Ohio State's Potential Superteam Lineup
Ohio State's Potential Superteam Lineup
We take a look at the 2017-18 lineup for Ohio State, which has all 10 guys ranked.
Now that the school year has started, wrestling season is right around the corner. The first day of practice is Oct. 10, so we have been taking a look at a number of teams' lineups for this season.
There are two superteams this year in the NCAA, and one of them is Ohio State. The Buckeyes represent the greatest threat to dethrone Penn State after reloading in the offseason.
Four Potential Lineups For Penn State
Ohio State returns 113.5 team points, which is more than its 2015 title team scored, more than Penn State's 2011 and 2014 title teams, more than Iowa's 2009 title team, and more than Minnesota's 2007 title team.
The additions of Joey McKenna and Te'Shan Campbell will give the Buckeyes 10 ranked guys to start the year and an outside shot of the rarified 10 All-American lineup. That may be a pipe dream, but it could also be what it takes to beat the Nittany Lions.
If OSU can roll out the following squad, it will either result in another NCAA team title or perhaps the greatest second-place team of all time.
133: Luke Pletcher
141: Joey McKenna
149: Ke-Shawn Hayes
157: Micah Jordan
165: Te'Shan Campbell
174: Bo Jordan
184: Myles Martin
197: Kollin Moore
285: Kyle Snyder
Now that's a strong lineup, but it does raise a few questions. Can Nathan Tomasello get back down to 125? It seems likely, but most people doubt he'll wrestle every single dual this year at that weight. The weight drop is in part due to his pending international career, where he projects as a 57kg. Tomasello just won a silver medal at the Medved in Belarus.
Tomasello will be the favorite to win at either 125 (where he starts the year ranked first) or 133, but the lighter weight makes more sense for the team, as No. 9 Luke Pletcher would surprise no one if he lands on the podium in Cleveland.
When news initially began circulating about Columbus being a potential landing spot for No. 6 Joey McKenna, I immediately thought he would bump up to 149. That still may end up happening, so what if we flipped Ke-Shawn Hayes and McKenna?
133: Luke Pletcher
141: Ke-Shawn Hayes
149: Joey McKenna
157: Micah Jordan
165: Te'Shan Campbell
174: Bo Jordan
184: Myles Martin
197: Kollin Moore
285: Kyle Snyder
Is that team still good enough to win in March? Maybe, but it seems the Buckeyes are leaving a few points on the table. Hayes starts the year ranked ninth at 149.
There is of course the possibility the newly engaged Micah Jordan (ranked fourth) might not want to go up in weight. That would leave OSU with this lineup, one that certainly leaves team points on the table. Jordan would be lower ranked at 149, and the Buckeyes would become less likely to score big points at 157. NCAA qualifier Cody Burcher was last year's starter at 165 and could be in position to start at either 157 or 165 for some or all of this season.
133: Luke Pletcher
141: Joey McKenna
149: Micah Jordan
157: Anthony DeCarlo/Cody Burcher
165: Te'Shan Campbell
174: Bo Jordan
184: Myles Martin
197: Kollin Moore
285: Kyle Snyder
So all of the questions weight-wise live in the first half of the lineup, whereas the upperweights are set. Te'Shan Campbell will start his junior year at 165 for the Buckeyes, beginning the season ranked 12th. With six All-Americans returning at this weight, as well as strong non-placers such as Bryce Steiert and Jordan Kutler, Campbell will need to reverse losses to Drew Hughes and Anthony Valencia just to be in the conversation to place.
Bo Jordan was third twice at 165 before bumping up and making the finals last season. He split with Mark Hall last year (see the win below), and the four-point difference between winning and losing in the NCAA finals could be huge in the team race. Jordan, ranked third right now, is one of just a handful of seniors in this young weight and may feel a different sense of urgency than the rest of the field to end his career on top.
Myles Martin starts the year No. 2 and has twice beaten No. 1 Bo Nickal in his college career. Again that four-point difference could be crucial in the team standings. For both Nickal and Martin, it does not matter which weight Zahid Valencia chooses to compete at this season. Valencia will likely be in at least the semis and place top three at either weight, so it's essentially a wash to project. Martin is now a full-sized 184 and an upperclassan.
Kollin Moore is no longer a rapidly rising youngster. After getting third at NCAAs, he made his second junior world team and won a bronze medal and starts the year atop the heap at 197. His offensive pace is prodigious, and I would set the over/under on Moore's techs for the year at 10.
Lineup Look: Iowa Replacing Four All-Americans
Both Tony Nelson and Nick Gwiazdowski entered their senior years at heavyweight trying to become three-time champions. But neither of those guys are Olympic gold medalists and world champs. Kyle Snyder should close out his career on St. Patrick's Day as the best heavyweight in the land.
No matter the sport, a season with two overwhelming juggernauts always seems to be special. Ohio State has three seniors trying to be four-time All-Americans and four-time Big Ten finalists, and the NCAA tournament is just two hours away in Cleveland. Though we might only see their top lineup once this season before the conference championships, the Buckeyes have the firepower to contend with some of the best teams of the past 15 years.
