Now that we have our sweet, sweet brackets for the NCAA Wrestling Championships, it's time to take a closer look at the weight classes. We're doing a deep dive into each division, rolling out previews one at a time, so you can pour over and digest everything before the first whistle in St. Louis on March 16.

We continue our run through the weight divisions now with a deep dive into 184.

Gabe Dean, devourer of planets, destroyer of galaxies, dispatcher of opponents with extreme prejudice. The Cornell senior is a three-time All-American, two-time NCAA champion, and enters the tournament as the undefeated No. 1 seed.

The 184 weight class has been my personal favorite all season long. Not only do both of last year's finalists return but also both of 2016's 174-pound finalists, Myles Martin and Bo Nickal, moved up a weight, adding to an already crowded field.

Despite a bracket overflowing with talent, Dean has firmly established himself as the man to beat. He hasn't lost in over a year, riding a 39-match winning streak into St. Louis.

We will check out Dean and any title contenders next, followed by dark horses and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses).

Title Contenders

(1) Gabe Dean, Cornell
(2) Bo Nickal, Penn State

For a ridiculously deep weight class, our list of contenders is pretty skimpy. No disrespect intended to any of the other 184-pounders, but in my opinion this is Dean's title to lose.

I made an exception for Bo Nickal because of his unique style and ability. No one throws a greater variety of attacks at a more furious pace than Bo. From low ankle picks to double overhook trips, Nickal doesn't let up until the clock runs down to zero. It's that high-risk, high-reward repertoire of moves and commitment to go for broke at any and all times that makes me believe Nickal might stand a chance of slaying a giant like Dean.

One could make an argument for including Ohio State's Myles Martin, who recently beat Nickal in the Big Ten tournament and was last year's 174 national champion. However, Iowa's Sammy Brooks also majored Martin in the finals of that same tournament. Several other quality wrestlers can make similar arguments, but ultimately I don't think they are at Dean's level or possess Nickal's X-factor.

Dark Horses

(13) Bryce Carr, Chattanooga
(14) Dakota Geer, Edinboro
(US) Nick Gravina, Rutgers

Chattanooga's 15th-ranked Bryce Carr is having a very impressive redshirt freshman year in a tough weight class. He won the Southern Conference Championship in a year when the conference earned three NCAA bids at 184.

Dakota Geer is another 184 freshman who has impressed this season. The 14th-ranked Geer just won the EWL, competing for the Edinboro Fighting Scots, and will be a handful for anyone he sees in the tournament.

Rutgers junior Nick Gravina apparently qualified for the NCAAs while wrestling in the Big Ten tournament with a dislocated his shoulder. If his body allows him, the 16th-ranked Scarlet Knight could terrorize the bracket with vicious shrugs and an indefatigable gas tank.

Upset Special

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for Ville Heino of Campbell. One of two Finnish brothers, (yes, that Finland, the land of Finns), Heino has quietly creeping up the rankings and sits at No. 17 in the Flo Top 20. North Carolina State's 11th-ranked Michael Macchiavello is not going to go down without a fight, but you can bet Campbell head coach Cary Kolat will have Heino prepared for the possible upset.

Spey's Spredictions

1. Gabe Dean, Cornell
2. Bo Nickal, Penn State
3. Sammy Brooks, Iowa
4. Jack Dechow, Old Dominion
5. Myles Martin, Ohio State
6. Zach Zavatsky, Virginia Tech
7. TJ Dudley, Nebraska
8. Nolan Boyd, Oklahoma State

As impressive as Gabe Dean is, I don't think he is going to saunter into the finals after a slew of first-period pins. I expect Jordan Ellingwood, Jack Dechow, and Zach Zavatsky to give him a decent go in the middle three rounds of the tournament. That said, Dean will lay waste to all who oppose him. He will crush his enemies, see them driven from the land, and hear the lamentation of the women.

Sitting at a perfect 30-0 on the year, Dean also leads all Division I wrestlers with 17 pins. Were I voting for the Hodge Trophy award, it would go to Dean (assuming he wins the NCAA, not quite fait accompli).

In the finals, I will be rooting for Bo Nickal to give Dean all he can handle and more. And while I expect Nickal to put forth his maximum effort, alas, he is no Reed Richards, and he is not beating Galactus.

Here is Gabe Dean doing his Galactus impression at the EIWA finals:
I've been high on Old Dominion senior Jack Dechow all year long, and I think he's finally found his groove. Dechow missed the podium the last two years after placing fourth his freshman season, losing a close one to Dean in the third-place bout. This year, I think Dechow will see Dean in the quarterfinals and be sent to the wrestlebacks, where he will find a way to string a few wins and a couple upsets together, before being stopped by the mullet-fueled power of Sammy Brooks in 2017's third-place bout.

A sophomore following up a national championship season with a fifth-place finish is not unprecedented. J'Den Cox did it not but two years ago, so I don't think it's too crazy to predict that Martin ends up at No. 5 this year. Although MyMar looked masterful in his Big Ten semifinal victory over Nickal, he's had a few setbacks this year as well, and I think he'll continue his trend of uneven performances at the NCAAs. This will result in Martin reversing the outcomes of his Big Ten tournament, beating Brooks in the NCAA quarters but then losing to Nickal in the semis.

Down in the consis, I think we'll see Dechow again get the better of Martin, just like he did in the quarterfinals of this year's Midlands tournament, 7-4. Martin will then regain his mojo in the fifth-place match, where he'll beat Virginia Tech sophomore Zach Zavatsky.

Zavatsky will make the semis, however, beating Oklahoma State senior Nolan Boyd in a mild upset based on both seeds (No. 5 over No. 4) and Flo Rankings (No. 9 over No. 6). I made this call based on Zavatsky narrowly holding the edge in elite wins. ZZ has beaten the No. 4-ranked Martin and No. 11-ranked Michael Macchiavello, whereas Boyd's best wins are No. 12 Drew Foster and No. 14 Dakota Geer.

Which means Boyd will see returning finalist, TJ Dudley, in the seventh-place match. I felt wrong writing those names into that part of my bracket, but that goes to show just how insane this weight class is this year. And while it seems bizarre to have those two "only" placing 7/8, I don't think it's too outlandish for Boyd to take a loss to Zavatsky in the quarters and to Dechow in the consis, nor for Dudley to lose to Nickal in the quarters and Brooks in the consis. For the seventh-place match itself, I'll go with Flo Rankings over seeds and say Dudley wins in a squeaker.

There Will Be Bloodround

Similar to my feelings about most of the placement matches besides the finals, I don't have a ton of confidence in my round-of-12 pick. With so many talented and accomplished athletes and so few spots, these bloodround predictions are a mug's game.

Nonetheless, in the round of 12 I think we'll see Jack Dechow beat Dakota Geer, Nolan Boyd beat Binghamton junior Steve Schneider, TJ Dudley beat Bryce Carr, and lastly, Sammy Brooks will beat Indiana senior Nate Jackson.

Think you can make better picks? There's a very good chance you can! Here's the 184 bracket. Let me know what you think, and enjoy the championship, wrestling fans!