Willie's Mid Summer Crystal Ball

Lil Nicky Scarfo

All-American
Jul 1, 2025
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How in the heck are all these teams scoring those high numbers? Is that even possible?
Concentration of talent. Willie discussed the reasons on Baschmania today.

It’s the reason we’re going to see way more 8-10 AA teams. If the portal was available 10 years ago or so, do you think we’d be running out a starter who would go 5-18? No, the staff would get a solution.

Imagine how many points those Taylor/Ruth teams would have scored if the team wasn’t being carried by 6 guys
 

El_Jefe

Heisman
Oct 11, 2021
3,762
15,376
113
Concentration of talent. Willie discussed the reasons on Baschmania today.

It’s the reason we’re going to see way more 8-10 AA teams. If the portal was available 10 years ago or so, do you think we’d be running out a starter who would go 5-18? No, the staff would get a solution.

Imagine how many points those Taylor/Ruth teams would have scored if the team wasn’t being carried by 6 guys
Imagine how many points those Zain/Jason/Bo teams would've scored with a portaled full-year or multi-year 125 after Cruiseliner Nick bailed, instead of the series of spring semester band-aids.
 

mvattivo

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2005
463
2,297
93
@WillieTheBrain , I've mentioned before that I like these Crystal Ball projections way more than rankings. Don't take offense to this, as I'm just curious. It feels like in your earlier Crystal Ball projections, you tend to pick the guys with a heavy placement on previous results (i.e. Robideau over Duke). When it gets closer to March, you get a little more bold with your predictions, which is what I love about these. I'm just curious if I'm reading it correctly or I'm just off my rocker?
 
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Jun 26, 2025
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@WillieTheBrain , I've mentioned before that I like these Crystal Ball projections way more than rankings. Don't take offense to this, as I'm just curious. It feels like in your earlier Crystal Ball projections, you tend to pick the guys with a heavy placement on previous results (i.e. Robideau over Duke). When it gets closer to March, you get a little more bold with your predictions, which is what I love about these. I'm just curious if I'm reading it correctly or I'm just off my rocker?
I feel the same way. Closer to the season once he has seen guys again he would be less likely to treat it as a ranking (like how at 125 the top 4 is exactly the same in the same order)
 
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WillieTheBrain

All-Conference
Jun 29, 2025
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@WillieTheBrain , I've mentioned before that I like these Crystal Ball projections way more than rankings. Don't take offense to this, as I'm just curious. It feels like in your earlier Crystal Ball projections, you tend to pick the guys with a heavy placement on previous results (i.e. Robideau over Duke). When it gets closer to March, you get a little more bold with your predictions, which is what I love about these. I'm just curious if I'm reading it correctly or I'm just off my rocker?
that's a good observation and yes i think that's true.

in the summer i don't see much reason to deviate from NCAA results (outside of some outlier placings). But as the season goes on and we have some more insight into what the guys are THIS year, i buck the consensus a little more.

it's funny that at the moment OKST fans are on tilt that i 'maxxed' PSU. well....outside of Cole and (World Champion Ono) they all already placed that high and multiple times 🤷‍♂️
 
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mvattivo

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2005
463
2,297
93
that's a good observation and yes i think that's true.

in the summer i don't see much reason to deviate from NCAA results (outside of some outlier placings). But as the season goes on and we have some more insight into what the guys are THIS year, i buck the consensus a little more.

it's funny that at the moment OKST fans are on tilt that i 'maxxed' PSU. well....outside of Cole and (World Champion Ono) they all already placed that high and multiple times 🤷‍♂️

This will come off as arrogant, and I've been on the other side of it as a fan, but, every wrestling fan who isn't a PSU wrestling fan is going to root for their demise. It goes with the territory when you are dominating at the level they are dominating at. When Oklahoma State fans are calling Barr-Merrill a "toss-up", you know that they are truly reaching. I've said it before and I'll say it again, though I always root for PSU guys and enjoy the dominance, I truly miss the excitement of Quentin beating Kilgore to clinch and Bo winning things for PSU during the finals.
 

Goggles Paisano

All-Conference
Feb 6, 2018
915
2,390
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Willie with his knowledge, makes informed projections, and sticks his neck out = Good

Wrestlestat just might get a good ball park by the end of the year when enough matches have been wrestled, ELO chess lacks a recency bias and head-to-head gets watered down = mediocre

Flo and pretty much everyone else - takes no chances and flip flops all over the place as incoming studs start beating ranked guys = Pretty much useless early season and downright obvious later in the season.
 

