So with Penn State out of the Scuffle this year did this make the Midlands the more competitive tournament? I'm a little bit of a stat geek so I did some highly sophisticated technical analysis... Just using the top 8 seeds of each tournament compared to Intermat rankings let's take a look at each weight class:
125
Scuffle - 3,6,7,10,11,12,13 + unranked Lizak who should be ranked top 5
Midlands - 1,8,15,17,18 + 3 unranked
TF Scuffle 5-0
133
Scuffle - 5,12,13,16,17,18 + 2 unranked
Midlands - 2,4,6,10,20 + 5 unranked
Close call. I give it to Midlands because of having 3 of the top 6.
Decision Midlands 5-3
141
Scuffle - 1,2,4,8,10 + 5 unranked
Midlands - 3,5,6,11,13,16 + 2 unranked
Another close one. I give it to Midlands because I don't like Heil.
Decision Midlands 5-6
149
Scuffle - 3,4,7,9,15,17,19 + 1 unranked
Midlands - 2,6,10,12,13,14,18 + 1 unranked
This one is razor thin close. I give it to the Scuffle on a controversial takedown on the edge of the mat (and because they have more wrestlers in the top 10)
Decision Scuffle 8-6
157
Scuffle - 3,6,9,10,18,19 + 2 unranked
Midlands - 4,5,7,8,12,17,20 + unranked Tsirtsis
Decision Midlands 8-9
165
Scuffle - 4,5,10,13,13(@174),18 + 2 unranked
Midlands - 1,7,9,12,14,19 + 2 unranked
Decision Midlands 8-12
174
Scuffle - 3,6,8,10,14,16,17 + 1 unranked (and Wreck Hall)
Midlands - 4,7,9,12,18,20 + 2 unranked
This can be nothing less than a Wreck Fall
TF Scuffle 13-12
184
Scuffle - 1,6,15,17,18 + 5 unranked
Midlands - 3,5,8,9,10,11,13 + Renda unattached
By far the weakest of the Scuffle weights.
TF Midlands 13-17
197
Scuffle - 1,2,5,16 + 6 unranked
Midlands - 4,8,9,10,11,12, +1 unranked and the #1 Division III wrestler
Because the Scuffle had the top 2, its held to a decision.
Dec Midlands 13-20
Heavy
Scuffle-6,8,9,11,12,17,19 + 1 unranked
Midlands-2,4,5,10,14,16,20 + 1 unranked
Along with 149, the deepest combined weight class with 14 of the top 20 wrestlers. Edge to Midlands with the higher ranked wresters.
Dec Midlands 13-23
The next question, would have Penn State at the Scuffle changed the outcome?
125 - already a TF for the Scuffle, Suriano's presence would've made this a fall +1 Scuffle 6-0
133 - Cortez ranked #14, Midlands still with a slight edge - no change, Scuffle 6-3
141 - Gulibon at #12, closer but I still don't like Heil - no change, 6-6
149 - Zain at #1, already razor thin for the Scuffle, no change, Scuffle 9-6
157 - Nolf at #1, definitely tips the scales in the other direction, Scuffle 12-6
165 - Joseph at #8, gives the Scuffle 4 out of the top 10 vs 3 for Midlands, Scuffle 15-6
174 - Rasheed at #15, no change, Scuffle 20-6
184 - Nickal at #2, changes a TF to a MD for Midlands, Scuffle 20-10
197 - McCutcheon at #13, still a decision for Midlands, Scuffle 20-13
Heavy - Nickal at #7, just misses tipping the scales because Midlands had 3 of the top 5, still a decision for Midlands, Scuffle 20-16
So there you have it. Conclusive empirical proof that the Scuffle is better than the Midlands if Penn State had attended.
125
Scuffle - 3,6,7,10,11,12,13 + unranked Lizak who should be ranked top 5
Midlands - 1,8,15,17,18 + 3 unranked
TF Scuffle 5-0
133
Scuffle - 5,12,13,16,17,18 + 2 unranked
Midlands - 2,4,6,10,20 + 5 unranked
Close call. I give it to Midlands because of having 3 of the top 6.
Decision Midlands 5-3
141
Scuffle - 1,2,4,8,10 + 5 unranked
Midlands - 3,5,6,11,13,16 + 2 unranked
Another close one. I give it to Midlands because I don't like Heil.
Decision Midlands 5-6
149
Scuffle - 3,4,7,9,15,17,19 + 1 unranked
Midlands - 2,6,10,12,13,14,18 + 1 unranked
This one is razor thin close. I give it to the Scuffle on a controversial takedown on the edge of the mat (and because they have more wrestlers in the top 10)
Decision Scuffle 8-6
157
Scuffle - 3,6,9,10,18,19 + 2 unranked
Midlands - 4,5,7,8,12,17,20 + unranked Tsirtsis
Decision Midlands 8-9
165
Scuffle - 4,5,10,13,13(@174),18 + 2 unranked
Midlands - 1,7,9,12,14,19 + 2 unranked
Decision Midlands 8-12
174
Scuffle - 3,6,8,10,14,16,17 + 1 unranked (and Wreck Hall)
Midlands - 4,7,9,12,18,20 + 2 unranked
This can be nothing less than a Wreck Fall
TF Scuffle 13-12
184
Scuffle - 1,6,15,17,18 + 5 unranked
Midlands - 3,5,8,9,10,11,13 + Renda unattached
By far the weakest of the Scuffle weights.
TF Midlands 13-17
197
Scuffle - 1,2,5,16 + 6 unranked
Midlands - 4,8,9,10,11,12, +1 unranked and the #1 Division III wrestler
Because the Scuffle had the top 2, its held to a decision.
Dec Midlands 13-20
Heavy
Scuffle-6,8,9,11,12,17,19 + 1 unranked
Midlands-2,4,5,10,14,16,20 + 1 unranked
Along with 149, the deepest combined weight class with 14 of the top 20 wrestlers. Edge to Midlands with the higher ranked wresters.
Dec Midlands 13-23
The next question, would have Penn State at the Scuffle changed the outcome?
125 - already a TF for the Scuffle, Suriano's presence would've made this a fall +1 Scuffle 6-0
133 - Cortez ranked #14, Midlands still with a slight edge - no change, Scuffle 6-3
141 - Gulibon at #12, closer but I still don't like Heil - no change, 6-6
149 - Zain at #1, already razor thin for the Scuffle, no change, Scuffle 9-6
157 - Nolf at #1, definitely tips the scales in the other direction, Scuffle 12-6
165 - Joseph at #8, gives the Scuffle 4 out of the top 10 vs 3 for Midlands, Scuffle 15-6
174 - Rasheed at #15, no change, Scuffle 20-6
184 - Nickal at #2, changes a TF to a MD for Midlands, Scuffle 20-10
197 - McCutcheon at #13, still a decision for Midlands, Scuffle 20-13
Heavy - Nickal at #7, just misses tipping the scales because Midlands had 3 of the top 5, still a decision for Midlands, Scuffle 20-16
So there you have it. Conclusive empirical proof that the Scuffle is better than the Midlands if Penn State had attended.
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