Freakin HATE that rule.
Wrestling Penn State/Michigan Dual Thread.
- Thread starter johnstownsteel
- Start date
While you are correct, that would just be a completely stupid move at this point. Cael is not stupid.
Also, I could see Levi getting the day off Sunday and returning vs Iowa on Friday.
I dont see it, we need WAY more pins/bonus than these guys are putting up. These boys are methodical and never in doubt, but they arent Zain/Nolf/Nickal type GUARANTEED bonus guys.
Not too late though, Tulsa is still 6 weeks away
A few observations / reactions from last night:
1) I showed up (on foot) with my son at 5:20 (10 mins before doors opened and an hour and 40 mins before match time). There was already a long line!
2) I didn’t realize BJC seats went so high and steep! (And I’ve been there several times before.). Still, the view was good from the “upper-upper” deck.
3) Enjoyed talking with folks in line and at the meet. It’s not everyday I can talk wrestling, intelligently, when not on-line.
4) Lots of folks left before and during Kerk vs Parris. SMH.
5) I only saw two people in Michigan gear.
6). I mentioned last night that CJF was front row - corner floor seat next to Cael & co.
7) Our freshman may be even better than advertised.
8) I thought a few guys looked tired from the start. Not unexpected.
9) I like Rec Hall more.
1) I showed up (on foot) with my son at 5:20 (10 mins before doors opened and an hour and 40 mins before match time). There was already a long line!
2) I didn’t realize BJC seats went so high and steep! (And I’ve been there several times before.). Still, the view was good from the “upper-upper” deck.
3) Enjoyed talking with folks in line and at the meet. It’s not everyday I can talk wrestling, intelligently, when not on-line.
4) Lots of folks left before and during Kerk vs Parris. SMH.
5) I only saw two people in Michigan gear.
6). I mentioned last night that CJF was front row - corner floor seat next to Cael & co.
7) Our freshman may be even better than advertised.
8) I thought a few guys looked tired from the start. Not unexpected.
9) I like Rec Hall more.
So what's with us season ticket holders getting hosed on our BJC seat assignments this year? I went from section 105 close to center mat and 4 rows up from floor to section 101 deep corner and 20+ rows from floor. I use to sit right behind the PSU bench and had great views of the team and the who's who sitting by them. Now I can't hardly make a person out I'm so far away. Not to mention a lot farther from the mat. Same as someone mentioned early in the thread.....none of my Rec Hall neighbors anywhere around.
I'd give up your tickets in protest.
Yeah pretty funny.
But with that said, if there is even remote truth to it, it explains a lot. Spent all yesterday heaving and sleeping from it myself. Today is rehydration day.
his knee hits twice and there is no reaction time in that position. doesn't need people to be able to count to one. it touches, it's two. then he hits again on the roll, which is the third. even the review was a little confusing because they give the takedown on the second knee touch, not the roll. so why not give it at the first knee touch? it's the same thing. facundo was actually robbed of an extra two seconds to escape by them not restarting at :22 - though he didn't need them.
in regards to my opinion on him, i'm getting travis wittlake deja vu. i made similar claims about him his freshman year. overrated recruit who tailed off a bit at the end of high school and mediocre redshirt year. but then he comes out as a freshman and just keeps winning close matches all the way to a high podium finish. now, i think 165 is tougher now, so i don't see 4th in the cards, but i'd put facundo in the 7-r12 tier right now. i had him as a r16 guy coming in.
Didn't look shell-shocked to me - looked gassed imho. The shot he took smacked of a "being gassed" induced desperation shot to try to win match in regulation because he had nothing left for SV.
157 is a wasteland. couldn't pick a better weight for an up and coming freshman. makes me sick
Great shots! Thanks for sharing!
The one thing we've seen re: these two imho is that Lee's gas-tank is almost certainly going to be the deciding factor in this match. Lee is the slightly better offensive wrestler, but Gilman is the better defensive wrestler with a bigger gas-tank. I'd go Gilman because Lee is not going to be able to score at-will versus Gillman and Lee just doesn't have the gas-tank for a tight, hard fought full-length match.
My guess is that they ruled that rear standing wasn't established on the first knee touch, so there was reaction time. I think I agree there though I could see arguments against. Hips are still out, Amine off to the side. When Facundo stands back up, Amine is able to bring his hips in more. Only thing I can think of.
Clear rear standing at :13, not sure how they blew that call in the first place.
157 just got a whole lot more interesting with Andonian back.
Taylor acting like a proud dad. Zain acting like he knows something about OT takedowns.
That was one of the most fun parts of last night, in my opinion. Watching all our legends get so excited at the next generation of studs. We are truly blessed.
Penn State has freshmen ready to go.
Iowa has Seniors ready to leave.
iowa week is approaching.
Iowa has Seniors ready to leave.
iowa week is approaching.
I had to watch the match it with the BTN announcers instead of syncing Byers this time so if anyone wants to do sync it up, I would be grateful
@nerfstate
@nerfstateAbsolutely. If he is completely healthy I would actually make him the favorite. With his style though he can lose matches he should win because he puts himself in horrible position. Either way, with him back 157 is definitely going to be more fun.
