Why Dake will win over Taylor at the All-Star Classic

Penn State's David Taylor and Cornell's Kyle Dake are heading to Washington D.C. this weekend to compete in the most anticipated wrestling match of the decade. On Wednesday we covered the arguments fans and pundits made for a Taylor victory. Today we cover the arguments for Dake.

1. "Dake has the better credentials ... Kid can win"

Kyle Dake will be in search of his fourth NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

You don't win three NCAA titles at three different weight classes just to get questioned about moving up to a fourth. When you win, you tend to win some more. Though Dake has taken some early season losses in two of his championship seasons, and is arguably facing his toughest opponent to date, his ability to wrestle at the level of his opponent, or better, is always on display. Don't forget that he did take third at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and was a preferred workout partner to Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs.

2. "Taylor is a slow starter"

Dake's opponent has a nasty habit of getting out of the gates at a trudge. Maybe it takes a minute for the engines to fire, but Taylor has been most vulnerable at the beginning of matches. His 2011 NCAA finals loss to Bubba Jenkins came in the first period after he let the Arizona State wrestler progress with an early takedown, and in the second period lock in a cradle. Dake doesn't always come out swinging, but Taylor is most vulnerable in the first minute, before his foot is wholly pressed on the accelerator. If Dake gets hustling early, like he did in their freestyle matchup, he'll end with the first win of the season-long series.

3. "Dake can get out from bottom and is nasty on top"

The prevailing logic has been that Taylor's legwork and length will keep Dake down. It's possible, but Dake has one of the fastest stand ups in the history of the sport. Assuming there isn't any first-period scoring, Dake will spend the start of either the second or third period on the mat and be tested on his standup. Given that he's almost never been ridden, it's difficult to say outright that Taylor will get the job done. Also, should his first move from bottom fail, Dake has excellent secondary and tertiary attacks option from bottom, creating the type of scrambles that have earned him both reversals and back points. If Taylor chooses to stay aggressive on top and hold Dake down, he could open himself up for one of Dake's bigger moves. As for top? Ask Frank Molinaro, and Derek St. John, the latter of whom chose neutral in the third.

4. "Dake is a better scrambler and a big-move wrestler"

It's already been covered a little in the previous points, but Dake is a big-move wrestler. Though he sometimes wins by only a few points, he often finds way to group his points together. Whether it's transitioning from bottom to top or from his feet to top, he finds ways to get four or five points for his efforts. Throws aside, he is one of the best ever at capitalizing on the mistakes of his opponents. His scrambling ability also gets him out of sure-loss scenarios, like when Montell Marion of Iowa had him dead to rights on a takedown but not only did Dake prevent the finish, he scored a takedown of his own. He's creative and strong in all types of unique scrambling positions.

5. "Dake handled Taylor last time they wrestled"

Kyle Dake handled David Taylor when the two met in April (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Yes, it was freestyle, but Dake beat Taylor at the U.S. Team Olympic Trials. The sport is different, but the takedowns scored by Dake would have worked in a collegiate mat (assuming he doesn't lock his hands on the first takedown and kept it legal). Dake's style isn't hampered by moving onto the NCAA mat and though he gave up positioning on Taylor's shot in the second period, he did finish it with a kickback. It wouldn't have been called a fall, but it would have been a takedown. It's also possible that when you win a match, you win the advantage in the rematch.

Disagree? Post your comments below and we'll discuss. No matter who you're supporting, the wrestling community is the big winner with a national event happening in early November. This is our Daytona 500.

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Why Dake will win over Taylor at the All-Star Classic

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