Especially PSU. Iowa wrestled both OSUs twice, plus ISU, Nebby, and PSU once. That is every top 5 dual team (putting Iowa 6th) and 2 and 3 twice each. Now lets do PSU. tOSU once, Nebby once, and nobody else in the top 5. Yes they would have beaten them all, but to say they wrestle just as tough a schedule and keep their starters healthy anyway is just not true.
My thoughts on the Iowa performance this weekend.
- Thread starter MSU158
- Start date
I agree with your assessment. My only regret is I didn’t have the opportunity to watch Iowa during the Gable years.
That’s why someone like Joy is probably the best bet to beat him because he can ride. If he gets an early takedown like so many others have, he could put on a 2 minute ride. Thats 2 minutes less you have to deal with Van Ness in your face. Shorten the match.
I think you are forgetting that most of the PSU team was busy wrestling matches against the rest of the world over the summer and right up to before the start of the NCAA season.
That seems like it might be somewhat difficult.
Meh, tweaking something in a freestyle match in July or August has a lot less effect on being healthy for March than tweaking something in a December or January dual wouldn't you say? Look at Barr/Angelo.
The worlds were wrestled later into the year than July or August, you know that, right? Are you being OBTUSE?
Representing Team USA and wrestling the best from around the world is much more difficult than wrestling in the National Duals.
Plus, the majority of the hawks didn’t even wrestle a lot of those “tough” matches that you mention during the year. Despite wrestling minimal matches, they limped into the post season.
I think you can add up like 4 weight classes for iowa this year and they won't have more takedowns than Shayne. Shayne had more takedowns against Iowa this year than the entire of Iowa had against Penn state.Attack!!!!
I feel lukewarm about the team going into nationals. We certainly ended big tens mostly pretty good on day 2. But a very distant 4th place team finish is rough. I’m hopeful we could still get 7 AAs or so, which would be pretty good honestly. Still wish we were regularly getting 8 or so and the greedy part of me wants 10 obviously, but 7 is honestly good. But idk. Even if we got 7 AAs and only had 1 finalist, I’m not sure I’d feel much different about the state of the program as a whole.
If we get a bunch of 5th placers, I think I’ll be saying we ended on a positive but we’re still not looking like we’re gaining on the top teams. We’re just in the 3rd place mix at that point. Which is no different from most years, it’s just better than how most of the season has gone.
Am I too greedy for wanting 7+ AAs and multiple national champs on a yearly basis? I think with the right coach, Iowa has the appeal to recruits (fan base, tradition, financial backing, etc.) to get there. Brands has been good at keeping us in the 3rd place mix most years and, if we have a good performance, I could see us potentially achieving that again this year. But I could also see us taking 6th or 7th.
I guess I just want to stop feeling lukewarm and have some hope that we’re actually gaining on Penn State. But I’m a bit concerned Brands will keep us just relevant enough to keep being lukewarm, to where the administration is worried to make a change at the top because there’s just enough there to be worried about losing what we have, but not enough there to actually go out and compete with Penn State (or even a couple other teams, depending on the year).
I don’t want us to completely fail. Quite the opposite. But I don’t see us elevating under Brands. And I fear we basically need to completely faceplant for a couple years in order for a change to happen at the top. It’s a strange place to be in as a fan when you want a change to happen at the top because you think that’s what’s best long term for the program and yet you don’t want the team to fail to the degree they likely need to in order for the change to be made.
If we get a bunch of 5th placers, I think I’ll be saying we ended on a positive but we’re still not looking like we’re gaining on the top teams. We’re just in the 3rd place mix at that point. Which is no different from most years, it’s just better than how most of the season has gone.
Am I too greedy for wanting 7+ AAs and multiple national champs on a yearly basis? I think with the right coach, Iowa has the appeal to recruits (fan base, tradition, financial backing, etc.) to get there. Brands has been good at keeping us in the 3rd place mix most years and, if we have a good performance, I could see us potentially achieving that again this year. But I could also see us taking 6th or 7th.
I guess I just want to stop feeling lukewarm and have some hope that we’re actually gaining on Penn State. But I’m a bit concerned Brands will keep us just relevant enough to keep being lukewarm, to where the administration is worried to make a change at the top because there’s just enough there to be worried about losing what we have, but not enough there to actually go out and compete with Penn State (or even a couple other teams, depending on the year).
