I would say that Iowa is very good at winning tight matches. Their guys have a good strategy and a lot of grit at the end to win those one takedown matches. The only guy whose style really bothers me is Warner. I hate that he can get away with the 20 second rides where he drives the guy out of bounds a few times until he gets his 1:00 of riding time secured. I hate watching the guy get to his feet and then get driven OOB for a restart.
Interesting results from the last weekend of duals
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why has this gas tank thing persisted? he hasn't looked tired at all late in these matches. he wasn't even breathing hard after the match yesterday and scored at the buzzer when he already had a major locked up.
if he gets beat, it's because he gets outwrestled. he does not have tank issues.
Wittlake almost went to PSU looks like PSU is the winner on this!
Yeah I don't see any gas tank issues with him. I haven't seen Alirez wrestle much, but he's going to have to wrestle pretty good to beat Woods (if they meet).
He is a dangerous draw come tournament time.I guess this is why they call them 50/50 positions…
B1G Wrestling on Instagram: "@lenny_pinto1 had the crowd going wild!! 🤯 From on his back to sticking the pin. 📌"
22K likes, 71 comments - b1gwrestling on February 19, 2023: "@lenny_pinto1 had the crowd going wild!! 🤯 From on his back to sticking the pin. 📌".www.instagram.com
Woods definitely takes his foot off the gas in periods 2&3, the first 90 second he's a ball of fire and usually gets a quick TD and backs. After that he's more calculated, slows down his neutral offense and is really smart holding a lead. He could end up in situations where he keeps opponents too close, but it's hard to argue with the success so far.
Actually ... was discussed some time ago: when RBY and Wittlake committed together, Wittlake's verbal was a surprise to Cael.
Which makes a lot more sense than flipping to OKST for the hunting and fishing.
But extra credit for being able to spell his name correctly. Of all the names, go figure Wittlake would be among the hardest.
In November I went 0-1 champs and 5-6 AAs. I stick with it ...
They are going to need big big big bonus points at Nationals to even sniff PSU. They have Spencer but they are going to need more than him to open things up instead of keeping things close.
I think that Travis' injury played a big part in us getting Aaron Brooks. If I recall correctly Wittlake was slated to wrestle at cadet/junior worlds (i forget which), but wasn't able to attend. Brooks ended up being the rep that year (again my memory is a tiny bit fuzzy on this so I could be wrong on some of the details), but Aaron went on to medal and he was at Penn State not long after. If Travis had gone and achieved a similar result, I think there's a pretty good shot we would have gotten him. I, however, can't speak to what Cael thought of both of those wrestlers at the time, but I imagine Brooks showing out on such a big stage was a part of why we went with him over Travis.
The rulebook states that pushing a a standing bottom wrestler OB for the sole purpose of maintaining top position and getting a restart is Stalling - specified as one of the situations to be called stalling.
I always assumed they were all in on Aaron regardless of what Travis did.
Found the previous reference:
Post in thread 'New Transfer' https://pennstate.forums.rivals.com/threads/new-transfer.316634/post-5987331
"Willie made it sound like he wasn’t sure Cael actually wanted him that bad. He committed without Cael’s knowledge."
I think they will get a lot of bonus from Woods and Cassioppi to go along with Lee especially early.
Knowing the behind the scenes stuff when it comes to recruiting would be so damn interesting. I suspect Cael passes on kids more than we even realize... kids that us fans are drooling over and even kids that have PSU in their top 3 or 5. I'm to the point that I think kids put PSU on their lists just to show others that the premier program in country is an option for them even when it's not really the case.
This may sound bitter because of the crap Gabe Arnold's dad was spewing over on HR but I bet Gabe wasn't that big of a priority even tho PSU was on Gabes top 5 list. I think the same for his Sem teammate Kolby Franklin. In fact, I think everyone here probably believes that one now. I wouldn't be surprised if pappa Arnold's hate for PSU is because of it. I bet when Cael visits/visited their room its more to see younger guys like Sealy and Lilledahl. Again, I know I sound bitter but I honestly believe it. Ya know what? Whom I trying to kid...I am bitter about it but I still believe it. Lol. And I'll always pull for anyone and everyone to beat Gabe. Childish as that may sound.
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Yeah I think they will get their fair sharebut they need a good amount from others as well. I think we are going to see a marked improvement in bonus for PSU in this seasons tourney. I also think Beau and Levi will do better than people expect.
Not putting much stock in that match if for no other reason than Ed Scott is tough. That being said, I'm still picking Levi to shock the world.
What was Papa Arnold saying on HR?Knowing the behind the scenes stuff when it comes to recruiting would be so damn interesting. I suspect Cael passes on kids more than we even realize... kids that us fans are drooling over and even kids that have PSU in their top 3 or 5. I'm to the point that I think kids put PSU on their lists just to show others that the premier program in country is an option for them even when it's not really the case.
