Mason Rudolph - 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

After hitting up both of the Joshes in the first two week, it's time to move on to somebody with a different first name in Mason Rudolph. Rudolph has been incredibly proficient during his time at Oklahoma State, but the biggest questions around him involve how much credit the scheme deserves and how much his incredible receiving corps deserves. I took a look at his games against Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, and Pittsburgh.

The first thing to know is that his receiving corps really helped him out. It wasn't just that they made contested catches, it was that they got so open that it would be nearly impossible to not make a completion with these guys. Seriously, watch out for James Washington Jr. That dude has a lot of Steve Smith in his game. He's built like a spark plug and knows how to attack the ball out of the air. Rudolph did usually manage to hit his guys, but one thing I would have liked to see him improve on is leading his receivers on routes. Often times they had to slow down or even settle in a spot to make the catch instead of accelerating through to create yards after the catch.

Along those same lines, he underthrew a lot of his deep balls, and some of them were downright ugly.

This one is caused by poor footwork, and I think he did feel more pressure than was there on longer developing plays. This is why he could sometimes throw a great deep ball if he felt comfortable and stepped up to deliver while other times, his footwork and resulting pass would be a mess.

It's kind of tough to judge Rudolph since their offense is centered around underneath routes. Seriously, he makes Alex Smith look like Rex Grossman with the lack of risks he is willing to take. It's also an offense designed around pre-snap reads, so there wasn't a whole lot of reading the field when that first option wasn't open.

One thing I really like about Rudolph is that he keeps his eyes down field, even when he is feeling pressure.

He knows he's not going to impress anybody with his mobility, so he looks to avoid the rush, but then gets his eyes up to see if there is any way for him to throw the ball. He gets just enough space to throw the ball to a wide open receiver in the end zone.

Unfortunately, he also makes a lot of bad decisions in the red zone.

When the field shrinks, Rudolph gets way too much confidence in his arm, and his receivers do not have the room to get wide open with less real estate to work with. The ball above is totally inexcusable as there is literally no way for him to complete that pass as they have two defenders on the receiver, yet Rudolph feels pressure and throws the ball anyway.

Conclusion
As you can probably tell, I wasn't overly impressed with Rudolph. I feel like the above evidence is a more negative picture than actually should be there, but it's pretty boring to just remark about different traits and calling them fine. He showed flashes of good pocket awareness, but he doesn't read the field well, and I think he's going to have to work on his anticipation as the windows get a whole lot tighter in the NFL. In a perfect world, he could turn into Nick Foles. But we're not dealing in a perfect world, and I really don't see anything more than a backup at the next level.

2018 Scouting Reports
Josh Rosen - Quarterback - UCLA
Josh Allen - Quarterback - Wyoming

Watch Iowa vs. Oklahoma State Wrestling on Sunday

On Sunday, January 14 at 4:00 PM EST, plant your ass on the couch, turn on your TV, flip to BTN, and watch the greatest sporting event of the weekend. The two most-storied programs in college wrestling will square off as Oklahoma State comes to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Although it is unlikely that either team ends up on top of the podium at the end of the NCAA Tournament, they both have top-5 talent on their rosters. It's lining up to be a very close dual, so let's break it down to see how the good guys can beat the Cowboys this weekend.

125 - Spencer Lee vs. Nick Piccininni

This is the best match of the meet. Spencer Lee is the most exciting wrestler Iowa has had since Brent Metcalf, and he's the first true freshman to start for Iowa under Tom Brands (technically, there were two others but both took a year off between high school and starting their college careers). He convinced Iowa to pull his redshirt a couple weeks ago when he tech falled a top-10 wrestler at 125. Spencer Lee has ridiculous offense, and he is immediately a national title contender.

Piccininni is already disliked by the Hawkeyes as he got into a bit of a skirmish with last year's starter, Thomas Gilman, who then challenged him to a street fight. Piccininni is currently ranked third in the nation, and Spencer Lee is currently ranked 11th since he just took over the starting spot. Even though Piccininni has the advantage in ranking (sixth), that's going to change after this week. The guy repeatedly got handled by Gilman last year, and his luck isn't going to change with Spencer Lee in the lineup. It'd be crazy to pick anything more than a decision, but considering that Lee is going to have a packed Carver Hawkeye Arena cheering him on, I'll be a little crazy and predict a major decision for Lee.

Iowa 4-0

133 - Paul Glynn vs. Kaid Brock

Iowa may need those bonus points, because the next two matches are very unlikely to go in their favor. Paul Glynn is unranked and still battling for the starting job with Phil Laux, but I don't think it matters a ton against Kaid Brock. Brock is currently ranked fifth, but that's about as low as I could see him finishing at the NCAA Tournament; he's pretty dang good. This isn't going to be fun for Iowa, but I'll have a little faith and hope that Glynn can hold him to major decision.

