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Discussion Topic: Ohio State v. Michigan
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on October 10, 2007
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It's been a long time since Ohio State has defeated Michigan in a dual. Buckeyes had a good chance last year but the meet slipped away when Casey White was able to turn and pin Corey Morrison in a match where Morrison had been in control. Michigan appears to have one of it's weakest dual squads in years. Can the Bucks take advantage?
Possible Matchups:
UM OSU
125: Watts v Triggas
Watts beat Livingston 8-5 last season but is eminently beatable. Still one has to give him the edge over the true frosh. 3-0 Mich.
133: Enright v Diehl
Enright won 5-2 last year. 3-3
141: Jaggers v Chrzanowski
Jaggers handled him 8-3 in Ann Arbor. 6-3 Ohio State
149: Palmer v Churella
Lance beat him in OT last year in this dual. But when it mattered most--the national semis--Churella controlled the bout and won. Palmer will be in his home gym but I'll give the edge to Churella. 6-6
157: Johnstone v Marsh
Marsh has had some good results in the past but has lacked consistency. Key for Johnstone is to be bigger at the weight class. With only last season as a guide (Johnstone was beaten by Sulaver 7-2) the edge goes to Michigan 9-6.
165: Sponseller v Tannenbaum
Tannenbaum was an offensive wiz in high school who has developed into a terrific college wrestler. Sponseller was probably a more well rounded hs competitor. This match should feature lots of scoring. Key will be for Sponseller to keep it close. Incidentally, Ohio State forfeited this wt last year to Michigan, bumped up Vondruska (who was originally going to wrestle 157 last year) and he lost a 2-1 dec. 12-6 Mich.
174: Luke v Picazo
If Picazo can handle the wt cut, I'm looking for him to have an excellent season. But Luke gets a narrow nod. 15-6 Mich.
184: Todd v Pucillo
Pucillo beat Todd twice last year and has the right style to usually prevail in this matchup. 15-9 Mich.
197: Weinrich v Biondo
The departure of Casey White, a capable starter who split time between 197 and 285, has left Michigan looking vulnerable at this wt. Anthony Biondo would appear to be the likely starter but he's not very experienced. I'd assume an edge for Ohio State. 15-12
285: Bergman v Guhn
Clyde's Matt Guhn signed with Michigan and promptly hurt his shoulder. Presumeably he's healthy after a redshirt season. I'd like to assume bonus points for Bergman but my guess is that opponents will wrestle him defensively, guarding against the throw and trying to keep the score low. Decision for Ohio State
Final Score 15-15
General Comments:
Churella, Luke, Tannenbaum and Todd make for a nice tourney team but only Marsh at 157 would seem to be at least an average starter among the rest of the lineup. The Wolves are below avg at the first three wts while the last two spots in their lineup appear even shakier. Unfortunately, the Bucks really don't have the type of lineup to take advantage of Michigan's weaknesses. Keys for an Ohio State win will be bonus points from a healthy Jaggers and Bergman. Bucks will need to win at 197. Key matchups will take place between Palmer/Churella and Todd/Pucillo. If either team can sweep those two, they'll likely win the dual.
Keep in mind that wrestlers improve. My opinions at this point in time don't reflect significant progress that may have been made by various wrestlers. Nor am I likely to be entirely accurate as to who will prove themselves as starters for either squad.
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Discussion Topic: Ohio State v. Michigan
Dan Cosimi added to this discussion on October 11, 2007
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It will be very close. There are a lot of swing matches. I could see 125 going either way. 133 and 141 are pretty secure for the Buckeyes. 149 is a toss-up but Churella is the favorite right now. Marsh is the favorite at 157 but Johnstone could upset him. Tannenbaum is probably even a little more of a favorite at 165 over Sponseller (who could be an x-factor). Luke is a solid favorite over Picazo at 174. 184 will be a very good match as two All-Americans battle it out, but Pucillo is the favorite because he's won 2 of 3 over Todd (and has revenge on his mind after the pin in the NCAA consolation bracket). 197 is a big question mark for both teams. If there were bonus points awarded to either team at this weight class, that would probably mean a team win for the winner of this weight. Bergman will not lose to Guhn or any of the UM 285s.
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Discussion Topic: Ohio State v. Michigan
Mike Hojnacki added to this discussion on October 11, 2007
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UM's roster has Kellen Russell listed at 141. I would still give the nod to Jaggers, but does anyone know if Russell is redshirting?
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Discussion Topic: Ohio State v. Michigan
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on October 11, 2007
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Mike--Michigan has rarely started true frosh. I would expect Russell to redshirt. Michigan's incoming recruits include Jason Lara and Justin Zeerip as well as Russell. Next season they'll add Coby Boyd and Hunter Collins. They have a few other promising young wrestlers as well. I'd expect they're going to play this season out with the talent they have and then start moving their youngsters into the lineup.
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