Nickerson is talented, a proven winner, and retuning national champion. But ... he has also wrestled less than 15 matches, has been banged up all year, and has wrestled only two guys that are seeded at this weight (his loss to Escobedo being one of them). You can't start wrestling your 'tough' matches in mid-March. Look for this weight to go the same way as the Big 10 finals.
133: No. 3 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) over No. 1 Jayson Ness (Minnesota)
Dennis will need to beat Gomez for a third straight match to prevent him from making the finals. Three straight by Dennis over Gomez is as likely as the new "Kirstie Alley's Big Life" TV program being watchable. Gomez will play it tight with Ness in the finals, and then score a close-to-the-edge takedown to win the match and his second national title.
141: No. 4 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) over No. 2 Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State)
Uhhhhh ... let me see if I have this one right. Dake is a true freshman ... seeded No. 1 in the national tournament ... and on his side of the bracket is the returning national finalist who has already beaten him once this year. Can someone tell Tim Johnson during the ESPN broadcast to not act too surprised when "our first No. 1 seed has gone down?" Parks will make the finals based on the 'John Smith always gets a lightweight in the finals' rule (section 5.3.2 in bold).
149: No. 2 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) over No. 1 Lance Palmer (Ohio State)
It may be trendy to pick Palmer over Metcalf, but it's not smart. Here is why: Can you think of one thing that Metcalf wouldn't do to win this match? One thing. Come on ... think of one thing. For example, "Brent, coach Brands left his clipboard in Iowa City. It has the scouting notes for your match against Palmer on it. Can you bear crawl back to Iowa City to get it and still be back for your finals match?" He would do it, right? Right. Metcalf will win this match. Period.
(Side note: I can't wait to watch James Fleming in this weight class. His top position may be the most exciting wresting in the country right now. Tune in for the second round when Fleming and Metcalf match up. Look for Fleming to choose top and go for his infamous his Boa Constrictor turn (or whatever you call it). This will be worth the $165 you paid to get in the doors. Trust me. I have watched about six hours of film on his turn and still have no idea what he is doing.)
157: No. 1 J.P. O'Connor (Harvard) over No. 7 Chase Pami (Cal Poly)
Unfortunately, I don't think this is going to end well for Schlatter. It is a real bummer for wrestling fans because it would have been a nice touch to see him come full circle and end up on top. Unfortunately, serious knee injuries and weight cutting are not good recipes against the best guys in the country. Look for Pami to be a surprise finalist; a direct result of being ass-kicked by Mark Perry in the room every day.
(Side note: Take a moment to watch 'The man that never stops wrestling' Jonny Bonilla-Bowman. Then lean over to your kids and tell them you want them to wrestle that way.)
165: No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) over No. 2 Jarrod King (Edinboro)
Howe doesn't do much, but he always does enough to win. What else can you say about a guy that is 32-0 and peels off 80% decisions. The most exciting aspect of this weight is determining how a banged up Morningstar will do for Iowa's team score.
174: No. 2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) over No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell)
Lewnes blew up at nationals last year, and not in a good way. Rob Koll can only hope that any mental issues related to this tournament have been overcome. Both of these guys are undefeated and on a crash course for each other. The likely finals matchup has the outside chance of also being for a team title, as I see Cornell as having the most likely chance of beating Iowa.
184: No. 2 John Dergo (Illinois) over No. 9 Phil Keddy (Iowa)
This weight class is absolutely wide open, and I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the top eight seeded guys make a finals run. Dergo, though, is an absolute beast who has made a habit of breaking down returning AAs this season. He looks to be in top form and ready to be at the top of the podium. Keddy is an elite wrestler who has had an up and down season, but sources close to the program have indicated that he is ready for a real finals run.
197: No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) over No. 2 Craig Brester (Nebraska)
In a rematch of last years final, the results will be much the same. Varner puts up another national title, and potentially InterMat wrestler of the year honors.
285: No. 2 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) over No. 4 Konrad Dudziak (Duke)
Rosholt is too big and has too much pedigree to not win a national title. Dudziak missed half the season and will not be able to finish against Rosholt. Look for heavyweight to be a wide open weight where anything and everything won't happen (unless you like sudden victory matches ...)
Top Five Teams:
1. Iowa
2. Cornell
3. Iowa State
4. Minnesota
5. Oklahoma State
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