(Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com/Graphic courtesy of Anna-Lee Marie)For the second time in three weeks, Ohio State is wrestling in our "Dual of the Week" against an ACC opponent. That dual didn't prove to be as suspenseful as one may expect and the Buckeyes cruised to a 23-12 win over North Carolina.
That North Carolina win took place in the friendly confines of the Covelli Center, the state-of-the-art new home for the Buckeyes. This time, #8 Ohio State will hit the road and battle #10 Virginia Tech.
This dual is intriguing for a variety of reasons, even beyond the obvious top-ten billing for both teams. Virginia Tech is typically a team that recruits Ohio well. Three of the Hokies ten probable starters hail from Ohio and some of their top wrestlers over the last decade call Ohio home (Ty Walz, Nick Brascetta, Zach Neibert, Jesse Dong). Also, the most recent meeting between the teams was memorable, to say the least. On November 17th, 2020, Virginia Tech stunned the Buckeyes 2015. At 149 lbs, Brent Moore pinned freshman Sammy Sasso, before Ethan Smith pulled a slight upset at 165, downing three-time AA David McFadden.
With plenty of promotion from the Virginia Tech athletic department, two top-ten teams, a budding non-conference rivalry, and an 80's night theme, expect a raucous home crowd for Virginia Tech at Cassell Coliseum.
Each team is expected to send out seven ranked wrestlers, with two of the bouts featuring top-nine ranked wrestlers.
Here's what to expect from this week's Dual of the Week (with predictions, of course).
125: #12 Sam Latona vs #14 Malik Heinselman
In a battle of very different wrestling styles and body types, All-American Sam Latona is favored in the match between ranked wrestlers. Heinselman has started hot at 5-0 and Latona had a hiccup at the Southeast Open to start the year 2-1. I think Latona initiates more attacks and is able to use his scrambling skills to offset any reattack advantages for Heinselman. Latona by decision.
InterMat Pick: Latona by decision (3-0 Virginia Tech)
133: #4 Korbin Myers vs Dylan Koontz
The Hokies send out their 2nd All-American to start the lineup in experienced senior Korbin Myers. Korbin made a huge jump last year and starts the year ranked #4 with a 4-0 record-all bonus-point victories. I think Myers controls the match from start to finish and is able to avoid the upper-body shenanigans from Koontz to pick up his fifth bonus-point win this year.
InterMat Pick: Myers by major decision. (7-0 Virginia Tech)
141: Colin Gerardi vs. Dylan D'Emilio/Jordan Decatur
141 is a weight that has been in flux for both teams. It sounds like Collin Gerardi will get the nod for the Hokies while Jordan Decatur will go for the Buckeyes. This is a toss-up match that could play a massive role in the team battle. I expect a tight match with Decatur able to win the takedown battle.
InterMat Pick: Decatur by decision. (7-3 Virginia Tech)
149: #9 Bryce Andonian vs. #2 Sammy Sasso
Definitely one of the highlight matches for this dual--a top 10 battle of wrestlers who will let it fly. This one will be fun to watch. Sasso has started 3-0 against D1 competition this year, including a decision win over All-American Zach Sherman. Andonian has not taken the mat yet this season, but is hoping to continue the momentum from bringing home a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships this summer. Both are incredible scramblers and willing to take risks to get points. I think Sasso wins in a very close match.
InterMat Pick: Sasso by decision (7-6 Virginia Tech)
157: #29 Connor Brady vs. Jashon Hubbard
Hubbard showed he wasn't afraid to get after it when he faced returning National Champion Austin O'Connor in an opening week dual. Brady has started the year 3-1, taking a decision loss to #7 Quincy Monday. Brady is very technically sound and doesn't give up many points, even to someone with explosive takedown power like Hubbard has shown. I think Brady staves off Hubbards attacks and wins in a low-scoring affair.
