| WEIGHT | MATCHUp |
|---|---|
| 125 | No. 1 TOMASELLO vs. No. 9 LAMBERT |
| 133 | No. 8 DIJULIUS vs. No. 12 MONTOYA |
| 141 | No. 6 M. JORDAN vs. No. 20 ABIDIN |
| 149 | No. 12 STIEBER vs. No. 5 SUEFLOHN |
| 157 | No. 12 RYAN or KRESEVIC vs. No. 17 BERGER |
| 165 | No. 2 B. JORDAN vs. No. 14 WILSON |
| 174 | No. 17 MARTIN vs. No. 14 BARNES OR WILLIAMS |
| 184 | No. 12 COURTS vs. No. 5 DUDLEY |
| 197 | MARTIN vs. No. 16 STUDEBAKER |
| HWT | TAVANELLO vs. No. 17 JENSEN |
On Sunday afternoon, the No. 11 Buckeyes will play host to the No. 7 Nebraska Cornhuskers in a Big Ten dual match at St. John Arena.
Both teams will be coming in looking to rebound from a loss, with the Buckeyes losing to Michigan last weekend and Nebraska losing to Penn State on Friday night.
The match will take place at 2:00 at St. John Arena and will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus (subscription required).
Let’s take a look at what to expect on Sunday afternoon.
Head Coach: Mark Manning
Manning has been the head coach of the Cornhuskers since the 2000-2001 season and has made quite a splash in the Big Ten since joining the conference in 2011-12. Manning’s wrestlers have earned a pair of individual Big Ten titles and have earned nine individual All-American finishes in that time. Manning has been an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic freestyle team for both the Atlanta and Sydney Olympic Games. Coach Manning was a stand-out wrestler himself, winning a pair of Division II NCAA titles at Nebraska-Omaha before earning a place on the US National Freestyle team for three years upon graduating. His prowess as a coach in both freestyle and folkstyle has helped bring in some top recruits to wrestle in Lincoln, though it doesn’t hurt that Olympic champion (and two-time NCAA champion) Jordan Burroughs and National Team member James Green train with the Cornhuskers under Manning’s watchful eye. Manning is assisted by former Cornhusker standouts Jason Powell (NCAA champion and three-time All-American), Bryan Snyder (four-time All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up), and Robert Kokesh (three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion).
Ohioans on the Cornhusker Roster
None
Notable Nebraska Wrestlers
Jake Sueflohn (RS Sr, 149)
Sueflohn is one of the scrappiest wrestlers in the Big Ten and will not be missed by the Buckeyes once he graduates after this season. Jake has been a real thorn in the side of Ohio State wrestlers, most notably Ian Paddock and Hunter Stieber. Though Stieber has been able to defeat Sueflohn, the Cornhusker senior is always on the attack and looking to turn mistakes into points. A redshirt senior, Jake has qualified each season for the NCAA tournament and fell a match short of All-American status in 2013. He missed all of the 2014-15 season with a significant knee injury, but looks like he’s back to form, placing third at the Midlands.
TJ Dudley (RS Jr, 184)
Dudley is a returning All-American after an eighth-place finish in the tough 184 bracket a year ago. His three losses at the tournament were by a total of three points, so he is not to be counted out against anyone. Speaking of being in the match against anyone, Dudley finished runner-up to the incredible David Taylor at this year’s Midlands tournament, holding the Magic Man to just four points in the bout.
Eric Montoya (RS Jr, 133)
Montoya fell in the bloodround (one win short of All-American status, also known as the round of 12) at the NCAA tournament last season. He defeated Johnni DiJulius before being eliminated himself. Before joining Nebraska as a sophomore, Montoya qualified for the NCAA tournament while competing for Campbell University.
Anthony Abidin (RS Sr, 141)
Abidin fell just a match short of an All-American status at last season’s NCAA tournament, not bad after running into Logan Stieber in the quarterfinals. Prior to joining Nebraska, Abidin won a junior college national title for Nassau Community College. Abidin is a noteworthy freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestler, undoubtedly one of the reasons he decided to wrestle for Manning.
KEY MATCHUPS
149: No. 12 Hunter Stieber vs No. 5 Jake Sueflohn
At this point in his career, any match featuring Hunter is must-see in my book. Sueflohn is one of those guys that I was pretty certain had an All-American finish or two, but it turns out I’m wrong. He’s been an outstanding wrestler with a unique style. Hunter looked rusty against Pantaleo of Michigan last weekend and Sueflohn is a crazy scrambler, so things aren’t getting any easier for Hunter.
141: No. 6 Micah Jordan vs No. 17 Anthony Abidin
Micah has been one of the most consistent wrestlers in the Buckeye lineup. The Buckeyes could sure use a big win out of him here in what should be a tight team match.
174: No. 17 Myles Martin vs No. 14 Micah Barnes or Dustin Williams
Myles lost a tough one in his debut, giving up a takedown to Mahomes in sudden victory. He’ll have to bounce back quickly against either of Nebraska’s tough 174 lbers. Myles was definitely the aggressor against Michigan, but I’d like to see him finish a few more of the shot attempts he took instead of Mahomes working his way free. Barnes or Williams will be a tough test.
Match Outlook
Ohio State losing in a bad way to Michigan was not the ideal way to start the second semester. With Nebraska on the schedule next, the Buckeyes will face another tough test with a little less star power. The Buckeyes should get the win against the Huskers, but they’ll need a little more out of the upper weights if they’ll hope to have much success in Big Ten duals. Nebraska’s bigs are not quite on the caliber of Michigan, but they’re pretty tough nonetheless. Ohio State will need to start fast and win the matches they should win (125, 133, 141, 157, and 165), they ought to be able to win the match. Tav has beaten Jensen when healthy, so he (or Haines) could steal one at heavyweight. If the Buckeyes get wins at 184 or 197, it’ll be icing on the cake, provided that everything goes according to plan earlier in the lineup.
