When you’re the number one team in the nation and overwhelming favorite to win the National Championship, it’s pretty hard to consider yourselves underdogs. Iowa has the depth and top-notch firepower that should let them end their decade-drought of National Titles, but nothing is guaranteed. In fact, even a B1G title isn’t guaranteed as Penn State is right there, always lurking, and with enough high-end talent to terrify even the most confident Hawkeye fans. If everything holds for seeding, Iowa cruises to a B1G Championship, so let’s see where Iowa could be potentially upset at each weight.
125 - Spencer Lee vs. N/A
I’m sorry, but there is nobody who is touching him. He tech falled the number two seed in the first period. Unless he runs a marathon before each match, I doubt anybody is lasting seven minutes with him.
133 - Austin DeSanto vs. Ridge Lovett - Quarterfinals
I don’t think there is an easy match for DeSanto in this thing. The #14 seed, Jordan DeCatur shows flashes of being impressive, and I think he can get a takedown against anybody at this weight. The problem is that after two minutes, he seems to have completely lost any ability to get a takedown or defend one which isn’t an ideal skill-set against the human buzzsaw that is Austin DeSanto. So I guess I should mention Ridge Lovett as well who is very good on top which is DeSanto’s toughest spot. I really don’t think Lovett has the offense to win, but he is going to do everything he can to keep this match low scoring and then try to ride out DeSanto to put pressure on him. I don’t think his defense is good enough to stop the Hawkeye, but he is admittedly not a great matchup. But I still see DeSanto getting a major decision and then going into one of the most exciting matches of the tournament in a rematch against RBY from Penn State in the semis.
141 - Max Murin vs. Mitch McKee - Quarterfinals
I’m like the world’s biggest Mitch McKee fan. I don’t know how it happened, but I have seen that guy look like a million dollars on the mat. Murin got the better of him at the dual, but I think this is a toss-up. The top two guys at this weight seem to be on their on tier, but 3-6 is going to be fascinating to see how things shake out. It wouldn’t be too surprising if these two wrestled each other twice this weekend.
149 - Pat Lugo vs. Brayton Lee - Semifinals
I don’t have a ton of anxiety about this match. Lugo won a close match, but Lee didn’t really come close to scoring on Lugo, and Lugo got an early takedown and controlled the match from there. Lugo is always going to keep things close, but I think he can control this match again.
157 - Kaleb Young vs. Peyton Robb - Quarterfinals
Kaleb Young should be able to handle Peyton Robb, but Robb is dangerous. The guy wrestles tough, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him finish in the top four at this weight class. They wrestled a close match the first time, but I still think Young is going to come back strong after an upset loss against Oklahoma State.
165 - Alex Marinelli vs. Evan Wick - Semifinals
Can Marinelli get out from under Evan Wick? If he can, he wins. If he can’t, it gets much more interesting. I don’t think Wick has what it takes to get a takedown on Marinelli, but if he gets a ride out, it puts a ton of pressure on Marinelli to win multiple times on his feet. Marinelli has really improved, and I think he beats Wick again in this one to move onto the finals for another fireworks show against Vincenzo.
174 - Michael Kemerer vs. Mark Hall - Finals
Is Labriola slightly concerning for a semifinals match? Yeah, slightly, but I have a hard time seeing anybody but these two in the finals. A part of me is hoping Hall wins this one, because I think it would be very tough for Kemerer to win three times in a row against Hall. There’s a possibility that Kem has his number, but their first match had some insane scrambles, so I’m guessing that’s not the case. Either way, it’s must see TV.
184 - Abe Assad vs. Rocky Jordan - Quarterfinals
Assad basically controlled the Rocky Jordan match the first time around, but Jordan has been improving. Assad may also be improving, but we haven’t seen him for about a month, so it’s kind of tough to say. If Assad is healthy, he should be able to move into the semifinals, and considering how wide open 184 is, it’s not inconceivable to see him in contention for a B1G title.
197 - Jacob Warner vs. Shakur Rasheed - Quarterfinals
If Shakur Rasheed hops in a time machine and becomes 2018 Rasheed, I’m concerned. Barring that, I think Warner is cruising into the semifinals, and I would be pretty damn surprised if he didn’t end up in the finals as I see him avenging his loss to Eric Schultz.
Heavyweight - Tony Cassioppi vs. Trent Hillger - Consolation Finals
Sorry, Gas Tank Gary, but I just don’t see a threat to Cassioppi’s spot until he gets to the consolation side of the bracket. I still think Cassioppi could beat Mason Parris, despite getting pinned in their first match, but Gable Steveson is not going to lose in the semis. Cassioppi beat Hillger in a pretty big upset early on in this season, and with Hillger’s top game, I think this is going to be another close match where I hope Cassioppi can find a way to pull it out.
Iowa looks great this year. Almost too great, so I have to have some pessimism to stop me from getting overly excited about this team. But this week should bring home a B1G Championship, and in two weeks, the Hawkeyes finally get the big one.
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