe Earl Smith at Intermat?
Anyone wanna guess the Wrestlestat Elo algo?
Surely the coaches know better than anyone?

Click to find out:

wrestling.guru

Who Wore It Best? - Ranking the Rankers 2026 | Wrestling.Guru

If you spend any time on the various wrestling forums (and I know you do - how else would you find this?) then you have probably spent some time complaining ...
wrestling.guru wrestling.guru
Click to expand...
Thanks for doing this @Wrestleknownothing - as always, I appreciate your data-driven work. I assume this means you all forgive me for having Penn State ranked behind Ohio State in December?!
 
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Cstroke

Cstroke

All-Conference
Feb 10, 2019
551
1,794
93
There formula they use is what it is, no one not even them thought it was how it would play out.
What they should have done was done a pre season rankings along side what their prediction on how it would play out like Willies crystal ball.
It's a vanilla preseason ranking at best. Willies crystal ball he's putting his name on it right away.
 
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M

Misalorales

All-Conference
Jun 3, 2025
1,240
3,771
113
I'd personally prefer preseason rankings and then no adjustment or anything until Jan 1st. I get that's poor business but let's rank them based on what we know from previous years then give it a month or so to adjust based on current season results.
 
W

Wrestleknownothing

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2021
1,761
4,719
113
Misalorales said:
I'd personally prefer preseason rankings and then no adjustment or anything until Jan 1st. I get that's poor business but let's rank them based on what we know from previous years then give it a month or so to adjust based on current season results.
Click to expand...
No way. Update them between takedowns. More data is more fun. Say it with me.
 
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WPIALBrwnPSU

Senior
Sep 25, 2017
160
664
93
Kozak said:
Thanks for doing this @Wrestleknownothing - as always, I appreciate your data-driven work. I assume this means you all forgive me for having Penn State ranked behind Ohio State in December?!
Click to expand...
Based on those rankings at the time, all I wanted for Christmas was the Dual Meet win streak to continue. Then my wish moved to Orthodox Christmas, then Goundhog day then....
 
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W

Wrestleknownothing

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2021
1,761
4,719
113
Tom McAndrew said:
Click to expand...

steve martin film GIF

1776885748208.png
steve martin publicity GIF
 
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pish69

pish69

All-Conference
Jan 11, 2016
985
2,434
93
Acacia said:
Finally conference results give the final ranks and NCAA seeds. So they are mostly right in the end while being way off in the first semester.
Click to expand...
I agree 100%. Maybe WKN can do same model (rank the rankers) based on pre-season Rankings, mid December rankings and before conference tourney rankings.

Flo won using their rankings after conference tourney (not the most impressive since all results are in). Let’s see how they fared in the three ranking periods above. My opinion they’d be behind Crystal Ball, Intermat, and possibly Wrestlestat. But would like to see the data. Maybe I’m wrong.
 
W

Wrestleknownothing

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2021
1,761
4,719
113
pish69 said:
I agree 100%. Maybe WKN can do same model (rank the rankers) based on pre-season Rankings, mid December rankings and before conference tourney rankings.

Flo won using their rankings after conference tourney (not the most impressive since all results are in). Let’s see how they fared in the three ranking periods above. My opinion they’d be behind Crystal Ball, Intermat, and possibly Wrestlestat. But would like to see the data. Maybe I’m wrong.
Click to expand...
Pre-Season vs Post-Season

Intermat edges Flo based on pre-season.



A huge part of the difference between pre-season and post-season is due to excluding true freshman in the pre-season. And a significant contributor to differences between the pre-season ranks is due to assumptions about injuries.
 
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