JVStateChamp

One person who has not been mentioned yet that comes to mind is James Green who has had a long storied career for Team USA. Green is one of the more under-appreciated members of this group of the "Golden Age" of USA Wrestling.

While the bracket of the two best teams worked out in AA, AAA brackets are somewhat of a mess. The #1 and #2 ranked teams in the state will meet in the quarter-finals. Will the PIAA ever seed the dual brackets? I remember not so long ago they had placement for the individual brackets as well. Seems like a disservice to the teams that work all year for a chance to capture a medal.

I do not believe that anyone is arguing that PSU would not run away with a dual championship but the thought of having a bracketed dual meet tournament composed of the best teams from different conferences is exciting for the sport. Besides NCAAs the most exciting events in the season are great duals like NC State/V-Tech, Ohio State/V-tech, Iowa/Iowa State. This allows fans of a particular school to have two hours that they can actively cheer or follow their team consecutively. It's hard to grow a fanbase in an individual tournament when the team you are following may not have a guy on the mat for 45 min at a time, it doesn't engage the people who are not following wrestling to the degree as people on this forum. This is nothing new that has not been discussed before and it has not gained any traction in the minds of the decision makers so I digress.

The point of the match minimum is to reward those who step on the line during the season. Whether you think the F&M open is good competition or not is beside the fact, those who go to the tournament are still wrestling D1 level competition.

This is such a difficult position for the wrestlers and coaches, when two teammates wrestle each other it is quite often that coaches and the athletes have an idea of who the superior wrestler is. I think as a coach in the corner the best thing to do is sit there and be more of a figure than a supporter. Both wrestlers most likely don't have the same fire to compete against each other as they would against someone from a different team. Tough for all involved, especially the referee if they're wearing the same singlet lol

I am not sure that there is a correlation between the two, I could be wrong but in interviews that I have heard with Pat Pop or Beasley faith has never been mentioned. Implementing a dry program cannot be an easy task, I think what a majority of programs do is use the preseason and season as times when no alcohol is permitted.

IMO coaches are taking a different approach to the season and do not see matches as valuable as they once did. The old thought was to give their athletes competitions and tournaments as close to an NCAA simulation as possible. Now they believe that those peaks and valleys of a season can be accomplished in the practice room rather than traveling and competing in 30+ matches which also limits the amount of times their athletes have to weigh in. This makes for a lesser product throughout the season, we have seen tournaments like the Scuffle and Midlands have a huge decline because of the lack of importance of in-season matches. This may be a case where two things are true at once, 1. the wrestlers may be more healthy and more fresh come March because of the lack of weigh-ins and travel from Nov. to March, 2. This makes it hard to promote a product is trying to become more and more relevant.

In reality, does anyone believe coaches' rankings are beneficial? Division 1 HC will not and do not spend time trying to figure out rankings for other team wrestlers. Putting in the proper amount of time and effort would be a waste of their time and a hindrance to their program, is there any other sport that uses coaches' rankings to determine seeds?

The first names that come to mind are Chance Marstellar and David Taylor when thinking about current figures at the high school level. Both of these athletes have shown to have the ability to develop and build high-level wrestlers at the high school level which may be a good indicator for success at the D1 level. James Green is one name that may not get tossed around but would be a good fit for most high school high school wrestlers. He showed throughout his time at the OTC that he could train and have success with some of the best athletes at the world level. Much of this discussion is hypothetical as I do not see Marstellar nor Taylor jumping into the D1 coaching scene but James Green could be a great candidate for any school.

I do not disagree with that. I do believe that UTC is fully committed to Ruschell and the wrestling program. I would like to know what other candidates would have been a better hire, obviously, I don't have this knowledge but I am curious about who else had put in for the position once Eslinger left that may have had different results.

While I do not think that Coach Eslinger was the best coach, I think that there needs to be something said about where the program was and where it is now. Eslinger did a much better job of recruiting. Chattanooga should be a top program in the SoCon but falls short every year. Looking back vision is always 20/20 but to say letting Coach Sioredas go could've been one of the biggest mistakes the program made.