InterMat Pick: Brady by decision (10-6 Virginia Tech)
165: Clayton Ulrey vs. #10 Carson Kharchla
Kharchla may be one of the most anticipated wrestlers to see across the country this year. He has a dynamic offense and is able to score frequently in every position. He has started this year 5-0 to follow up an undefeated redshirt season which included a win over All-American Bernie Truax. Ulrey has started this season 1-2 and is one of the more inexperienced guys in the Hokie lineup with only 10 matches under his belt since arriving in Blacksburg. Ulrey will look to minimize points from Kharchla to help the team.
InterMat Pick: Kharchla by major decision (10-10 Tie)
174: #4 Mekhi Lewis vs. #6 Ethan Smith
This is the second top-10 matchup of the dual of the evening. The home crowd at Cassell will be excited to see the return of the program's first-ever NCAA champion, Mekhi Lewis. An injury disrupted a promising 2021 campaign for Lewis, as he fought valiantly at the NCAA Tournament, but couldn't complete the tournament. Now up at 174 lbs, Lewis started the year with a title at the Southeast Open. While he didn't meet any ranked competitors, Lewis did dominate the competition. Also coming up from 165 lbs in 2021 is Ethan Smith. Smith made the NCAA semifinals before settling into fifth place. The defensively sound Smith has seemed to open up his offense at his new weight. He has not put up less than 13 points in any of his five 2021-21 matches. But, I see Lewis, also stout on defense, shutting down the Buckeye.
InterMat Pick: Lewis by decision (13-10 Virginia Tech)
184: #9 Hunter Bolen vs. #21 Rocky Jordan
After the Hokies retake the lead, they have another hammer ready in the bullpen. Local favorite, Hunter Bolen, was a first-time NCAA All-American in 2021. While Bolen is currently ranked ninth, he was the #2 seed at the 2020 NCAA Championships and three career wins over 2021 NCAA runner-up Trent Hidlay. Bolen's only appearance this year came at the Southeast Open, where he was 5-for-5 in racking up bonus points. Looking to slow him down is 2021 national qualifier Rocky Jordan. Jordan opened the year with a solid win over 2020 ACC champion Clay Lautt, but only went 1-1 at the Ohio Intercollegiate Open. He did not finish after losing via fall to Mercyhurst's Luke McGonigal.
InterMat Pick: Bolen by decision (16-10 Virginia Tech)
197: Dakota Howard vs. #24 Gavin Hoffman
While other matches in this dual may feature higher-ranked competitors, this may be one that steals the show. Dakota Howard is a Hokie fan favorite due to his incredible motor and relentless attacks. He earned a spot at the 2021 NCAA Tournament (competing at 174) after two come-from-behind sudden victory bouts at the ACC Championships. Opposing Howard will be Gavin Hoffman. This year, at 197 lbs, Hoffman has begun to show the skills that made him a top-ten recruit in Class of 2018. Hoffman has three bonus-point wins and a 9-2 decision over former DII national champion Nick Mason (Tiffin) on his ledger for 2021-22. This time the Buckeye continues to stay hot and puts Ohio State back in the match, heading into 285 lbs.
InterMat Pick: #24 Hoffman by decision (16-13 Virginia Tech)
285: #14 Nathan Traxler vs #7 Tate Orndorff
Orndorff is favored on paper in this matchup, but it could be one of the more entertaining bouts of the evening. Traxler is a former PAC-12 Champion who transferred to VT from Stanford and has looked phenomenal since arriving--he has started 4-0 with three pins. Orndorff is a more methodical, low-scoring, control the match-type heavyweight, who finished as an All-American last season. This should be the deciding match, depending on what weight the dual starts and assuming the dual plays out without too many upsets. I think Traxler is able to get his offense going against the larger Orndorff and gets the upset in his Cassell debut.
Fun fact that has little bearing on this dual. Traxler is 3-0 against Tate's older brother, Tanner, when they were both 197 lbers from 2018-20.
InterMat Pick: Traxler by decision (19-13 Virginia Tech)
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