This weekend, the best wrestlers from the nation’s best wrestling conference will take to the mats as Wisconsin hosts the 2014 Big Ten Conference Championships.
The two-day event will take place Saturday and Sunday at the Kohl Center. In the latest InterMat College Rankings, the Big Ten boasted 10 schools in the Top 25 and a remarkable 27 individual wrestlers ranked within the Top 5 of their respective weight classes.
With intense competition ahead, The Daily Cardinal takes a team-by-team look at the tournament and spotlights the top wrestlers to watch.
Wisconsin (5-3 Big Ten, 12-6 overall)
No. 13 Wisconsin had an up-and-down regular season. The Badgers have a similar middle ground resume as Illinois and Ohio State, but defeated both of these schools at the outset of conference play. UW narrowly toppled the Fighting Illini in December in the Badgers’ home opener, 19-18, and at the next home match the Badgers defeated the Buckeyes 22-15. By defeating the two conference schools with the most comparable track records, Wisconsin has proven itself to be an above average team in the Big Ten.
Though Iowa, Minnesota and Northern Iowa were all uncompetitive losses, Wisconsin is certainly not a weak team. Ranked No. 13 in the nation, Wisconsin’s strong record is not bolstered with easy victories over feeble non-conference opponents. The Badgers have six wins against schools currently ranked in the Top 25, and defeated ranked non-conference foes North Dakota State and Virginia.
Wisconsin also handily won the Navy Classic Open in November. Though the Badgers will not capture the first Big Ten tournament title in school history this weekend, they are set to finish in the middle of the standings and could even finish as high as fourth. In a stacked field, finishing fourth would be a remarkable accomplishment.
Predicted to win the 2014 Big Ten Championship:
Penn State (7-1, 15-1)
Penn State forms a championship trio with Iowa and Minnesota. Though they lack the extensive wrestling histories of these two schools, the Nittany Lions are on a string of recent domination. They have won three consecutive conference titles and three consecutive national championships.
Penn State’s only setback this season was a narrow 18-17 loss at Minnesota, the only match the Nittany Lions found themselves in a down-to-the-wire situation.
Otherwise, they demolished all of their opponents by double digits. Until someone can knock them off, the Nittany Lions remain the premier Big Ten wrestling school and the conference tournament favorite.
Illinois (3-5, 10-9)
Illinois is the classic example of a decent team that always defeats inferior opponents but struggles against better competition. The No. 20 Fighting Illini are ranked eighth in the Big Ten. Their three conference wins came against Michigan State, Northwestern and Purdue, each of whom are below Illinois in the conference standings.
However, aside from getting annihilated by perennial power Penn State, the Fighting Illini were competitive in the rest of their matches. They nearly defeated Cornell, Wisconsin and Ohio State, three programs that are currently ranked in the Top 15. Expect Illinois to finish somewhere in the middle at the conference tournament.
Indiana (0-8, 9-9)
It has been a rough campaign for the Hoosiers this season. They went winless in conference play, and were often blown out by the Big Ten’s elite.
Indiana’s only two competitive conference matches came against fellow cellar dwellers Michigan State and Purdue. Interestingly enough, despite the miserable record, the Hoosiers remain nationally ranked at No. 18. Indiana will likely finish at or near the bottom this weekend.
Iowa (7-1, 15-2)
One of the most dominating wrestling programs in NCAA history with 23 national championships, Iowa has remained true to form this season. The Hawkeyes are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation and have not stacked their resumes with victories over cupcake teams either.
Though their two losses came to Penn State and Minnesota, Iowa emphatically defeated four current Top 15 schools in Nebraska, Northwestern, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin. Iowa also captured the overall title at the Midlands. The Hawkeyes are a true contender as they look to win their 33rd conference tournament championship.
Michigan (6-2, 11-4)
While the Wolverines seem to be just one step below the upper echelon of the conference, they have also proved they can defeat the nation’s best. Michigan is 5-2 against the current Top 25. Their most impressive win came in January when they defeated Minnesota. However, Michigan also suffered staggering February defeats at the hands of Iowa and Penn State. The Wolverines should finish near the top, and are a dark horse contender if they can move past their recent one-sided losses.
Michigan State (1-7, 8-10)
Like Indiana, the Spartans began the season on a solid note before hitting conference play. Michigan State’s crowning achievement this year was winning the Cradle Gear Invitational in December, in which they were one of 10 participating schools. Once the Big Ten schedule commenced, however, the Spartans quickly fell apart. Their seven conference losses were all lopsided routs, and their only victory came versus the lowly Hoosiers. Michigan State is a clear bottom feeder in the Big Ten. The best they can do this weekend is not finish last.
Minnesota (7-1, 14-1)
Minnesota is one of the nation’s best, currently ranked No. 3 overall. Its slew of impressive wins gives it one of the strongest resumes in the country. The Gophers pulled off hard-fought victories against Iowa and Penn State, winning 19-15 and 18-17, respectively. Minnesota has also defeated Cornell, Iowa State, North Dakota State, Northwestern and Wisconsin. The loss to Michigan is the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record, and the Gophers will look to capture their first conference tournament title since 2007, and 11th overall.
Nebraska (6-2, 12-2)
Despite a somewhat limited sample size, with only 14 matches, Nebraska has still proven itself to be a strong conference program. The Cornhuskers are ranked No. 10 in the country and could be even higher had it not been for a crushing Senior Night loss to Michigan, an outcome decided via tiebreaker. Nebraska’s only other loss was a 22-9 decision against Iowa in January. Otherwise, the Huskers have dominated their competition. Their most impressive win was a 28-12 victory on the road against Ohio State, and they also won the Reno Tournament of Champions in December. However, considering they did not wrestle Minnesota or Penn State, and their loss to Iowa, the Cornhuskers’ ability to break into true championship form is unknown. Expect the Huskers to finish around fourth or fifth.
Northwestern (1-7, 9-7)
Northwestern is another one of the lower-tier teams in the Big Ten. The Wildcats’ lone conference victory came against Indiana, and they were mostly noncompetitive in their seven losses.
Perhaps the shining moment for the Wildcats was finishing seventh at their own tournament that featured several Big Ten programs, the Midland Championships. The Wildcats wrestled the Badgers competitively in late January, one of the few conference matches in which they were not blown out. Northwestern should finish in the lower half this weekend.
Ohio State (4-4, 13-5)
Ohio State is perhaps the best example of a very good team whose weaknesses became exposed once conference play began. The Buckeyes, like Illinois, are clearly on middle ground in the Big Ten. When these two middling teams faced each other in January, the Buckeyes squeaked out an 18-16 win.
Ohio State struggled mightily against superior programs like Nebraska, Penn State and its top rival Michigan. Their overall record was boosted by victories over inferior teams, and their conference record is much more indicative of their ability. The Buckeyes will likely finish sixth or seventh.
Purdue (1-7, 6-8)
While Purdue is certainly a lowly team in the conference, the Boilermakers could have a stronger record. They dropped narrow decisions against Illinois and Ohio State, two schools that are certainly a level ahead of Purdue. The Boilermakers finished their regular season with a 21-12 loss to Northern Iowa, which was ranked No. 5 in the nation at the time. Among the four weakest Big Ten teams, Purdue is probably the best and should finish inside the top 10 at the conference tournament.