This may sound bitter because of the crap Gabe Arnold's dad was spewing over on HR but I bet Gabe wasn't that big of a priority even tho PSU was on Gabes top 5 list. I think the same for his Sem teammate Kolby Franklin. In fact, I think everyone here probably believes that one now. I wouldn't be surprised if pappa Arnold's hate for PSU is because of it. I bet when Cael visits/visited their room its more to see younger guys like Sealy and Lilledahl. Again, I know I sound bitter but I honestly believe it. Ya know what? Whom I trying to kid...I am bitter about it but I still believe it. Lol. And I'll always pull for anyone and everyone to beat Gabe. Childish as that may sound.
State College Booing Spencer pre-match showed a total lack of class!
Most venues when a guy comes into an arena with a strong history of success and it's the last time, he will ever wrestle in that venue the fans typically show their respect. Last year when Gable Stevenson came to Carver, the Iowa fans gave him a standing ovation at the end of his match. Iowa...
iowa.forums.rivals.com
There ya go. Post #27
I would love to see Cael get Lilledahl. He’s one we really need for the lightweights.Knowing the behind the scenes stuff when it comes to recruiting would be so damn interesting. I suspect Cael passes on kids more than we even realize... kids that us fans are drooling over and even kids that have PSU in their top 3 or 5. I'm to the point that I think kids put PSU on their lists just to show others that the premier program in country is an option for them even when it's not really the case.
This may sound bitter because of the crap Gabe Arnold's dad was spewing over on HR but I bet Gabe wasn't that big of a priority even tho PSU was on Gabes top 5 list. I think the same for his Sem teammate Kolby Franklin. In fact, I think everyone here probably believes that one now. I wouldn't be surprised if pappa Arnold's hate for PSU is because of it. I bet when Cael visits/visited their room its more to see younger guys like Sealy and Lilledahl. Again, I know I sound bitter but I honestly believe it. Ya know what? Whom I trying to kid...I am bitter about it but I still believe it. Lol. And I'll always pull for anyone and everyone to beat Gabe. Childish as that may sound.
Barring injuries, I think Spencer is as much of a lock to win as I can remember. I also consider Woods the favorite, although not a lock like Spencer, so I’ll give them 1-2 champs, leaving towards 2. Cass is almost certain to be a high AA, and Kennedy, Warner, and Murin look like string bets, too. Assad, Brands, and Siebrecht all could make a run, but are less certain. All told, I’d expect 6 AAs including 1-2, more likely 2, champs, and 10 qualifiers. In a lot of years, that could be enough to put them in contention.
If Haines pulls off the upset at 157 and Woods takes 141, nationals could end with PSU or Iowa champs at every weight except Yianni and Carr. That’s pretty remarkable.
These folks will fit right in.State College Booing Spencer pre-match showed a total lack of class!
Most venues when a guy comes into an arena with a strong history of success and it's the last time, he will ever wrestle in that venue the fans typically show their respect. Last year when Gable Stevenson came to Carver, the Iowa fans gave him a standing ovation at the end of his match. Iowa...
There ya go. Post #27
Note, 2 posts later -- DonHawkeye of all people is the voice of reason.State College Booing Spencer pre-match showed a total lack of class!
Most venues when a guy comes into an arena with a strong history of success and it's the last time, he will ever wrestle in that venue the fans typically show their respect. Last year when Gable Stevenson came to Carver, the Iowa fans gave him a standing ovation at the end of his match. Iowa...
There ya go. Post #27
LOL, never change, HR.
I’m pretty confident Cael had Arnold down the priority list. Dude is so short and stubby, he needs one of those pickers old people use to initiate an ankle pick.Knowing the behind the scenes stuff when it comes to recruiting would be so damn interesting. I suspect Cael passes on kids more than we even realize... kids that us fans are drooling over and even kids that have PSU in their top 3 or 5. I'm to the point that I think kids put PSU on their lists just to show others that the premier program in country is an option for them even when it's not really the case.
This may sound bitter because of the crap Gabe Arnold's dad was spewing over on HR but I bet Gabe wasn't that big of a priority even tho PSU was on Gabes top 5 list. I think the same for his Sem teammate Kolby Franklin. In fact, I think everyone here probably believes that one now. I wouldn't be surprised if pappa Arnold's hate for PSU is because of it. I bet when Cael visits/visited their room its more to see younger guys like Sealy and Lilledahl. Again, I know I sound bitter but I honestly believe it. Ya know what? Whom I trying to kid...I am bitter about it but I still believe it. Lol. And I'll always pull for anyone and everyone to beat Gabe. Childish as that may sound.
Give me the lanky, noodly-armed guys any day.
And Kolby Franklin was never a priority.
I’m not sure how everyone keeps saying Warner is an AA lock. He has not looked great this year and is ranked #12. Lost to a couple guys he absolutely should’ve beat. I think because he made the finals last year everyone is just assuming he will perform when it counts but watching him wrestle this season he is a fringe AA right now. If he does place I wouldn’t be surprised but if he bombs out I wouldn’t be surprised either
Oh I remember well enough about another wrestler who was considered a lock to win at his weight, probably even more so than Lee. Some guy named Larry Owings seemed to have other thoughts about it however.
