ISU2008

First, the rule was to draw weights, then it was changed so they could pick a weight to start at, or draw. If it hasn't changed, I think they can start at whatever weight they want. Even so, I don't in any way see 149 as the last match.

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JensenS

J and Brands are pretty traditional guys, chances are the match probably starts at 125.

caveman.lawyer

I think this dual is really tough to call, but everything has to go right for the Gophers to win. I'm starting with the individual matches where I see a clear edge.

125--Ness by decision. Falck has looked great this year, but Ness hasn't gotten any worse either, and I think there is still a gap. MN +3
157--CP by decision. Morningstar seems to be emerging, but I think that CP is too good on his feet for him. MN +6
165--Perry by MD. Perry majored Saf last year, and if Perry gets on a roll, it could be worse. MN +2
174--Borschell by decision. Dretsch may have beaten Borschell already, but I think that Borschell has gotten better and I like his motor. But as others have said, you never know what you're going to get with Dresch. IA +1
184--Kish by decision, but it is a lot closer than it appeared even a few weeks ago. Keddy seems to be one of the most-improved wrestlers, and an injured Kish seems to have regressed. MN +2
197--Beatty by decision. Bronson may have some size on Beatty, but Beatty just seems to have more talent. IA +1
285--Fields by decision. I thought that Fields would be much, much better at this point in his career, but I still think has too much Malamura or anyone else. IA +4

That leaves 133-149, and Minnesota would have to take all three to win the meet. My heart says that they will, but my head is skeptical, especially when you consider that Minnesota will need to win 125-157 to win the meet.

133--Reiter by decision. I cannot wait to see this match--two brawlers going at it. If Reiter gives up an early takedown and gets ridden like he did against Kenny Jordan, I don't see Slaton fading in the end. But I think that Reiter will be jacked to wrestle his last dual against his home-state team and won't take as long to get going. IA +1
141--Rivera by decision. Since losing to Nathan Morgan, Leclere has looked great. (Although he got stuck by Kellen Russell, Leclere looked like the better wrestler to me). I think that Manny's loss to Russell will motivate him and that his heavy hands and relentless style will result in him beating Iowa at their own game. MN +2
149--DS by decision. This match has been over-analyzed too much. Suffice it to say that I agree with the camp that believes Metcalf's straight-ahead attacking style plays into DS's strengths. MN +5

MN 18 Iowa 13. That's with giving the Gophers the nod in all the close ones. Just one of those matches going the other way obviously gives the Hawkeyes the meet.

WhippetGrappler

125: #1 Jayson Ness v. #3 Charlie Falck

Sticking to the ground rules of one match.

I like Falck. He wrestled extremely well against Nebraska,Ohio State and Penn State. All 3 in the top 25.

Phil Donahue (Nebraska) W-D 3-2 21-1/17-1/12-0
Nikko Triggas (Ohio St.) W-D 9-3 22-1/18-1/13-0
Mark McKnight (Penn St.) W-D 2-0 23-1/19-1/14-0


Not to mention previous wins over Gabe Flores (Illinois), Luke Smith (C. Michigan) and Ben Ashmore (Oklahoma St.)

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BRUTUS BUCKEYE WILL TAKE YOU DOWN...

goferphan

Easy Clubber Lang...

I DO know that I just dated myself but I am okay with that.

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" Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. "

goferphan

Be careful what you wish for. Its a whole new ballgame when you have a target on your back.

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" Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. "

goldengopher

I'll also stick to the ground rules. While I think Falck has improved I still don't think he'll beat Ness. Ness is on an absolute terror and has beaten Falck by major twice. I think Falck has closed the gap but he will still lose and to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if Ness got bonus points if the opportunity presents itself.

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Golden Gophers The Great Collapse of March 2008

Zapp Brannigan

Very good dual.

125 Ness by decision 3-0

133 Slaton by decision 3-3

141 LeClere by decision 6-3

149 Metcalf by decision 9-3

157 CP by decision 9-6

165 Perry by major 13-6

174 Borschel by decision 16-6

184 Kish by decision 16-9 (Come on Roger, I want you to get that title!)

197 Bronson by decision 16-12

HWT Fields by decision 19-12 Iowa

Iowa wins a great dual.

JensenS

133: #2 Mack Reiter v. #4 Joey Slaton

I may wind up being wrong when it does finally go down, but I don't think this match up is as close as a lot of people are projecting, I think Slaton fits right into the type of guy that Reiter usually takes care of pretty easily. He's a brawler, and you're awful hardpressed to outbrawl Mack Reiter.

Guys Reiter seems to have had trouble with in the past are either exceedingly technical, exceedingly long, exceedingly slick, or some combination of the three. Slaton has some of those qualities, but he's a short, stocky, brawler at heart.

You all know my love for past results, and these two have wrestled once before, at the Scuffle, two years ago. Reiter pinned him. Both are obviously different wrestlers now than they were then, Slaton especially, but the result is still there.

First takedown is going to be very, very important as both guys are tough on top, but have been a shaky at times on the bottom. Its at Minnesota, and Reiter always wrestles well there, I think the home crowd, and the motivation of his last dual meet against his home state team carries him to something to the effect of a 7-5 victory.

Minnesota 6 Iowa 0

caveman.lawyer

Interesting result from Reiter and Slaton's previous meeting. I agree that the first takedown is huge. If Slaton gets the first takedown and rides Reiter like Kenny Jordan did, Reiter will have a much more difficult time coming back--I don't see Slaton fading in the third period like Jordan did. Slaton does seem a little better from his feet than Reiter has looked, but I also agree that Slaton's style plays into Reiter's strengths.