Nolf and the huge gap to the field...
- Thread starter NittanyChris
- Start date
Was DT's senior year the year that he destroyed Hatchett in the finals? I'm thinking sophomore. Anyway, the talent gap from Taylor to Hatchery, et al is larger than Nolf to Berger, Hidlay, Panteleo (when right), etc. IMO
Hatchet was an 11 seed, unlikely finalist.
OP topic was gap from 1-2 and 1-3.
That year (2012), the NCAA 165 seeds were:
1: David Taylor, PSU
2: Shane Onufer, WYO
3: Andrew Sorensen, ISU
4: B. Abdurakhmonov, Clarion
5: Mike Evans, Iowa
But DT did go:
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
TF
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Michael Strahan thinks this is a big gap.
The short answer is yes. DT pretty much every year. And Zain.
Freshman year Taylor dominated, just not as much as the following years. Despite the mistake he made in the final, he dispatched #2 Steve Fittery in the semis 7-1. He was a tech machine.
Soph year....pin pin pin pin tech. Nvmd
Junior year. Ok...so there was Kyle Dake. So it’s not the same as the drop off from 1 to 2. But the cliff appeared after that.
Senior Year. Exactly who was close to him?
And while a close decision from Zain with Sorenson and 1 with Clagon one year, doesn’t really mean the field was that close. When the lights were on the biggest stage, I might even suggest opposing wrestlers would actually have preferred to wrestle Jason than Zain.
(Micah may just prefer to not...)
Freshman year Taylor dominated, just not as much as the following years. Despite the mistake he made in the final, he dispatched #2 Steve Fittery in the semis 7-1. He was a tech machine.
Soph year....pin pin pin pin tech. Nvmd
Junior year. Ok...so there was Kyle Dake. So it’s not the same as the drop off from 1 to 2. But the cliff appeared after that.
Senior Year. Exactly who was close to him?
And while a close decision from Zain with Sorenson and 1 with Clagon one year, doesn’t really mean the field was that close. When the lights were on the biggest stage, I might even suggest opposing wrestlers would actually have preferred to wrestle Jason than Zain.
(Micah may just prefer to not...)
"Hatchett, et al" would include your 1-5 seeds. Also, Hatchett was #2 when it counted. So, ultimately, the gap between 1 and 2 was Taylor to Hatchett.
I considered Zain, but I disagree. While I never thought he would lose, Sorensen was closer to Zain than either Deakin or Berger are to Nolf. Barring injury (knock on wood), there is absolutely zero chance that either one of those two could beat Nolf. I'd have given Sorensen maybe a 1 to 2% shot at an upset with Zain.
Only if Zain got bored after beating Sorensen another 95 times.
Some guy named Cael was 40-0 with 23 pins, 11 TFs, 2 major decs, and two forfeits in 2002. Both regular decisions were to Jon Trenge.
So let me ask you...do you believe the gap from Zain to Sorensen was bigger than Nolf to Berger or Deakin?
Aside from the OT nailbiter, Sorenson was never close to Zain, and some of the things Zain did to him made me cringe. Zain brutalized his competition, Jason just toys with his.
Micah Jordan's neck and shoulders might dispute that.
Im pretty sure Ben Askren ran thru most everyone in 06 and 07, after Pendleton graduated.
No but that doesn't make the reverse true.
If Sorensen couldn't win that home OT match, that's your answer. He couldn't beat Zain when he attacked or when he played. defense first.
BTW, Zain also majored Deakin.
Also for 2 years nobody could handle The Ruth.
One night I recall Taco Bell giving Ed issues
The gap is not just wrestling skills. It is mental. How hard it must be to picture yourself beating Jason: yet that is what is needed to have a chance.
Satisfaction enough, for me, to sit back and enjoy watching these guys wrestle. Hard to believe it's been...;
-- 10 years since Cael, Casey and Cody arrived
-- 7 years since Tank won his NC
-- 6 years since Q won his last of two NC's
-- 5 years since Ed won his last of three, and David his last of two NC's
-- etc., etc., etc.
...and that the Nolf / Nickal era is coming to an end. Mind-boggling how quickly life passes
.
-- 10 years since Cael, Casey and Cody arrived
-- 7 years since Tank won his NC
-- 6 years since Q won his last of two NC's
-- 5 years since Ed won his last of three, and David his last of two NC's
-- etc., etc., etc.
...and that the Nolf / Nickal era is coming to an end. Mind-boggling how quickly life passes
.
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The circumstances were different when they each wrestled Deakin, but Zain had to really work to get the major on Deakin, while Deakin had to really "work" just to keep it a major against Nolf.
I don't know if it's an indication of the quality of their opponents or a result of their styles, but Zain definitely wrestled a lot more close matches than Nolf (Sorenson @ CHA and Collica in 2017, Sorenson at 2018 B1Gs).
That poor kid from Mizz.....Zain almost broke him in half his junior year. I think that guy scored the first td, and the announcers were like, yeah, he has to do his thing and take it right to Rutherford..........ah, no.
Amazing he didn’t press charges
Amazing he didn’t press charges
Zain.
And no. I'd say the difference is that Zain wrestled more close matches than Nolf.
Wrestlestat has all the data you want.
Pantaleo was Nolf's only 1 score match since his freshman year. Zain had the three I referenced above.
I'm not sure what specific data you want, but this isn't a 100% objective data-driven thing. Part of it is an eye-ball test, subjective opinion.
In my opinion, Sorenson was closer to beating Zain than any of Nolf's opponents have been (excluding the first year on the mat for each, in which they both had guys they went 1-2 against). Sorenson held Zain to a decision 3 times in 2017 and 2018 with 2 of those matches being victories of 2 points or less.
Zain is an all-timer. But so is Nolf. And in my opinion, Sorenson was closer to Zain than anyone was to Nolf (again, excluding the first year on the mat for each).
Pantaleo was Nolf's only 1 score match since his freshman year. Zain had the three I referenced above.
I'm not sure what specific data you want, but this isn't a 100% objective data-driven thing. Part of it is an eye-ball test, subjective opinion.
In my opinion, Sorenson was closer to beating Zain than any of Nolf's opponents have been (excluding the first year on the mat for each, in which they both had guys they went 1-2 against). Sorenson held Zain to a decision 3 times in 2017 and 2018 with 2 of those matches being victories of 2 points or less.
Zain is an all-timer. But so is Nolf. And in my opinion, Sorenson was closer to Zain than anyone was to Nolf (again, excluding the first year on the mat for each).
I had to look up this Nolf guy that you are talking about. Not impressed. I mean freshman year loses twice to some guy from Illinois on the big stages that he had dismantled earlier in the season. Talk about regression. Had an ok soph year. Saw him literally give up against I think a dude from Rutgers of all places and was so embarrassed that he took the rest of the regular season off. Then come nattys gets an amazing draw to get a fellow competition dodger in the quarterfinals who just happens to be from the same hs club. As an Iowa fan, I think the Hawks really lucked out when he chose Penn St. With all of the data points above, how could anyone possibly feel Nolf is that much better than the field?
Disclaimer: For anyone that reads this as anything but sarcasm and posts a rebuttal needs to immediately delete their rivals account and rethink their life choices....
Disclaimer: For anyone that reads this as anything but sarcasm and posts a rebuttal needs to immediately delete their rivals account and rethink their life choices....
They're both great wrestlers, entirely different "styles", both fun to watch for Penn State fans.
46/48 message are related to JO.
Are you really JO or his mom?
Jordan Oliver's 3rd NCAA title is news to Jordan Oliver.
https://www.teamusa.org/usa-wrestling/athletes/Jordan-Oliver