Tied 4-4

141 - Carter Happel vs. Dean Heil

It's the same story at 141. Happel has seemed to take over the 141 spot from Vince Turk, but he's not a big time talent. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State has two-time defending National Champion, Dean Heil, on their side. Heil has already lost twice this year, but they were both in super close matches to top notch guys. He's not losing here, but Heil usually doesn't pour the points on, so he'll likely be held to a decision.

Oklahoma State 7-4

149 - Brandon Sorensen vs. Boo Lewallen

Sorensen is the clear number two at the 149 weight class, but he kind of resembles Dean Heil in that he does not get bonus points as often as you would expect from a guy of his caliber. Boo Lewallen is still battling teammate Geo Martinez for the starting spot, but he did beat him a few weeks ago when they squared off so he is the likely starter. He's currently the 13th best guy at the weight which isn't good enough to get an upset, but he should keep it close. Sorensen by decision.

Tied 7-7

157 - Michael Kemerer vs. Jonce Blaylock

The same thing that was said about Sorensen can be said about Kemerer, except the part about not scoring a ton of points, as Kemerer has been tearing through his competition this year. He's only had two matches that weren't either a pin or technical fall, and I expect him to do the same in this match as Blaylock is nothing special. I think Kemerer wins and wins big. KemDawg by fall.

Iowa 13-7

165 - Alex Marinelli vs. Chandler Rogers

This is probably the second best match in the dual. Chandler Rogers is ranked 7th while Marinelli is at 11th. But Marinelli is undefeated and seems to have improved from last year. He won the Midlands and now has two wins over Richie Lewis who is a borderline top-10 wrestler. Those rankings don't do either guy enough justice as 165 is absolutely stacked this year. This is a match that Marinelli needs to prove himself, and if he puts a high pace on, I think he can edge Rogers out with a decision.

Iowa 16-7

174 - Joey Gunther vs. Jacobe Smith

Joey Gunther is a guy who slightly outside of the top-20, and Jacobe Smith is ranked 12th. Neither guy is a world beater, but Smith is definitely the favorite. It won't be a beatdown, but it also won't be a win for Iowa. Smith by decision.

Iowa 16-10

184 - Mitch Bowman vs. Keegan Moore

This is probably the least exciting matchup of the dual. Moore just cracked the rankings at #19, so I give him the advantage by decision.

HOWEVER, there are rumblings that Pat Downey might be making his Hawkeye debut this weekend. If that's the case, change this to a major decision for the good guys, but I'll believe it when I see it, so we'll plan for Bowman for now. 

Iowa 16-13

197 - Cash Wilcke vs. Preston Weigel

Cash Wilcke has gotten in the habit of exceeding my expectations. He literally came from out of nowhere, as he was a last minute injury replacement, to make the Round of 12 at the NCAA Tournament. Then he has gone out and beaten everyone he has faced. He's had a lot of close matches, but the guy keeps finding ways to win. He's now ranked fifth in the nation but faces his toughest test in Preston Weigel who is currently ranked third in the nation. I'm going to continue to underestimate Wilcke and pick Weigel to take this one by decision. Hopefully I'm proven wrong again.

Tied 16-16

Heavyweight - Sam Stoll vs. Derek White

A healthy Sam Stoll is not somebody you want to have to go up against if you are a heavyweight not named Kyle Snyder. Stoll has been taking care of business with plenty of pins, and he finally got his first marquee victory when he beat #4 ranked wrestler, Tanner Hall in the Midlands Finals. Derek White is currently ranked 11th, but Sam Stoll going to put a beating on him. He probably won't get big points, but he won't need them as Stoll hasn't given up a takedown yet this year. Stoll gets the win for himself and for the team, as Iowa takes the dual.

Iowa 19-16

As you can see, I have Iowa coming out on top, but I have each team winning five matches. If bonus points go the wrong way, Oklahoma State could definitely steal this one. There are probably five matches where it wouldn't be shocking to see the result go the other way, but Iowa also has the Pat Downey factor, as if he wrestles, I think Iowa wins comfortably. Either way, ignore whatever crummy football game is on, and tune to BTN, because this is going to have twice the action with none of the CTE. I can't wait.

Breaking Down the #1 Seeds in the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Tournament

As an Iowan, it is genetically ingrained in me to love wrestling. I can't help it, and my love of the sport seems to grow with each passing year. Even though my beloved Hawkeyes are on a drought (not winning a National Title since 2010), I am still awed by the sport, as I think it is one of the most action packed events you can watch.

