Five B1G Takeaways from Week Three (11/21/2023)

Each week things get more and more intense and this week surely didn’t disappoint. As we get ready for some huge events like the All-Star Classic and Cliff Keen Las Vegas, we take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from last week.

Gable Arnold Looks Poised in Carver-Hawkeye Debut

In case you didn’t know, true freshman Gable Arnold is pretty good. How good is yet to be determined - at least on the college level - but so far, he’s been a nice spark plug for the Hawkeyes this year. On Sunday he made his first appearance in Carver and collected a 4-2 win over #11-ranked All-American Travis Wittlake. With the Hawks having some vets in their lineup due to suspension, the youngster is a welcome addition. He competed in the Luther Open earlier this season and was one of the eight champs Iowa had. It’s been a good start for the freshman so far.

Wisconsin Takes a Big Non-Conference L

The matchup at 165 pounds between NCAA Champion David Carr and multiple-time All-American Dean Hamiti may have been low-scoring, but it was still quite the battle. However, it was overshadowed by the 42-0 loss that the Badgers were sent home with. The Cyclones took the 26-6 win last year when the teams met around this same point in the season which obviously gave Wisconsin a bad taste, but this year it has people wondering what’s to come with the new faces in the lineup for coach Bono. It’s still early, so there’s a lot of room to grow, but it sure was an uncharacteristic performance from Wisconsin.

Michigan Has Solid Trip On The Road

The Wolverines traveled to the East Coast this weekend to take on Columbia and Rider in New York and New Jersey, respectively. This was the first competition for most of the Wolverine starters, but we’ve yet to see their full lineup as expected. Largely though, this was a solid trip. They came away from the weekend with two dual meet victories, and we got to see some of their youth in the lineup. Noteworthy was Sergio Lemley, who was one of seven Michigan wrestlers to go undefeated on this trip (Will Lewan, Cam Amine, Shane Griffith, Jaden Bullock, Bobby Striggow, and Lucas Davison being the others). Lemley’s wins were over the 33rd and 32nd ranked wrestlers in Kai Owen of Columbia and Mackenzie Bell of Rider, so certainly impressive for the true freshman. Also impressive was the way that Amine wrestled. He didn’t compete much early last season due to some injury concerns, so it’s great having him apparently healthy and he certainly competed that way. Sadly, Chris Cannon suffered a head injury in his first match as a Wolverine, but we are hoping for a quick recovery and return to the lineup. Up next, Vegas!

Michigan State Vets Make Season Debut

It’s been a busy start for the Spartans. This past weekend they competed at their third straight tournament of the year. First Clarion, followed by hosting the MSU Open, then the Black Knight Invite. This was a different tough because this was the first competition of the year for their vets. Positives were Chase Saldate taking second at 157 pounds and Kael Wissler taking first at 197. Saldate comes into the year as one of the Spartans with high expectations, and I’m sure he didn’t walk into this tournament hoping to take second, but a loss to a tough opponent in Vincent Zerban of Northern Colorado is not a bad loss and something he can use to propel his training as they continue through the non-conference portion of their schedule. Wisler winning the 197-pound title is impressive and he will be someone to watch develop as the season continues. Sadly, another senior – Layne Malczewski – had to default out of his first match due to injury. He’s battled injuries throughout his career, but always seems to come back ready to go. I hope this is just a minor blip in what will otherwise be a strong finish to his career. The Spartans compete next on December 3rd in duals with Franklin & Marshall, Bloomsburg, and Presbyterian. 

Ohio State Claims Perfect 20-0 Weekend

You know what’s impressive? Shutting out a team in D1 wrestling is impressive. You know what’s more impressive than that? Shutting out three teams in seven days. To this point in the season, the only team to have won a match in a dual against the Buckeyes is Virginia Tech. Okay, so shutouts are neat. But dominant shutouts are even more special. Against Edinboro, Columbia, and Hofstra, Ohio State scored, 53, 49, and 51 respectively. Two decisions, three majors, and the rest were tech falls or pins. Also, they didn’t have their full lineup because Jesse Mendez was out competing at the Bill Farrell Invitational. Ohio State jumps right back into some tougher competition as they fly out to Vegas as well. Nice tuneup out East for them, but the real fun begins shortly. Viva Las Vegas!!!

Bonus Points

Listen to the second installment of the B1G Ten vs ACC breakdown with conference correspondents Ryan Holmes, Kevin Claunch, and Robbie Wendell.