Lil Nicky Scarfo

All-American
Jul 1, 2025
1,806
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This will come off as arrogant, and I've been on the other side of it as a fan, but, every wrestling fan who isn't a PSU wrestling fan is going to root for their demise. It goes with the territory when you are dominating at the level they are dominating at. When Oklahoma State fans are calling Barr-Merrill a "toss-up", you know that they are truly reaching. I've said it before and I'll say it again, though I always root for PSU guys and enjoy the dominance, I truly miss the excitement of Quentin beating Kilgore to clinch and Bo winning things for PSU during the finals.
Sorry to break it to them but 165-197 is a wood chipper for the Cowboys against us. 14 points minimum at those 4 weights for us in a dual.
 

AndEEss

Senior
Jun 12, 2020
190
533
93
Probably not close to being the right thread, but does anyone know if there’s any smoke to Vito to NLWC or just passing thru?
I have no idea about Vito to NLWC, but, a lot of these guys regularly seek out other people/clubs to get reps in with.

Remember when Geno Petriashvili was in town? Great opportunity for him to get some different training partners than the normal guys in his home town.
 

Robbug71

Redshirt
Apr 5, 2025
5
6
3
I have no idea about Vito to NLWC, but, a lot of these guys regularly seek out other people/clubs to get reps in with.

Remember when Geno Petriashvili was in town? Great opportunity for him to get some different training partners than the normal guys in his home town.
I knew a lot of international guys would do this. I didn’t think we saw it much domestically though.
probably happens a lot more than I realize.
 

District 4

All-Conference
Feb 16, 2018
1,238
2,759
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This will come off as arrogant, and I've been on the other side of it as a fan, but, every wrestling fan who isn't a PSU wrestling fan is going to root for their demise. It goes with the territory when you are dominating at the level they are dominating at. When Oklahoma State fans are calling Barr-Merrill a "toss-up", you know that they are truly reaching. I've said it before and I'll say it again, though I always root for PSU guys and enjoy the dominance, I truly miss the excitement of Quentin beating Kilgore to clinch and Bo winning things for PSU during the finals.
I miss it too but my heart can't take that **** every year
 

WillieTheBrain

All-Conference
Jun 29, 2025
361
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It's based on individual predictions not an outright prediction of team scores
exactly.

if you want to press into team scores being unrealistic, please cite what individual placements are unrealistic.

i know the odds of the top teams all batting a thousand (which is basically what came out in the wash in this iteration) is highly unlikely, but it's really not the point of the exercise (which is weight class projections).
 

FlyingLion

Senior
Oct 31, 2021
96
505
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that's a good observation and yes i think that's true.

in the summer i don't see much reason to deviate from NCAA results (outside of some outlier placings). But as the season goes on and we have some more insight into what the guys are THIS year, i buck the consensus a little more.

it's funny that at the moment OKST fans are on tilt that i 'maxxed' PSU. well....outside of Cole and (World Champion Ono) they all already placed that high and multiple times 🤷‍♂️
Not all fan bases can be as rational and level headed as Penn State fans.
 

JoeBagobagels

All-Conference
Jun 24, 2025
858
1,045
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all you need to do to refute is say what individual predictions are wrong. which you won't.

i admit that my projects totals probably won't hit because it requires no injures, not coming out on top in every close call, being perfect, etc.

however they are a product of the individual projections, which are sound.
That means zero sense.
 

WillieTheBrain

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Jun 29, 2025
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of course it does. not every Top 5 kid places Top 5. literally happens every year.

David Carr comes in as the 1 seed, loses to Hunter Willits and takes 3rd.

No one in their right mind would have that. and it happens constantly. the projections are sound. the odds of all the top teams batting a thousand is not likely.
 

Lil Nicky Scarfo

All-American
Jul 1, 2025
1,806
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Lorenzo Norman as a R16 guy is a War Crime!

Like putting mayonnaise on a hoagie


 
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PSUPetch

Senior
Oct 31, 2021
272
751
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Over the years there have been a ton of non NLWC guys spend time in Lorenzo.
OMG...clicked on this thread and this was the first post I read. I initially thought you were talking about OkState's new 174 lbr.... had to read it several times before I realized you were referring to the PSU wrestling complex.
 
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