This NCAA season has already been pretty surprising. Kyle Snyder took an Olympic Redshirt, then changed his mind and came back, but instead of wrestling 197, he's wrestling 285 (although his weight will be nowhere near that). Gabe Dean got beat by a guy who wasn't even a starter to begin the season, and Isaiah Martinez, who I thought had a chance to never lose a college match, lost to a Freshman this year. These are just some of the crazy things that have happened in the last few weeks. Wrestling is awesome.

Anyway, I was going through the rankings at each weight class, and it got me thinking how crazy this NCAA Tournament could be. Usually, there are a few guys who you know are going to win National Titles, but this year, it is different, as there isn't a single #1 seed that I would feel confident betting on this year. So I though it'd be fun to look at the #1 ranked guys and see who has the best and worst chance of winning a title this year.

1. 165 - Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State
As much as it pains me to say this about an Oklahoma State wrestler, if I had to bet on anybody, it would be Dieringer. There is a reason he is looking for his third straight National Title, and it's because he is an absolute beast. 165 is shallow outside of that top 3, so I really don't see anybody tripping up Dieringer before the finals. His biggest competition are the Jordan cousins, Isaac from Wisconsin and Bo from Ohio State, and although both are tough wrestlers, Dieringer's offense gives him a significant advantage when he squares off against them.

2. 149 - Zain Retherford, Penn State
You know how I said it hurt to put Dieringer as having the best chance? Yeah, this might hurt more, because Retherford is currently ranked #1, and Brandon Sorensen from Iowa is ranked #2. Both guys are undefeated, and that should give me confidence in Sorensen's chances, but man, the Zain Train has just been unstoppable. After the top two, the defending National Champion, Jason Tsirtsis from Northwestern, is back, but hasn't quite looked right throughout this season. He is without a doubt a threat, as he's just incredibly good in all positions when he's wrestling at his best. This is going to take a monumental effort to knock off Retherford, which is very unfortunate.

3. HWT - Nick Gwiazdowski, North Carolina State
I nearly put Gwiazdowski in the top spot, but heavyweights are tough to predict as they are so inclined to wrestle close matches. Gwiazdowski has been an absolute hammer for NC State, as he hasn't just won, he's been putting up big points all year long. Still, he's had some close matches, and there is some good competition at this weight. Kyle Snyder's the guy that everybody talks about, and obviously winning a World Freestyle Title deserves a whole lot of respect, but I have doubts he'll make it to the Finals. He didn't win a title at 197 last year, so wrestling at 285 isn't going to make things any easier. I think Adam Coon has the highest potential of anybody outside of Gwiazdowski, but I still think GWizz has a damn good shot of getting through the field unscathed.

4. 184 - Gabe Dean, Cornell
Dean probably would have been on top of this list had I made it a couple weeks ago, but his recent loss to Nolan Boyd has to drop him a little. Still, he's pretty high for not being undefeated, but that shows you how good Dean has been when it matters in March. He wasn't able to overcome Ed Ruth, but he plowed through the field last year. He has close matches, but he always finds a way to come through. There is a ton of depth at this weight class (too many to name), so it won't be easy, but it's tough for me to reasonably pick against Dean without a single monumental talent to take him out.

5. 197 - Morgan McIntosh, Penn State
McIntosh has done everything he can to cement himself as the top guy at 197 this year. Still, there is J'Den Cox sitting there, who won the National Title two years ago. They're both incredibly good, and I definitely favor McIntosh, but not by a whole lot. As a Hawkeye homer, I will note that Nathan Burak wrestles everybody tough and his only loss is controversial as he came very close to a takedown (I thought he had it) in the closing seconds of his match against Brett Pfarr. McIntosh is the best but being the best over and over again isn't easy, so it's far from a guarantee that he'll pull it off.

6. 133 - Nahshon Garrett, Cornell
This may have been the hardest guy to place in these rankings. Garrett moved up from 125 this year, and he has dominated everyone he has faced. However, he hasn't faced a ton of the top guys at this weight class, and considering he never won the title at 125, Also, the defending national champion, Cody Brewer, is back this year. Garrett got the better of him when they faced off earlier in the season, but Brewer was one of the most dominant forces in the NCAA Tournament last year, so I'm not ready to count him out by any means. This doesn't even include Zane Richards and Cory Clark who are both incredibly tough and could definitely reach the finals. Garrett is great, but it's tough to have a lot of confidence in him with how strong the top of this weight class is.