I think Warner will get through. He made some mistakes in his matches that he lost that he likely doesn't make with elimination on the line. I don't think he is a finalist (but he could be) but I do believe he is top 8
Would definitely be a great get. Just worried about Howard's injury. We do have a couple good ones coming in next two years but Lillendahl would be a great addition.
Know of at least one recruit who Cael offered pretty low and he went elsewhere (and has since graduated).Knowing the behind the scenes stuff when it comes to recruiting would be so damn interesting. I suspect Cael passes on kids more than we even realize... kids that us fans are drooling over and even kids that have PSU in their top 3 or 5. I'm to the point that I think kids put PSU on their lists just to show others that the premier program in country is an option for them even when it's not really the case.
This may sound bitter because of the crap Gabe Arnold's dad was spewing over on HR but I bet Gabe wasn't that big of a priority even tho PSU was on Gabes top 5 list. I think the same for his Sem teammate Kolby Franklin. In fact, I think everyone here probably believes that one now. I wouldn't be surprised if pappa Arnold's hate for PSU is because of it. I bet when Cael visits/visited their room its more to see younger guys like Sealy and Lilledahl. Again, I know I sound bitter but I honestly believe it. Ya know what? Whom I trying to kid...I am bitter about it but I still believe it. Lol. And I'll always pull for anyone and everyone to beat Gabe. Childish as that may sound.
Why it's noteworthy: his parents stayed at Cael's house during the official visit.
In effect: we like you enough to stay in my house for a weekend, but not enough to give you much of a scholarship.
Yeah, nothing is an absolute lock, of course. That’s why they hold the matches. Lee losing would be an upset on par with Owings over Gable, though.
LOL I can spell I just can't type!!
Culture was the foremost driver in choosing Iowa. He posted the other deciding factor in choosing Iowa. His "data matrix" comparing PSU & Iowa since 2011 or so. Champs & AAs from 57 up. PSU had better numbers in both, but the better stats came from fewer guys or something like that. His matrix proved, to him, that Iowa developed those weights better than PSU. His Iowa champ count in his data was 9 I think. My "data matrix" counted one, St John. The GIA hawk guys fired off their most knowledgeable likes for his matrix and counting abilities.State College Booing Spencer pre-match showed a total lack of class!
Most venues when a guy comes into an arena with a strong history of success and it's the last time, he will ever wrestle in that venue the fans typically show their respect. Last year when Gable Stevenson came to Carver, the Iowa fans gave him a standing ovation at the end of his match. Iowa...
There ya go. Post #27
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It’s been talked about before, but if the way you get motivated to wrestle a match is by getting angry or creating/concentrating on a chip on your shoulder, PSU might not be the right place. (Carter seems to be an exception.) I’m sure many of us wrestled with guys that got fired up before a match in a way that would seem incompatible with the PSU way.
They got 2-stars into the blood round -- imagine what they can do for me!
They've only had 1 champ in 10 years ...
But look what they did for some 2-stars!
I sure hope so. If there is one thing — other than part-time competition — that has bothered me this season, it is how many times PSU wrestlers have let guys off their backs.
I know we’re spoiled and all, which might be a fair counterpoint — so be it. But I really don’t like letting guys off their backs. I’m not expecting a change in pin rate this postseason, but I am hoping it picks up the next two seasons.
I'll defend Gabe's dad words here. He didn't say PSU's team was racist (that would be hard to narrative to sell considering 70% of our lineup is minorities) He is saying our black wrestlers have experienced racism at PSU and I'm sure they have, there are jagoffs at every campus including PSU and he said that to counter the idea that Iowa fans are racist. That being said, he referred to our team as "clowns" before so he clearly has an axe to grind.
I agree he was not a priority recruit here. They never even took an OV, they took an unofficial on their own dime, probably hoping to be pampered to by Cael and they weren't. To my knowledge, have we ever had a recruit who missed weight in HS at a major tournament? Cael is big on discipline and doing the right things off the mat. Others have mentioned, he doesn't quite have the build Cael looks for in his upper weights. Mark Hall was even longer and taller than Gabe (with 100x the skills) and he struggled getting to his offense at times in college (mostly against Zahid but he did struggle to get to his offense against lesser opponents as well)
I agree he was not a priority recruit here. They never even took an OV, they took an unofficial on their own dime, probably hoping to be pampered to by Cael and they weren't. To my knowledge, have we ever had a recruit who missed weight in HS at a major tournament? Cael is big on discipline and doing the right things off the mat. Others have mentioned, he doesn't quite have the build Cael looks for in his upper weights. Mark Hall was even longer and taller than Gabe (with 100x the skills) and he struggled getting to his offense at times in college (mostly against Zahid but he did struggle to get to his offense against lesser opponents as well)
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