When's the last time 184 wasn't brutal? I was talking with someone about this. It's really incredible how difficult this weight is year after year. This year is no exception. It will feature two NCAA champions, two other NCAA finalists, and six other All-Americans. The road to an NCAA title or even All-American status will be a difficult proposition filled with land mines early on.

Bo Nickal and Gabe Dean's tight Junior World Team Trials match:

Title Contenders:

Gabe Dean, Cornell
Bo Nickal, Penn State
Myles Martin, Ohio State

Probably a shorter list than most would expect. Many may cry out for TJ Dudley, Nolan Boyd, or even Pat Downey's inclusion. I was tempted with all three, but both have dropped matches that give me pause, though their talent is immense. If you include a Downey, Dudley, and Boyd, you then should probably include Zack Zavatsky, Willie Miklus, and Sammy Brooks. Now what's even the point of the list? Gabe Dean can drop matches -- we know this. However, we've seen him raise his game every NCAAs. Even when he was a freshman, people forget how close he was to beating Ed Ruth at NCAAs. Bo Nickal is as big a threat to Dean as anybody. Stylistically, I think he's the toughest match up for the Dean of Mean. The finish to Myles Martin's season has to have every other coach sweating at the prospect of how good he could be. Getting it done puts you on this list.

MOCCO TIMEOUT: Episode 2 is UP!

CP's Predictions:

1. Bo Nickal, Penn State
2. Gabe Dean, Cornell
3. Myles Martin, Ohio State
4. Timothy Dudley, Nebraska
5. Pat Downey, Iowa State
6. Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech
7. Sammy Brooks, Iowa
8. Nolan Boyd, Oklahoma State

Round of 12: Willie Miklus, Missouri; Domenic Abounader, Michigan, Jack Dechow, ODU; Nick Gravina, Rutgers

This may shock a lot of people given: 1. How excellent Dean has been. 2. How Nickal seemed to struggle at the end of last year and into the freestyle season. It's all about matchups for me. Dean is incredibly re-attack reliant. He is an incredible hand-fighter who forces guys out of position and into bad shots -- that's where Gabe eats. I don't see that strategy working against Nickal. Dean can struggle with the more lanky/scrambly guys (though I view Gabe as an underrated scrambler). His last three losses were to Nolan Boyd, Hayden Zillmer, and Taylor Meeks. Nickal could have a Quentin Wright-esque sophomore campaign. Maybe there will be a few lapses, but his upper body chops, hooks, scrambling, and top game will get him on top in March. I just have faith that PSU coach Cael Sanderson and company will get him over the hump. It's a tough decision to make considering Nickal didn't win a worse weight. Dean won a brutal weight twice. I just don't think Nickal has reached his full potential yet.

I'm curious how people will react to this prediction. Is it insane? I've been shouting about Dean's excellence for a few years now, including coming into his freshman season. There aren't a lot of guys who have their very best years in year five. The wear and tear of four NCAA seasons plus lots of film can make things harder on a wrestler. Dean wins with his physicality and pressure. Very few can stand up to it, and nobody can stand in the middle and bang with him at this weight. So you need someone who is a complete curveball to Gabe's style. I think that's Nickal. Even a few years ago, we saw the two were pretty close to one another at the Junior World Team Trials. Dean's re-attacks are probably the best of any guy at any weight. His snatch single is a great, safe attack, and in a pinch he has a nice high crotch or double.

For an NCAA champion, Myles Martin is quite the wildcard himself. My take on someone who gets red hot at the end of the year is that that level will be maintained and elevated moving forward. I believe that will be the case for Myles. I think third is a reasonable slot considering the season he had last year. Despite the win, I still view Nickal as a very tough matchup for Myles moving forward. Against Dean, I think Myles will struggle to break through his head/hands. He looked plenty big at 184, so I don't anticipate size being an issue. While I have him placing high, Myles could be in for a few losses this year. But I think he'll have it worked out by March, again.

Dudley, like a few guys, has the potential to play spoiler to the whole thing. I just worry about Dudley's consistency. The floor/ceiling with Dudley has more variance than probably anyone in the field. When you're on his leg, he's as tough to takedown as anyone. He uses a slide by as well as anyone in the country and can be tough on top with cradles. I like Dudley, but not sure I can pick him to make a run like he did last year.

Speaking of wildcards, Pat Downey is as tough a guy to prognosticate as any. The talent has never been a question. At 184, I wonder how the cut will be for months on end. He's enormous. Additionally, evaluating his season a year ago is difficult when you consider how few matches he wrestled. I'm going purely on upside here. His ability to threaten upper body makes him dangerous to anyone in the field. This could end horribly, but I'm predicting a nice year for Downey.

Zavatsky, aka ZZ Top, was among the more impressive guys off the podium a year ago. With two wins over NCAA third-placer Pete Renda, a win over Miklus, Boyd, Zilmer and more, there's a lot of reasons to think the now sophomore will have a nice year for Virginia Tech. As the nickname would suggest, Zavatsky is great from the top position. More than that, he has multiple attacks from neutral. His speed and ability to get to legs quickly are very impressive. He's also a tough takedown when you get to his legs.

Zack Zavatsky downs Miklus at Cliff Keen Las Vegas:

Brooks has found himself in this 7-12 range the last two years, and I think that's about where he winds up this year. Is Brooks a guy who can jump up and beat a top 4-5 guy? Absolutely. He's been that for a few years now. However, I have my doubts about his ability to string it together for three straight days. Still, he's a maniac on his feet with his underhooks and pace. On top, he's a great turner with tilts. His motor and ability to get to a single will carry him by much of the field, but his upside is limited, perhaps only by himself.

For Boyd to go from fourth to eighth may be perceived as a slight, but it's about where he falls against this field. He can beat the best of the best: Gabe Dean. Boyd just tends to give up a few too many points for my liking. I love how often he attacks, and he's a great story. Boyd is completely unheralded and beats prized recruits Jordan Rogers and Kyle Crutchmer out of a spot initially and continues to develop and becomes a NCAA fourth-place finisher. I think he can get close to that, but ultimately I think he's right around that No. 8 range.

In another super-salty round of 12, Miklus is someone who has been able to get it done in back-to-back years. His wins aren't stunning, and he takes some losses, but he shows up in March. Abounader, like Miklus, has gotten it done before. While Abounader has beaten Zavatsky twice, I'm still on the fence if he can do it again. In another weight, sure. This weight takes no prisoners. I think the newcomers and young guys like Zavatsky push the Wolverine just off the podium.

Popular Right Now:

FRL 153: How Does Penn State Do It?
Senior Big Board Updated!
NCAA Preview And Predictions 125-165
Top 5 Matches Of Agony In Ames
The Most Feared HS Wrestler Ever? Mocco Episode 1
Hammers Headed To Bill Farrell