7. 157 - Jason Nolf, Penn State
Nolf has been ridiculously good this season. He's not only undefeated, but he's also putting up bonus points like it ain't no thang, when it most certainly is a thang. No offense to Ian Miller, but the only real question on whether Nolf can win this National Title is getting through Isaiah Martinez from Illinois. I honestly thought that Martinez was the best wrestler at any weight class coming into this season, so my jaw dropped when I saw that he not only lost but got pinned by Nolf when they met earlier this season. Martinez looked off in that match in that he got down early, panicked, and possibly even gassed out trying to come back in a single move. The Big Ten Tournament is going to answer a ton of questions at nearly every weight class, but never is that more true than here. If Nolf wins again, he shoots up to the top of this list, but if he loses, it's likely him and I-Mar will have a rubber match in the finals of the NCAAs.\

8. 174 - Bo Nickal, Penn State
Penn State's other super freshman, although I don't see Nickal on the same level as Jason Nolf. Nickal has been crafty and has only suffered one loss in a weak division. Still, he's not physically overwhelming, and there are those chances of him slipping up well before reaching the finals. As to who is going to beat him, on that, I really don't have much of a clue. There's a lot of guys that could rise up, but Nickal is still probably the favorite, just because nobody else has been all that impressive either. This is probably the most wide open weight class in the nation, but Nickal deserves to be the favorite.

9. 125 - Nathan Tomasello, Ohio State
Not much faith in Tomasello repeating as a National Champion, and he has really given no reason for me to doubt him, but Thomas Gilman of Iowa has been wrestling ridiculously well the entire season, and I see that matchup as a coin toss. Maybe that's me being a homer, but Tomasello isn't untouchable, and 125 is incredibly deep. Outside of him and Gilman, Joey Dance and Nico Megaludis are both legitimate threats, and Tomasello is going to have to be his peak abilities to overcome everyone in this weight class.

10. 141 - Dean Heil, Oklahoma State
This was a tough one, as this is what I believe to be the weakest weight class in the nation, and because of that, they have the weakest #1 ranked guy in Heil from Oklahoma State. Now, I still must say that Heil is definitely a tough wrestler; it's just that I'm never overwhelmed by his performances. I just don't think there is much that separates 1-10 at this weight class, and there are plenty of opportunities to slip up before finding himself on top of the podium. Kevin Jack and Joey McKenna are the best alternatives at this weight, but this is the weight class where I could see somebody coming from out of nowhere to make a run at the title.

The elephant in the room is the team race. Currently, Penn State has four top-ranked guys and are the clear favorites for the team title. But the beauty of March Matness is the unpredictability. This year should have no shortage of that. It makes me happy to be a wrestling fan, because otherwise, there is like NOTHING going on in college sports in the month of March.

Grapple on the Gridiron Was Awesome

I flew up from Florida this past weekend to attend the Iowa vs. Oklahoma State wrestling meet at Kinnick Stadium. Being at the football stadium, it was dubbed Grapple on the Gridiron. It was totally awesome, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Having an outdoor wrestling meet during the middle of November in Iowa is a risky proposition, but things turned out shockingly well for everyone. The weather was between 50 and 60 degrees with nothing but sunshine as there was not a cloud in the sky. Since there was also a football game featuring the #5 team in the nation taking on one of their most hated rivals, parking could have been a severe issue, but they opened up lots a little ways away from the stadium and set up a shuttle service to get fans to the meet. I was concerned it'd be a total mess, so we got there early, but things really couldn't have run smoother.

But logistics are boring. Wrestling is anything but. Still, this is not a sport with a lot of glitz and glamour. I didn't expect much showmanship in introductions, but I was pleasantly surprised. Before the wrestling began, Metallica blared from the speakers and Thomas Gilman, Iowa's 125 pound wrestler (who could kick all of our asses), came sprinting out as fire shot out of pyrotechnics like he was The Demon Kane. I was so jacked up I could have roundhoused kicked a kitten. Then the rest of the team came strolling out casually as fire shot up around them, so it had more of a corporate Kane feel to it.

But the reason wrestling is so great is that it is a one-on-one battle of wills that is truly compelling to watch. People who understand the basics of scoring in wrestling and can follow along usually become passionate about following the sport, and although it translates well to television, it is one of the most fun sports to attend live in person. The action is fast-paced, and honestly, some of the most fun moments of being in the crowd were when they were actually between action, but we'll get to that later. One of the great things about wrestling is you get to utilize the oo sound in yelling, which is the best thing to yell. I mean the Cowboys had Moose, the Packers have Kuhn, but every single wrestling meet has TWO, which is incredibly fun to yell when there is a takedown.

