I won't weigh in on which seemed odd, but I think the first rankings do offer an opportunity to discuss the validity of building an RPI system in college wrestling.
Subjective criteria the NCAA once used to decipher the number of allocations per conference was replaced (for good reason) by the objective criteria of the RPI system. Math over instinct. Each wrestler is assigned points and those shift depending on the strength of who he wrestles, defeats and loses to over the course of the season. The top wrestlers are divided into conferences which then gives each conference their automatic bids.
Though the system does seem to take out the shifting sands of the "who is better now" criteria, there are flaws. The people who created the system saw value in certain achievements and milestones more than others (ex: the number of wins to make a wrestler eligible for ranking) and those subjective decisions do dictate some of the variance we are witnessing in the first rankings. The benefit is that at least they are known before the seeding meetings in March.
The RPI might be a bit wonky in tight weight classes, but the system seems to give credit to those who perform all year while also allowing for the conference tournaments to remain an important event.
To your questions ...
Q: What was wrong with nine-minute matches that pitted the endurance of the wrestler along with the technique needed to win? My husband was a part of that era and I referred many of those in the popular video "Greatest Wrestling Highlight" and we can call most friends. It shows what our sport was and how much we have lost over the years. That is what we want our sport to be again! That should be the goal of every coach in the nation.
-- D.R.
Foley: Good gravy. I don't know that wrestling nine minutes would be very appealing to the YouTube generation. One of the appeals of the current format is that it can be displayed online and on television without much interruption.
When you consider that an American football game is only 14 minutes of combined actions over the course of four hours, you can see that nine straight minutes of wrestling may bore viewers and scare off sponsors.
Wrestling can be packaged in a variety of ways, but as a spectator sport it's important that it appeals to spectators -- and that will almost always mean action. You made a point in our email exchange that wrestling has changed since appealing to money, and I'd agree that from my perspective it's becoming a more professionalized and mature product. That can have negative side effects, but overall it allows for more individuals around the world to enter the sport.
As for the highlight it is thrilling. I think that seeing that much red, white and blue will jazz up the base and that's not a bad thing, either.
Q: Can Missouri, Ohio State, Minnesota or Cornell beat Iowa and win the National Duals this weekend?
-- Mike C.
Foley: No. Iowa has backups beating top ten wrestlers and I feel like this year they have backups of backups who Brands could slap on the rear and have them win a national title. I like all these other teams, but I just think Iowa is in the "Iowa gear" and nobody can catch them.
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Q: What do you think of Ed Ruth moving from Penn State to Arizona State to train for 2016? Do you think it's for MMA?
-- John R.
Foley: I do think it's for MMA ... in the long run.
From what I'm told Ed would love to wrestle in the 2016 Games but that he has his eyes firmly set on entering the cage. That Olympic success might be a springboard to an MMA career is obvious, but I also imagine that almost everyone he spoke with, from manager to friends to coaches, has told him that he's put in way too much work into the sport of wrestling to walk away with the Olympics in sight.
Ed Ruth won his first U.S. World Team Trials title last summer (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Should Ruth hunker down in Arizona it's plausible that MMA would be in the cards come October of next year. That's still a bit away, but with cross-training opportunities he could pick up some skills and start the slow build to his first cage fight. However, he should take caution. Not every talented wrestler that ventures into MMA is a household name or holding a belt.
The fighting landscape is now littered with guys who almost made it to the top and I'd bet at least a few wishes they had another chance at Olympic glory.
Q: Missouri and Illinois wrestle in the National Duals quarterfinals. Jesse Delgado vs. Alan Waters. Who are you taking?
-- Mike C.
Foley: This will be the big test Delgado has been missing much of the season. Coming off of a long injury to face a nails Alan Waters and the No. 2-ranked team in the country will be tough for Delgado.
Still, as I've written before, many coaches compliment Delgado on his toughness and I'm sure he won't get on the mat unless he is 1000 percent ready for the challenge.
I think Waters plays a smarter game than Delgado and earns the 4-3 victory.
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