Many of the programs mentioned, such as Bloomsburg, Sacred Heart, and UTC, will face challenges in finding a sought-after replacement. As the wrestling market has grown, albeit not significantly, there will be a lack of qualified candidates. In the past, the best wrestlers in the USA were drawn to coaching due to limited financial opportunities. However, now wrestlers are experiencing career longevity and earning comparable salaries for focusing solely on training. Additionally, a high-profile assistant coach in the ACC or B1G may earn more than a head coach at a SoCon or EIWA program. While these programs have undoubtedly fallen short of their past achievements or potential, attracting coaches who can bring about change and remain committed for an extended period is proving to be a significant hurdle.

The UFC's decision to stream wrestling matches, regardless of quality or quantity, is a significant step forward for the sport. This initiative exposes college wrestling to a new audience already captivated by combat sports. The UFC's approach of turning dual meets into events is also commendable, as the varied settings add an extra layer of excitement and attraction to college wrestling. Additionally, the inclusion of less discussed teams in these dual meets provides them with valuable exposure, which bodes well for the future growth of Division I wrestling.

This needs to be a get right dual for VT. It seemed they came out against Ohio State a little ill-prepared or flat. Every swing match and some downright upsets went all toward tOSU, this is a good opportunity to get the train rolling back in the right direction. I think that VT wins this dual by 5-6 points.

This argument appears to be somewhat hypocritical. While some individuals, including Brands, may disagree with the ruling on the gambling investigations, it is unfair and unjust to speculate about the actions of other teams or programs without any evidence. As a leader, Brands should focus on guiding his own team in the right direction rather than worrying about others.

I agree, my other thought on it was that since the weight cut, he is trying to compete in more open tournaments and possibly just SoCon matches. To limit weigh-ins but still get the amount of matches needed. I guess thats the beauty of the second week of the season, most of this is speculation and we get to discuss until it plays out.

In his defense, Palmer wrestled unattached at the Clarion open. This weekend Chattanooga wrestled two dual meets in which Palmer did not wrestler so it may be a case where Palmer is still deciding whether to take a RS or not. This is all speculation but something to consider.

A lot of the sustainability with training and competing at such a high level has to do with health. I believe (and hope) that if Bo can stay healthy for a majority of his career then burn out will not be a factor. Again, in a sport like wrestling injury is hard to predict or prevent but the mental toll it takes is often times what causes the burnout.

Can never make everyone happy... Correction (Sorry to offend anyone) VT: 17 tOSU: 16

Well if we are still talking about Virginia Tech v The Ohio State, my prediction is V-Tech coming out on top 17-16. A couple swing matches could really make the difference.

I agree, my main argument was more that a wrestler earning an escape is worth the point. Taking away an escape point does not create more action. In mat wrestling, there is a give and take between working for a turn and riding, as well as working for an escape and working to not get turned. My unpopular opinion is that stalling has turned into following a stepping out of bounds and a 5-second count, rather than knowing when a wrestler is purposefully avoiding action and scoring which can be called at any point in a match.

The objective on top is to score. Using double boots, an ankle ride, or a double spiral ride is a mechanism to stop action not create. The top wrestler is also noted as the offensive wrestler in which none of these strategies are actively offensive. I am all for using these techniques to work towards a turn/fall, but in many cases, it is used to build riding time.

I agree that action is entertaining from a viewership perspective and does promote growth in the sport. I think the scoring situation may not be a huge factor in promoting scoring. I think a huge factor in lower-scoring matches as well as what we see as a lack of action in matches is that the talent level in the most viewed college wrestling matches is very high. It is very hard to have high scoring and lots of action between two high-level wrestlers where talent levels are similar which makes for low scoring and fewer exchanges. I do think its possible that this may be the root of the problem, but also just a theory.

You seem very dismissive of others who don't fully agree with your opinion. More people would choose top because there is no danger in going on top and the worst result is that they get an extra 5 seconds of riding time. Even without trying to turn to start on top and grabbing an ankle for a 5-second count can waste or give the top man 7 seconds of riding time. That does not sound conducive to a good product.

I would say a better argument for 3 point takedown would be to make a 3 point reversal opposed to no escape point. I believe it is overlooked how difficult and how much effort it takes to get an escape in college wrestling. With 0 point escapes someone can do all the work to get to their feet in a rear standing position top guy will not put in the effort to mat return and in conclusion then gets 0 points for creating action and getting to their feet. Also, in your argument, the difference in points is the same, but in your case, you are not rewarding the bottom man for wrestling.