And luckily, Iowa had plenty of takedowns. And you bring in over 42,000 people in to a wrestling meet and give a good amount of them some alcohol in their system from tailgating, you're going to have a raucous crowd. As I said earlier, the best moments were probably in between the action. A few of the Oklahoma State wrestlers were absolutely gassed in their matches, as they had no energy and were doing everything they could to just hold on. The most hilarious moment was in the first match was when Oklahoma State's Eddie Klimara was slow to get back to the center of the mat, and Thomas Gilman gave him a shove to the back to help him get there as soon as possible. The Oklahoma State were (rightly) irate, and the Iowa crowd absolutely loved it, because Iowa is BY FAR the dirtiest team in the nation. I 100% understand why other schools hate Iowa, but they're my team, and I love them for their, uh, questionable tactics.

But the best part was definitely watching Oklahoma State wrestlers be slow to get back to the center and try to use every trick they could to stall to help them regain some energy when they were exhausted. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was frustrating to watch as an Iowa fan. But as the Iowa fans erupted in boos anytime an Oklahoma State wrestler was slow to get back to the center of the mat, it dawned on me how amazing it is that college sports allow nearly 50,000 people to tell a 20-year-old college student what a piece of shit he is for being tired. God Bless America.

Overall, it was an awesome experience. I was able to take my Dad to his first wrestling meet, and we had a great time, and I'll definitely be looking to do it again next year (and yeah, considering how huge of a success it was, I can't imagine them not trying to do it again next year). As for the results, the meet itself was back-and-forth, but there were a lot of high scoring matches, and the #4 Iowa Hawkeyes edged out the #1 Oklahoma State Cowboys by a score of 18-16. After that, I thought it was really cool that the University of Iowa let the football team use the wrestling stadium for their game against Minnesota. Iowa won that too, and the world is a better place for it.

Go Hawks!

2014 NCAA Wrestling Tournament Predictions

Last week, I gave my thoughts on what the brackets meant for Iowa, but I figured that I should probably give my actual predictions for what is going to happen in each weight class. I'm not going to pick out each All-American spot, but I do want to look at who I have making the finals and winning as well as where the Iowa wrestler at each weight will end up. I will admit that I am overly optimistic about Iowa, but I also don't think I'm insane in any of these predictions. Still, I definitely lean towards the positive when it comes to Iowa. (Note: I try to predict who Iowa will face in later rounds, but I am almost always going by seed. There are going to be a ton of upsets this weekend, but trying to predict them is almost impossible).

125 - Iowa
I really like Cory Clark, but I don't love his draw. I think he's capable of beating anybody but having to go up against Jesse Delgado in the quarterfinals will prove too tough of a road for him. In the wrestlebacks, I think he can do some damage as he has enormous talent. I think he can get through anybody until he goes up against Nahshon Garrett. That puts him in the 5th place match where I see him getting revenge over Wisconsin's Bradley Taylor.

125 - Final
It's going to come down to another match between Jesse Delgado of Illinois and Nico Megaludis of Penn State. Megaludis is tough everywhere, but Delgado is just a ridiculous talent, and I think he knows what it takes to peak at the NCAA Tournament. This is going to be a close match; it will probably be seen as a boring match by many, but I think Delgado does enough to win a second National Title.

National Champion - Jesse Delgado - Illinois

133 - Iowa
I'm not betting against Ramos. There is a reason he was heavily favored to win the title before the season began. Logan Stieber was the only guy that was able to beat him last year, and even though this year has not gone as well as many had hoped. I expect to see Tony dominating early before taking an impressive decision in the quarterfinals to set up his rematch with AJ Schopp. He lost 3-2 when he just didn't get to his offense, but I think he learns from that mistake and shows why he was the favorite going into the season.

133 - Final
I tried to come up with a way that Joe Colon did not make the finals, but I couldn't reasonably do it. I think Graff gets to the semis, but Colon has handled him both times, so I expect him to win again. That means that Ramos gets a chance to avenge his only other loss in the finals. I think he does it, but that may be because I don't want to live in a world where Tony Ramos does not win a National Title. Last time, Colon got an early takedown, and then he caught Ramos going in for a shot perfectly, put him to his back and pinned him. I don't see Ramos getting down early, and I think in a close match that I really like what Tony does both from the top and the bottom positions.

National Champion - Tony Ramos - Iowa

141 - Iowa
To prove I am not a total Iowa homer, I do have Dziewa losing his first round match with Dutton. Dutton expanded the margin between these two after their first meeting with a dominant win at the Big Tens. Still, I really like how things set up for him in the consolation matches. He will likely be taking on Nick Flannery from Buffalo in his first consolation match, and as he was only able to accumulate a 22-16 record, this seems like a win for Dziewa. After that, it is likely 14 seed, Edgar Bright from Pittsburgh, and although I expect it to be close, I do think Dziewa can win that one as well. Then he is projected to take on Joey Lazor, the 11 seed in the next round, and I really feel as if Lazor is overrated. Outside of catching Mecate in his final match, he doesn't really have any quality wins. I'm taking Dziewa again before falling to Luke Vaith of Hofstra and falling short of All-American status.

