Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of tonight's dual meet.
125: Brenan Lyon (Michigan State) vs. No. 13 Brad Pataky (Penn State)
Pataky, an NCAA qualifier last season, has been wrestling well of late, winning six of his last seven matches. Last weekend, Pataky registered a technical fall and major decision against Northwestern and Michigan and outscored those two opponents 28-0. Lyon, a true freshman, is 3-13 on the season and still in search of his first conference victory.
Bottom Line: Pataky should dominate Lyon. Look for bonus points.
Prediction: Pataky (Penn State) pins Lyon (Michigan State)
133: No. 4 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) vs. Bryan Pearsall (Penn State)
Gomez, the defending NCAA champion, is 17-1 this season with his lone blemish being a tiebreaker loss to Daniel Dennis of Iowa. He has only surrendered two takedowns this season. Last weekend, Gomez scored a 5-3 victory over No. 7 Scotti Sentes of Central Michigan and then dominated Purdue's Matt Fields, 17-1. Pearsall, a redshirt freshman, began his Big Ten season on January 22 with a 13-12 victory over Daryl Thomas of Illinois, but he has not picked up a victory since, dropping his last five matches. He comes into tonight's match with a 3-19 season mark.
Bottom Line: Gomez has picked up bonus points in 12 of his 17 victories this season. Look for him to get bonus points against Pearsall.
Prediction: Gomez (Michigan State) technical fall Pearsall (Penn State)
141: Dan Osterman (Michigan State) vs. Adam Lynch (Penn State)
Lynch is having a nice season, even if his record is only slightly above .500 (10-9). He has gone 5-1 in Big Ten matches, which includes victories over No. 7 Montell Marion of Iowa and No. 14 Ryan Prater of Illinois. His only loss during the conference season came to No. 2 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State. Osterman, a true freshman, is 18-10 this season and coming off a victory on Sunday over then-No. 20 Juan Archuleta of Purdue. Osterman started his season at 133 pounds, where he went 8-0, but moved up to 141 pounds, where he has posted a 10-10 record.
Bottom Line: This should be a very competitive match between two wrestlers who have knocked off ranked wrestlers, but have yet to break into the rankings.
Prediction: Lynch (Penn State) dec. Osterman (Michigan State)
149: No. 12 David Cheza (Michigan State) vs. No. 4 Frank Molinaro (Penn State)
Last season, Molinaro was a surprise All-American as a freshman at 141 pounds after an up and down season in which he went 9-12 in duals and 3-5 in the conference. This season he moved up to 149 pounds and is showing that last year's NCAA run was not a fluke. Molinaro is 25-3 on the season and ranked No. 4 in the country. His most notable victory this season came on January 31 against then-No. 2 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin. Last weekend, the Nittany Lion sophomore registered major decisions against No. 14 Andrew Nadir of Northwestern and Mark Boyer of Michigan. Cheza is having a solid season and boasts a season record of 20-8. He has won nine of his last 10 matches, which includes victories over No. 13 Tony D'Alie of Central Michigan, No. 16 Mario Mason of Minnesota, and No. 18 Eric Terrazas of Illinois.
Bottom Line: Molinaro has been very impressive in his last three matches and seems to be gaining confidence with every match. Cheza is also wrestling with a lot of confidence, but it will be a tall order to defeat Molinaro on the road.
Prediction: Molinaro (Penn State) dec. Cheza (Michigan State)
157: Anthony Jones (Michigan State) vs. No. 7 Cyler Sanderson (Penn State)
Sanderson, a 2008 All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier, is 24-3 in his senior season after transferring from Iowa State. He has pinned his last three opponents. Jones, a junior, showed promise in his first two seasons as a Spartan, compiling a 37-22 record. But he has taken a step back this season. Jones comes into tonight's match with an 8-13 season mark and riding a five-match losing streak.
Bottom Line: Sanderson should handle the struggling Jones.
Prediction: Sanderson (Penn State) major dec. Jones (Michigan State)
165: Kyle Bounds (Michigan State) vs. No. 7 Dan Vallimont (Penn State)
Vallimont, a 2008 All-American, went through a tough stretch in late January, losing three straight matches, all to wrestlers currently ranked in the top six. He bounced back last weekend to win two matches to run his season record to 21-6. Bounds, who transferred from Oregon after the wrestling program was cut, has been up and down this season while compiling 25-12 mark. For the most part, he has beaten the wrestlers he's supposed to beat ... and lost to the wrestler's he's expected to lose to. Bounds' most notable win came against No. 9 Shane Onufer of Wyoming at the Sprawl & Brawl on November 22.
Bottom Line: Vallimont should win this match, but Bounds certainly has the ability to make it interesting.
Prediction: Vallimont (Penn State) dec. Bounds (Michigan State)
174: Ian Hinton (Michigan State) vs. Justin Ortega (Penn State)
Hinton, an NCAA qualifier last season as a freshman, has compiled a 14-13 record this season, but has dropped five of his last six matches. He is coming off a close loss (7-5) to No. 6 Luke Manuel or Purdue on Sunday. Ortega, a redshirt freshman, is 6-16 on the season and still looking for his first conference win.
Bottom Line: This is a matchup of two wrestlers who have struggled to pick up wins during the Big Ten season. Hinton, though, is much better than his 1-5 conference record indicates. Ortega has showed some promise this season, but has not won a match since early January.
Prediction: Hinton (Michigan State) dec. Ortega (Penn State)
184: Curran Jacobs/Nick Palmieri (Michigan State) vs. No. 10 David Erwin (Penn State)
The 10th-ranked Erwin has been able to stay healthy for the first time in three seasons. He has put together solid senior campaign, going 24-6 and establishing himself as a legitimate All-American threat. He dropped his first Big Ten match this season to No. 2 John Dergo of Illinois, 6-4, in sudden victory, but he has since reeled off five straight victories. Jacobs has started the last three duals and posted a 2-1 mark. Last weekend, he picked up a crucial victory over Purdue's Nick Corpe in sudden victory, which helped propel the Spartans over the Boilermakers. Palmieri is 13-10 overall and 7-10 in duals.
Bottom Line: Erwin is wrestling at a very high level right now and should beat whoever Michigan State sends out on the mat.
Prediction: Erwin (Penn State) major dec. Jacobs (Michigan State)
197: Tyler Dickenson (Michigan State) vs. Clay Steadman/David Crowell (Penn State)
Steadman and Crowell have platooned for the Nittany Lions at this weight class, splitting the six conference matches thus far. Steadman has posted an 8-10 record this season, while Crowell has gone 17-12. Dickenson comes into tonight's match with a 15-14, but has gone 0-6 in the conference.
Bottom Line: This match is virtually a tossup. Steadman defeated Dickenson, 4-1, a year ago.
Prediction: Steadman (Penn State) dec. Dickenson (Michigan State)
285: Alan O'Donnell (Michigan State) vs. No. 11 Cameron Wade (Penn State)
Wade has been one of most improved wrestlers on the Nittany Lions. After going 15-14 last season as a freshman, Wade has compiled a 17-6 record this season, which includes a 5-1 conference mark. O'Donnell, who is in his fourth season as the starting heavyweight for the Spartans, has been competitive with some of nation's top heavyweights, but is still looking for his first win over a ranked opponent.
Bottom Line: Wade pinned O'Donnell at the beginning of last season. Look for Wade to come out on top again.
Prediction: Wade (Penn State) major dec. O'Donnell (Michigan State)
Dual Meet Prediction: Penn State 30, Michigan State 8
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