Watching Levi’s match again and I can’t believe his defense in OT! He was dead to rights on two different occasions and somehow fought them off. The second one I really have no idea how he didn’t give up 2. Was able to roll through in what Askren calls the “Sanderson steal” and almost got the Td himself. Kid has ice in his veins. He is a really good finisher from the high crotch and cutting to a double. Did it a bunch against Model and did it again in OT to win tonight. I know I’ve been a conductor on the Levi hype train since he was in high school but he might be even be better than what I thought. He is super young even for a true freshman and he seems to be jumping levels at a high rate. I knew he was good in neutral and on top but I wasn’t aware his defense was this good. He needs to keep getting better on bottom even though last night he was out in no time. I’m not ready to say he’s going to be the champ this year but if he keeps improving at this rate he will definitely be right in the mix.
That was an amazing match from Facundo. Was in control pretty much the entire match. Seemed to be giving up some size and strength but he still controlled the center of the mat and was very good in the hand fight against an opponent whose strength is handfighting. His attacks seemed better tonight than I had seen them before even if he only finished 1 of them. By far my biggest takeaway though was him getting out from bottom. He had 3 escapes and made them all look easy. After giving up the td late in the 3rd I was really worried he was going to get ridden for the last 20 sec but he wasn’t going to be denied. This has to be a huge boost to his confidence especially with Amine beating Hamiti just last week. After that match and watching these young guys seemingly jump levels every time they take the mat I see Alex in the AA discussion in what is the toughest weight in the country. And outside of Keegan I don’t see a guy he can’t beat. I wouldn’t make him the favorite against guys like Carr or Griffith but if he wrestles like he did last night he would absolutely be right there with those guys. These young guys in the lineup right now are pretty special
I think Kerk was gassed for sure, but there are rumors he was ill or just coming back from being ill. In either case noone is better than Cael on this front for March so I am not concerned.
Kerk's other flaw was tactical. He needs to avoid getting caught underneath with the top 4 guys. He's as strong as an ox for sure and may rely on this a bit too much in the room. Hauling in a leg from underneath on Parris, Cass, Schult and others big powerful studs is problematic.
Kerk is for certain the better athelete in neutral than all of those guys, cat quick and powerful. If he can snap more, look for outside singles and go behinds he will be better off. I can see a blast double working in the Cassar kind of way, where you simply drive through the defense and send your opponent back 10 feet thus eliminating getting caught underneath.
I also think he is capable of some questionable decisions in the last 30 seconds when things get a little desperate, or even when he is ahead. Something I have seen most of his career.
I am bummed fir bith Kerk and Brooks as I saw both running the table this year, but both have the benefit of yet another learning experience. It keeps them humble and focused.
Here I still see two national champions in waiting this year.
Re Levi and Alex. You know what helps creat a great defense? Fearlessness. Cael encourages experimenting in the room and trying stuff even if it may fail ( the first 10 times). Levi has that creativity in his veins, you can see it. He came within a whisker of losing, but I thought it was all great. Had he lost I would not have been disapointed at all.
I can definitely see him on the Zain train path. Coming close this year, redshirting next, and then coming out nearly unstoppable for 3 years straight.
Very impressed with both Haines' and Facundo's scrambling ability. Off the charts - both scrambled like seasoned, wylie veterans.
Did he have 2 surgically-repaired ACLs that he's so still not 100 percent from then?
Don’t forget our coaching staff, I don’t think anyone gave Joseph any chance at all against Imar, the first time around, most thought Bo was biting off more than he could chew, against Dean, Carter against Kemerer, just sayin. If there’s anything I’ve learned since Cael’s arrival, is the matchup does not exist that is impossible for our wrestlers to win at National’s.
Capturing/syncing the entire dual wire to wire would be pretty time-consuming. Any specific bouts you'd most like to see?I had to watch the match it with the BTN announcers instead of syncing Byers this time so if anyone wants to do sync it up, I would be grateful
I imagine Jeff lost it when Levi and Alex won (if he realized Alex won--most people at the BJC didn't until his hand was raised).
Not going to speculate what may have been going on with Kerk last night, but my heart sunk when Parris stuffed that first low double attempt. I turned and said to my wife “Man, something’s up — most guys just crumble against that shot.”
That is all.
That is all.
Can anyone confirm Byers even survived Levi’s match?
Yes, sorry! I meant The Haines and/or Facundo matches. No biggie if it takes too much time. I enjoyed them immensely, even with the BTN crew
for part of that time he had one! also, have you been watching him this year? looks pretty good to me...
He has faced no one in the same stratosphere as Thomas Gilman.
Look at how Gilman wrestles. He might dislike the comparison, but it’s very Iranian-like. Insane forward pressure. He has many opponents under severe physiological duress in the first period.
Yep - gonna have to make a few calls in this. I have a friend who has a ____ that works in the ticket office ….. so I can usually get to the bottom of such shenanigans. Season tix holder for 25+ and they tucked me off in the corner behind the flames.
Penn St fans pick Gilman, Iowa fans pick Lee. If/when the match happens, one of us will be right.
I noticed that they strategically set up the replay tubes almost directly adjacent to Cael’s perch so he can look in easily without appearing to intrude. Michigan coaches tried to huddle over there at least once and were shooed away.