141 - Final
Mitchell Port is the 1 seed, and his biggest competition is Devin Carter who is technically undefeated but lost to Ramos (who was wrestling up a weight class) in a preseason match. I think Port makes it to the finals, where he will face Logan Steiber who is going to steamroll everybody. Steiber showed everyone that his loss to Retherford was more due to not having any experience against him than Retherford being the better wrestler. Retherford has a tough road, including a surprisingly tough first round match. I still see him making it to the semis, but Stieber beasts him there, and then goes onto beast Mitchell Port. Don't bet agianst Steiber; he's going to win the National Title.

National Champion - Logan Stieber - Ohio State

149 - Iowa
Brody Grothus got the 13 seed and is a total enigma to me. He has faced a lot of tough competition, and outside of the Big Ten Tournament, he has taken care of business against most lesser foes. That means that I have him winning his first round match before getting beat (and likely beaten badly) by Kendric Maple. I have him taking his first wrestleback match, and then has a likely matchup with Dyllan Cotrell from Appalachian State. Cotrell only has one loss, but he has only faced one legitimate wrestler and got majored by Jason Tsirtsis. I'll say Grothus's luck finally runs out against Nick Dardanes who gets upset in the quarterfinals. Still, 3-2 would be a solid showing for Grothus.

149 - Final
149 has been insane for most of the year, but I do think that things have settled. Still, I don't see a 1-2 matchup. I think 1 seed, Drake Houdashelt, will make his way through a tough top-side of the bracket. It might be Maple or Tsirtsis in the semis, but I still see Drake getting by him. On the bottom side of the bracket, I have 6 seed, Jake Sueflohn, making it through. His only losses are to Drake, Maple, and Tsirtsis, so the draw really worked out well for him. Although the draw works out well, I still see Houdashelt claiming the national title for Missouri.

National Champion - Drake Houdashelt - Missouri

157 - Iowa
Derek St. John got the number two seed, and a pretty favorable draw. He has a surprisingly tough first round match in Joey Napoli, but after that, he should cruise to the semifinals where has a likely match with Alex Dieringer. DSJ is never pretty, but he usually finds a way to do enough to win, especially at the NCAAs. I don't see that changing this year.

157 - Final
The top half of this bracket has a ton of talent with Ness, Pena, and Jordan, and Green. I keep going back and forth on things as I could really see any of those guys emerging and making it to the final. Still, Green has had some close matches, but he has still proven that he is number one at this weight class, so I do see him making the finals. He has dominated DSJ twice this year, and when watching those matches, it is tough to see how DSJ can beat him. Still, I really want to pick DSJ...but I can't. Green wins his first National Title.

National Champion - James Green - Nebraska

165 - Iowa
Nick Moore got the 5 seed, but I do like his path to make it to the semifinals. I think he gets revenge on Steven Monk in the quarterfinals, but yeah, he's not going to compete with the Magicman. It is kind of a bummer, as I really believe he could prove himself as the second best guy in the country behind Taylor. Still, I think he dominates the Wrestlebacks to take third place which would be a great finish for him.

165 - Final
Honestly, outside of Taylor, 165 is kind of a weak weight. There aren't guys that inspire much confidence in me picking them. Because of that, I'll go chalk and put Caldwell in the finals. He was able to stall so much that he held Taylor to a regular decision earlier this year, but I think Taylor gets his revenge and majors him in the finals, putting a nice little bow on what has been a very impressive collegiate wrestling career.

National Champion - David Taylor - Penn State

174 - Iowa
Mike Evans got the 4 seed after a good Big Ten Tournament. I think Evans is strong enough to cruise into the quarterfinals where he will face Matt Brown. These two have gone back and forth, and unfortunately, I see Brown getting the victory. It will be a close match, and one takedown will probably win it. After that, I see him tearing through the Wrestlebacks. Unfortunately, in the semifinals, he will go up against Robert Kokesh, where he will lose. He will still recover to win his 5th place match for a very nice tournament.

174 - Final
I'm going chalk for this weight class. Perry from Oklahoma State taking on Howe from Oklahoma. Perry upset him at the Big 12 Tournament (which is now just 4 teams), but Howe came very close many times to getting points. I don't think Howe loses again. He's freakishly strong and totally solid in technique. Also, he's a 9th year senior (estimate), so he can go out and celebrate by renting a car. Good for him.

National Champion - Andrew Howe - Oklahoma

184 - Iowa
As I stated in my earlier piece, Lofthouse got a great draw, and I'm going to keep this one short and predict a spot in the finals for him. Bring it, Thomusseit. Bring it, Sheptock. You're all going down.

