There is no better place to be on a cold, winter night than inside a raucous Carver-Hawkeye Arena, a sold-out Rec Hall or a jam-packed Gallagher-Iba Arena.
There are plenty of great places around the country to watch wrestling, and this year will be no exception with a number of elite teams set to square off during the 2017-18 campaign.
Here is my list of the 10 most anticipated dual meets that I am looking forward to watching during the upcoming college season:
10. Arizona State at Ohio State
Date: Sunday, Nov. 12
Former U.S. National Coach Zeke Jones, as expected, is building a strong program at Arizona State. His Sun Devils, led by studs Zahid and Anthony Valencia, will receive a tough early test against the second-ranked Buckeyes. Two-time NCAA champ Kyle Snyder of Ohio State and returning third-place finisher Tanner Hall of ASU could meet at heavyweight. Another top matchup is No. 2 Bo Jordan of OSU and No. 3 Zahid Valencia of ASU at 174 pounds.
9. Lehigh at Cornell
Date: Friday, Jan. 19
This is one of the most storied, and best, wrestling rivalries in the sport. It features a pair of successful programs with rich traditions. Both programs remain very strong and that will be the case again this year. These matches have produced excellent crowds and high-level drama over several decades. Lehigh is led by returning national champion Darian Cruz at 125.
8. Iowa at Ohio State
Date: Sunday, Jan. 21
The Hawkeyes and Buckeyes have had some excellent battles in recent years and a huge crowd is expected when perennial power Iowa rolls into Columbus. A key matchup to watch could be All-Americans Brandon Sorensen of Iowa and Micah Jordan of OSU at 149.
Oklahoma State hosts Missouri at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Jan. 27 (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)7. Missouri at Oklahoma State
Date: Saturday, Jan. 27
These former Big 12 rivals both started the season ranked in the top five nationally. Oklahoma State has been good forever. Missouri has sustained a very high level after Brian Smith totally rebuilt the Tigers program. Missouri lost three-time NCAA champion J'den Cox, but the Tigers are still very good. They will receive a tough road test against an excellent Oklahoma State team.
6. Ohio State at Michigan
Date: Sunday, Feb. 11
There are typically tons of great Big Ten dual meets every year, but this year may top them all. Ohio State-Michigan is much more than just a football rivalry. Now wrestling will take center stage this winter with two highly ranked programs set to battle. The heavyweight battle could be intriguing with No. 1 Kyle Snyder of OSU and No. 2 Adam Coon of Michigan squaring off.
5. Oklahoma State at Iowa
Date: Sunday, Jan. 14
This is always an important dual when the two winningest wrestling programs in collegiate history square off. Even though they are in different conferences, and the teams don't appear to be quite as strong this season, this is still one of the best rivalries in the sport. The Hawkeyes could build some post-Christmas momentum with a big win here.
4. Penn State at Michigan
Date: Friday, Jan. 12
There are a lot of Penn State meets on here, but the Nittany Lions are really good and they have a great schedule. This is potentially the best Michigan team in many years and Ann Arbor should be rocking for what promises to be an exciting Big Ten dual meet. The Wolverines have a very strong lineup. We will see just how strong against the best team in the country.
3. Augsburg at Wartburg
Date: Thursday, Feb. 1
The battle of the 'Burgs features a pair of wrestling powerhouses that have dominated the NCAA Division III level over the last three decades. The quality of the wrestling typically is excellent with a number of athletes who are Division I caliber competing at a level that doesn't offer athletic scholarships. This dual is so big the New York Times showed up to profile it in recent years.
2. Iowa at Penn State
Date: Saturday, Feb. 10
The Hawkeyes, hit hard by losses from a strong senior class from last year, are going to be better than most people think. We will find out just how good when they wrestle in front of 15,000 fans against the loaded Nittany Lions. This may be the most attended match of the year and it is a match that you don't want to miss.
Mark Hall and Bo Jordan are expected to meet on Feb. 3 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)1.Ohio State at Penn State
Date: Saturday, Feb. 3
This should be an excellent dual meet with great matchups up and down the lineup between teams ranked 1-2 nationally in the preseason. Both teams are experienced and talented, and this shapes up to be the best dual meet of the season. It will also set the stage for the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Among the best potential matchups is No. 1 Mark Hall of PSU vs. No. 2 Bo Jordan of OSU at 174.
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