I don’t want us to completely fail. Quite the opposite. But I don’t see us elevating under Brands. And I fear we basically need to completely faceplant for a couple years in order for a change to happen at the top. It’s a strange place to be in as a fan when you want a change to happen at the top because you think that’s what’s best long term for the program and yet you don’t want the team to fail to the degree they likely need to in order for the change to be made.
You don't want the ISU KJ type of face plant. That isn't close to happening. It is hard not to simply concede to PSU and OSU at this point and play for third, but VT is coming hard. tOSU looks pretty solid too. Nebraska is who I can't understand. Manning is such a dick but they do have great assistant coaches there right now. I think you sum it up pretty well. The sky is by no means falling, but it looks unlikely to turn clear and sunny given the current and future forecasts. This is such a spoiled fan base when people threaten to quit watching when there are guys like Drake and Mikey putting heart and soul out every time. The guys absolutely nutted up day two at the BIG. It has been fun watching Gabe become a fan favorite of everyone these days. His team first attitude has made him have quite the following even among ISU and PSU fans. I really look forward to watching him compete at his best weight next year! Sorry for the ramble.
They can't wrestle as tough of a schedule as anyone else since they're number 1. I guess they could've went to an unnecessary tournament like national dues, but what's gonna be the benefit of that? They're gonna wrestle most of those teams and the wrestlers twice more at the Big Ten tournament and nationals.
I don't disagree with you at all - of the 8 who will challenge to be in the finals he is the most beatable, but you will need to get him down early and withstand the late rush. Blaze will be the other who I don't think will win or even make the finals. I don't think anybody is beating Jax even if he does make it. He just better hope he is on the other side of the bracket. Duke and Lilledahl are capable of being beaten - the other four are pretty sure bets to win it.
I think Rocco is more beatable tbh
Agreed. I will be shocked if Rocco makes the finals. He has to win those coin flips every time. Combining NCAAs his freshman year and the B10 tournament this year, here are his scores:
4-2
4-1 SV
4-1 SV
4-1 SV
0-2
3-2 TB
8-5 SV
2-1 TB
It is honestly kind of crazy.
He is the consummate example of one of the first things I was told in wrestling. If they can't take you down or ride you, they can't beat you. The only way you lose is if you beat yourself. It can be really hard to watch, but his defense is super elite and he is a monster on bottom. On top of that, his conditioning is top notch, so he is competely content getting to tiebreakers, knowing that is probably the strongest edge he has in the end...
what an excellent breakdown. If this was Minnesota or Purdue everyone would be happy, but when Iowa out preforms what is expected of them and they still get fourth then its time for a change.. actually the time for a change was before getting fourth was wrestling above expectations.
You are correct - there are at least three guys who can beat him on any given day. And with those three it will almost assuredly by a one takedown match and he will have to beat two of them to win it.
He may only have to beat 1. There are scenarios where AJ ends up at the 6.
I thought you guys despised that type of wrestling. I was under the assumption that only guys that scored at will were considered to be worthy of your praises!
What's the point of burning the redshirt of a guy with a fair amount of upside for the future, and a very small chance of AAing, when you have a guy who has burned this year of eligibility already, and has a similar chance of AAing? Ludington shows some promise, but is not at the level that you burn a shirt for when the team is a 5-8th place team, and any points he might gain are marginal at best.
Endene was the guy, and that ship sailed.
If you call that attacking, he must not have much offense. An Escape and 4 Stalling points, whether deserved or not, is a real offensive juggernaut.
I
I agree with most everything you typed above. But I’m not seeing 7 AAs. 5-6 would be the top end from what I’m seeing.
Not I. I don’t watch wrestling for that at all. I actually appreciate the grinders and hard earned fundamentals. I love watching the hand fighting. But, I also didn’t start out a fan. I wrestled and became a fan later. I watch for the things I know are very hard regardless of athleticism. Perfect your stance with head, hands, hips and feet position. Add in flexibility and learning how to maintain those positions throughout exchanges and you can be very hard to beat regardless of raw talent!
Fair. I just think that, as a rule of thumb, placing top 5 at big tens means you’re a potential AA. We had 6 of those. And I included Angelo as well.
Pretty sure he would lead iowa in takedowns per match by a pretty substantial margin...
So, who said anything about Iowa? Besides, I highly doubt he would lead MC by much, if at all. In the matches I've seen this year (which admittedly isn't a large sampling), he doesn't even come close to Caliendo.
Not to mention, in their two matches didn’t Ryder Block have the same amount of takedowns as van Ness (although losing both)
Prior to big tens the team gave up 42 total takedowns so a lot is relative .