184 - Final
As for winning the final, that ain't happening. Ed Ruth is a monster. Ed Ruth will avenge his loss to Gabe Dean, cruise to the finals, and win yet another national championship while racking up a ridiculous amount of bonus points for Penn State. Ed Ruth is amazing, and as a Hawkeye, I'm happy to see him graduate.

National Champion - Ed Ruth - Penn State

197 - Iowa
I have Burak winning his first round match before losing in the second round to Richard Perry from Bloomsburg. After that, I see him winning his first wrestleback, but then losing to Chris Penny from Virginia Tech. Burak could outperform these expectations, but he just hasn't shown enough offense to inspire much confidence in him.

197 - Final
I think Nick Heflin holds seed and makes it to the finals where he runs into J'Den Cox from Missouri. Both guys have been on a roll as of late, but I see Cox doing enough to give Missouri a second national champion.

National Champion - J'Den Cox - Missouri

HWT - Iowa
While I think Bobby could beat anybody on the bottom half of the bracket, the top is a much tougher draw for him. I think he will do enough to beat the guys he is supposed to, but he is already lost twice to Adam Coon this season, and I see Coon getting the better of him a third time. Still, I have him coming back from that to win his first two matches against Jeremy Johnson and getting another win over JT Felix before a tough match against Nick Gwiazdowski from NC State. I think Telford can get past him to make it into the third place match. At that point, he gets yet another match against Coon, but this time I see Telford figuring it out and getting the win for third place.

HWT - Final
Heavyweight has been a rollercoaster this year, but somehow, Tony Nelson ended up as the top seed despite four losses. I have him beating Coon in the semifinals to advance. On the bottom of the bracket, I'm taking Mike McMullan from Northwestern overcoming some odds as the 6 seed. Still, Tony Nelson has won teh last two national titles for a reason. He's really good, and he wrestles great at the tournament. I don't see that changing this year, and Nelson wins his third straight title.

National Champion - Tony Nelson - Minnesota

Overall
So, as an Iowa fan, this is a very optimistic view of what could happen. Any of these things could happen, but the chances of Iowa having 7 All-Americans is just a tad unlikely. Penn State is almost certainly getting two national champions, and they have a strong chance in at least three other weights. I think Minnesota is overvalued in their seeds, and I think they could run into some very tough early matchups. Oklahoma State just isn't strong enough to compete with those top three teams, and in the end, I see it coming down to Iowa and Penn State. If I'm right on everything, Iowa wins, but I honestly don't think my prognostication skills have been perfected yet. It pains me to say it, but I still see Penn State showing that they are the best team in the nation and winning yet another National Championship.

National Champions - Penn State

The Falsities of College Football

Today, I perform a public service announcement. I am going to let you know about all the lies that are being spread by the national pundits. I figured I would at least give one note on every BCS Conference, although some things will be handled in more depth than others. So sit back, read on, and learn a few things about college football; it'll help you impress the ladies.


Marcus Coker Turned His Season Around During the Northwestern Game
No, he did it during the Penn State game. It's just that Penn State's defense is really good, and people like to judge running backs by their stats. But if you saw him run during that game, you saw the Coker that has been so obviously there during Iowa's last two games. He ran hard and was always falling forward. That is what the Hawkeyes need from Coker, and it all started against Penn State, not Northwestern.

The Big East Isn't a Giant Mess of Hot Garbage.
No, it is. Seriously, if the Conference USA and Mountain West can form a super conference, then the Big East should join with the MAC to create one giant mess of hot garbage. I don't understand how this is a BCS Conference.

Kirk Cousins is Such a Great Quarterback
False. This is so very untrue it is painful anytime I hear it. Does Kirk Cousins give nice speeches? Yes. Does he have crystal blue eyes? Yes, he definitely does. I cannot take either of these things away from him. Unfortunately, neither of these things matter when it comes to judging quarterbacks. He has looked awful this entire season. He makes bad decisions, he has bad ball placement, and overall, I do not trust him in any facet of the game. Was he 22/31 for 290 yards and 3 TDs against Wisconsin? Yes, and Wisconsin's defense is not good in any way. I was listening to the Solid Verbal podcast, and they made an excellent point about the final drive for Michigan State against Wisconsin. Kirk Cousins didn't look like a savvy leader rallying his troops; he looked terrified. Kirk Cousins did not win that game, special teams won that game.

Oklahoma State is the Team to Beat in the Big 12
Sorry OSU, but it's still Oklahoma. I know they have already lost a game in a pathetic effort against Texas Tech. But they are still the best team in the conference. They lost for one simple reason: No Tom Wort. Now most people don't see Wort as their best linebacker, and honestly, he's not, but he is their most ULTIMATE linebacker.