There are two superteams this year in the NCAA, and one of them is Ohio State. The Buckeyes represent the greatest threat to dethrone Penn State after reloading in the offseason.
Four Potential Lineups For Penn State
Ohio State returns 113.5 team points, which is more than its 2015 title team scored, more than Penn State's 2011 and 2014 title teams, more than Iowa's 2009 title team, and more than Minnesota's 2007 title team.
The additions of Joey McKenna and Te'Shan Campbell will give the Buckeyes 10 ranked guys to start the year and an outside shot of the rarified 10 All-American lineup. That may be a pipe dream, but it could also be what it takes to beat the Nittany Lions.
If OSU can roll out the following squad, it will either result in another NCAA team title or perhaps the greatest second-place team of all time.
Ohio State Lineup 1
125: Nathan Tomasello133: Luke Pletcher
141: Joey McKenna
149: Ke-Shawn Hayes
157: Micah Jordan
165: Te'Shan Campbell
174: Bo Jordan
184: Myles Martin
197: Kollin Moore
285: Kyle Snyder
Now that's a strong lineup, but it does raise a few questions. Can Nathan Tomasello get back down to 125? It seems likely, but most people doubt he'll wrestle every single dual this year at that weight. The weight drop is in part due to his pending international career, where he projects as a 57kg. Tomasello just won a silver medal at the Medved in Belarus.
Tomasello will be the favorite to win at either 125 (where he starts the year ranked first) or 133, but the lighter weight makes more sense for the team, as No. 9 Luke Pletcher would surprise no one if he lands on the podium in Cleveland.
When news initially began circulating about Columbus being a potential landing spot for No. 6 Joey McKenna, I immediately thought he would bump up to 149. That still may end up happening, so what if we flipped Ke-Shawn Hayes and McKenna?
Ohio State Lineup 2
125: Nathan Tomasello133: Luke Pletcher
141: Ke-Shawn Hayes
149: Joey McKenna
157: Micah Jordan
165: Te'Shan Campbell
174: Bo Jordan
184: Myles Martin
197: Kollin Moore
285: Kyle Snyder
Is that team still good enough to win in March? Maybe, but it seems the Buckeyes are leaving a few points on the table. Hayes starts the year ranked ninth at 149.
There is of course the possibility the newly engaged Micah Jordan (ranked fourth) might not want to go up in weight. That would leave OSU with this lineup, one that certainly leaves team points on the table. Jordan would be lower ranked at 149, and the Buckeyes would become less likely to score big points at 157. NCAA qualifier Cody Burcher was last year's starter at 165 and could be in position to start at either 157 or 165 for some or all of this season.
Ohio State Lineup 3
125: Nathan Tomasello133: Luke Pletcher
141: Joey McKenna
149: Micah Jordan
157: Anthony DeCarlo/Cody Burcher
165: Te'Shan Campbell
174: Bo Jordan
184: Myles Martin
197: Kollin Moore
285: Kyle Snyder
So all of the questions weight-wise live in the first half of the lineup, whereas the upperweights are set. Te'Shan Campbell will start his junior year at 165 for the Buckeyes, beginning the season ranked 12th. With six All-Americans returning at this weight, as well as strong non-placers such as Bryce Steiert and Jordan Kutler, Campbell will need to reverse losses to Drew Hughes and Anthony Valencia just to be in the conversation to place.
Bo Jordan was third twice at 165 before bumping up and making the finals last season. He split with Mark Hall last year (see the win below), and the four-point difference between winning and losing in the NCAA finals could be huge in the team race. Jordan, ranked third right now, is one of just a handful of seniors in this young weight and may feel a different sense of urgency than the rest of the field to end his career on top.
Myles Martin starts the year No. 2 and has twice beaten No. 1 Bo Nickal in his college career. Again that four-point difference could be crucial in the team standings. For both Nickal and Martin, it does not matter which weight Zahid Valencia chooses to compete at this season. Valencia will likely be in at least the semis and place top three at either weight, so it's essentially a wash to project. Martin is now a full-sized 184 and an upperclassan.
Kollin Moore is no longer a rapidly rising youngster. After getting third at NCAAs, he made his second junior world team and won a bronze medal and starts the year atop the heap at 197. His offensive pace is prodigious, and I would set the over/under on Moore's techs for the year at 10.
Lineup Look: Iowa Replacing Four All-Americans
Both Tony Nelson and Nick Gwiazdowski entered their senior years at heavyweight trying to become three-time champions. But neither of those guys are Olympic gold medalists and world champs. Kyle Snyder should close out his career on St. Patrick's Day as the best heavyweight in the land.
No matter the sport, a season with two overwhelming juggernauts always seems to be special. Ohio State has three seniors trying to be four-time All-Americans and four-time Big Ten finalists, and the NCAA tournament is just two hours away in Cleveland. Though we might only see their top lineup once this season before the conference championships, the Buckeyes have the firepower to contend with some of the best teams of the past 15 years.