Ohio State is well-positioned to make a run at another NCAA wrestling championship in 2018. FloWrestling ranked the Buckeyes right behind the defending champion Penn State Nittany Lions in the preseason rankings, with three other Big Ten teams cracking the Top Ten.
"There are two superteams this year in the NCAA, and one of them is Ohio State," Flo said in the site's analysis of the team's potential starters. "The Buckeyes represent the greatest threat to dethrone Penn State after reloading in the offseason."
Ohio State returns 113.5 team points from its 2017 NCAA runner-up squad - a total greater than Buckeye head coach Tom Ryan's 2015 title team scored, "more than Penn State's 2011 and 2014 title teams, more than Iowa's 2009 title team, and more than Minnesota's 2007 title team."
In other words, this team is going to be good.
Digging further into Ohio State's chances to challenge Cael Sanderson's dynasty in Happy Valley, the Buckeyes have a real shot to achieve the rare feat of fielding 10 All-American finishers next March in Cleveland. The roster includes 10 athletes ranked in Flo's preseason rankings - the entire projected starting lineup, in other words - more than any other team in the country.
SEVEN returning All-Americans on the roster this season. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/POMdLjF5Of
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) September 19, 2017
With Kyle Snyder, Bo Jordan and Nathan Tomasello all three-time All-Americans heading into their final collegiate campaigns, the Buckeyes could become the first roster in history to finish with three four-time All-Americans. Snyder and Tomasello each made their preseason debut at #1 in their respective weight classes; Snyder at heavyweight, while Tomasello is expected to move back down to 125 where he won the 2015 NCAA title after winning the Big Ten title at 133 the past two seasons.
Rising star Kollin Moore, perhaps the most talented sophomore to hit the mats this fall, also tops the rankings at 197. He only dropped four matches in his freshman season, all to last year's two NCAA finalists J'den Cox of Missouri and Brett Pfarr of Minnesota. Moore recently won the bronze medal at the 2017 Junior World Championships in Finland.
Tom Ryan's staff added 13 newcomers to the 2017-18 roster, welcoming in a group of 10 freshmen and three transfers. A team that was a match or two away from a second NCAA title last year only got better in the offseason, particularly with transfers that bolstered some vulnerabilities in the 2017 lineup.
Projecting the Buckeye starting lineup, only one likely starter is ranked outside the preseason Top 10, and six start in the Top 4.
| Wrestler | Grade | Weight | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Tomasello | Senior | 125 | #1 |
| Luke Pletcher | Sophomore | 133 | #9 |
| Joey McKenna | Junior | 141 | #6 |
| Ke-Shawn Hayes | Sophomore | 149 | #9 |
| Micah Jordan | Junior | 157 | #4 |
| Te'Shan Campbell | Junior | 165 | #12 |
| Bo Jordan | Senior | 174 | #3 |
| Myles Martin | Junior | 184 | #2 |
| Kollin Moore | Sophomore | 197 | #1 |
| Kyle Snyder | Senior | 285 | #1 |
"If OSU can roll out [this] squad, it will either result in another NCAA team title or perhaps the greatest second-place team of all time," Flo said in its preview.
The upper end of the Buckeye lineup looks pretty familiar, with the pound-for-pound best wrestler on the planet the prohibitive favorite to win his third NCAA title. Snyder won his third World or Olympic gold medal in as many years last month in Paris.
Moore placed third in his first trip to the NCAA finals, and junior Myles Martin was the 2016 NCAA champion at 174. The two of them know what it takes to make it to the final match of a tournament.
Bo Jordan, as mentioned previously, is a three-time All-American, and was upended in last year's NCAA final by Penn State's Mark Hall. Many Buckeye loyalists screamed for a stalling call late in the third period of that match that would have likely given Jordan the title instead.
Pitt Transfer Te'Shan Campbell went 2-2 at last year's NCAA tournament, and with six returning All-American finishers ahead of him in the rankings, he may have the toughest path to placing next March. He did win the ACC Championship at 165 last year, and notched an overall record of 40-16 over the past two seasons.
"If OSU can roll out [this] squad, it will either result in another NCAA team title or perhaps the greatest second-place team of all time."– FloWrestling.com
Micah Jordan is expected to move up to 157 after a strong campaign last season, dropping only five matches all year, and those five to either Penn State superstar Zain Retherford or Iowa standout Brandon Sorenson. This class features quite a few redshirts or wrestlers who competed at a different weight last year, so the landscape isn't as clear at 157 as it is in other parts of the lineup.
Ke-Shawn Hayes was sidelined due to injury last season, but managed to crack the preseason Top 10 at 149, taking the spot vacated by the younger of the two Jordan brothers on the active roster. The aforementioned Retherford and Sorenson are expected to be the dominant forces in the class, but Hayes has the tools to add plenty of points for the Buckeyes in the team race. No one will be surprised if he earns a spot on the podium in Cleveland.
Stanford Transfer Joey McKenna Stephen R. Sylvanie - USA TODAY Sports
Stanford transfer Joey McKenna brings some additional firepower to the lineup, clocking in at #6 in the preseason rankings at 141. After winning the PAC-12 two years in a row and placing third at the 2016 NCAA tournament, the New Jersey native decided he was ready to be closer to home. He opted to join Tom Ryan's squad alongside former Junior World teammate Snyder, rather than head to Happy Valley.
Sophomore Luke Pletcher had a solid freshman year at 141, but is considered a more natural fit at 133 with Tomasello moving back down to 125. The Pennsylvania native finished with a 25-9 record last season, and earned fourth place at the Big Ten Championships.
Moving back down to 125, the man known as NaTo is the early favorite to earn his second NCAA title. He capped off a solid summer in international freestyle competition with a silver medal at the prestigious Medved International in Belarus. To capture another NCAA title, he'll have to go through defending 125 champion Darian Cruz of LeHigh, and recent Penn State transfer Nick Suriano, now wrestling for a rapidly-improving Rutgers program.
Penn State is still the heavy favorite to repeat at the NCAA tournament, make no mistake. Based on last year's tournament finishes, Flo projects Penn State could yield 125 points to Ohio State's 117, despite only having seven ranked wrestlers to the Buckeyes' 10. That's what Penn State's penchant for bonus point victories means in the team race.
Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Think of Penn State coach Cael Sanderson as wrestling's Nick Saban. To complete the football analogy, think of Tom Ryan as Urban Meyer. He has one NCAA title under his belt, and it seems fairly likely that he'll earn at least one more in the seasons ahead.
Carrying the football comparison a step further, the preseason NCAA rankings look a lot like the Big Ten East, with Penn State, Ohio State and That Team Up North huddled at the top. One of the more interesting storylines in recent years is the ascendent Michigan wrestling program. The Wolverines debut at #3 in the rankings, and Monday earned the commitment of Will Lewan, the #1 ranked 152-pounder in the Class of 2018 and the reigning Cadet World Champion.
Minnesota and wrestling blue blood Iowa round out the preseason Top 10 at #9 and #10, respectively. Rutgers, Illinois and Nebraska all ranked in the Top 20.