The Ultimate Warrior and him have a love affair going on, and with the power of the Ultimate Warrior behind the Sooners, they are basically an unstoppable force.

LSU Will Beat Alabama - Alabama Will Beat LSU
Anybody who is saying this definitively is out of their mind. Obviously one of these groups will be right, but that doesn't mean they know what they are talking about. It means they made the right guess. It is going to be a very good game, so don't act like you know what's going to happen. Just sit back and enjoy some good football.

Suck For Luck 
This has more to do with professional teams, but it does involve a college player in Andrew Luck, so I figured it would fit. No NFL team is sucking for Luck. I was on the Luck bandwagon after his Freshman year, because he's really, really good, but it doesn't take a genius to realize that. He is BY FAR the best quarterback prospect to come out of college in the last decade.

What people don't understand is that this doesn't mean he is going to come into the league and be a top-five quarterback. In fact, I will be very surprised if he does anywhere near as well as Cam Newton has done so far. Does that make Cam Newton a better QB? No, not in my opinion. Cam Newton has a unique skillset, and that will take NFL Defenses time to adjust to it, and because of that, I think Newton will struggle more as this season goes on.

Um, yeah, what was I talking about again? Oh yeah, sucking for Luck. It makes no sense for a player to not try so they can get the first pick in the draft, because they might get replaced if they don't perform. It makes no sense for coaches to lose on purpose, because they will lose their job. Nobody is sucking for Luck.

And next year, nobody will be Losing More For Lattimore (And if I hear that expression next year, I will probably start cutting myself).

-Joe

P.S. Let's see how Jose Canseco is doing:
@JoseCanseco
Maybe I was the babe Ruth of the 80's
Just as I suspected, he's still doing great.

West Coast Rap's Love of Iowa Wrestling

Yesterday, I learned of the tragic passing of iconic rapper, Nate Dogg.  As someone who is known to regulate anybody who gets out of line, this was very tough to hear.  I needed a way to honor the West Coast Rap Scene.  Since "Regulate" is a flawless song already, I decided to turn to a different West Coast Rapper.  With today marking the start of the NCAA Wrestling Tournament, I have slightly altered (and also made it PG-13 since every rapper knows to play to their audience) Tupac's legendary rant at the end of "Hit 'Em Up" to show Mr. Shakur's love of Iowa Wrestling.  Oh, you didn't know that rappers loved Iowa Wrestling?  Well, I think this photo is indisputable evidence that they did.

Now you tell me who won
I see them, they run (ha ha)
They don't wanna see us
Whole Penn State wrestling click
Dressing up trying to be us
How the hell they gonna be Hawkeyes?
When we always on our job
We national champions
Pinning ain't fair
But somebody got to do it

Oh yeah, Arizona State (uh)
You wanna mess with us
You little young ass redshirt freshmen
Ain't one of you wrestlas missing a leg or something

You're wrestling with me, Cornell?
You wrestle around and catch a seizure or a heart-attack
You better back out of bounds
Before you get taken out of bounds

This is how we do it on our side
Any of you wrestlers from Oklahoma State that want to bring it,
Bring it.
But we ain't singing,
We bringing drama
Pin you and your mother loving mama.
We're gonna kill all you passive wrestlers.

Now when I came out, I told you it was just about Penn State.
Then everybody had to open their poll with an overrated ranking
Well this is how we gonna' do this:
Beat Cornell,
Beat Oklahoma State,
Beat Penn State as wrestlers, a football team, and in women's basketball too.
And if you want to be down with Penn State,
We'll beat you too.
Iowa State, we'll beat you too.
All you wannabe wrestlers,
We'll beat you too.

All of y'all stupid cowards,
Screw you, die slow Nittany Lions.
My single-leg  make sure all your kids don't grow.
You Ivy Leaguers can't be us or see us.
We bonus pointin Hawkeye riders.
Midwest till' we die.
Out here in Iowa,
We warned ya'
We'll take down you weak ass wrestlers.
We do our job.
You think you the best, Cael, we the undisputed best
Ain't nothing but killers
And the real wrestlers, all you Hawkeye rejects feel us.
Our streak goes from triple to four quadruple
You wrestlas laugh 'cause our team got cups under they black and gold singlets
You know how it is and we drop records they felt
You wrestlas can't feel it
We the winners
Screw 'em.
We wrestlin' pinners.

************

So yeah, I'm definitely picking the Hawkeyes to win the national title. I'm sure the Hawks plan on racking up some bonus points for their dead homies.

-Joe

P.S. I understand my slight alterations do a great job of honoring both Tupac and Iowa Wrestling.  This recording of a song does not honor Buster Posey.