Ohio State's wrestling team reentered the Top 5 of the Coaches Poll after stymying the previously-unbeaten Arizona State Sun Devils Monday night. The Buckeyes hope to ride that momentum to victory over a second ranked opponent this week in No. 24 Rutgers.
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RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS |
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6-0, 1-0 BIG TEN ROSTER / SCHEDULE |
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7 P.M. – FRIDAY, JAN. 10 COVELLI CENTER COLUMBUS, OHIO |
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| STREAMING: BTN Plus |
New Jersey is a talent-rich state and the Scarlet Knight program has kept a number of the Garden State's would-be greats home. Four members of Rutgers' starting lineup are ranked inside the Top 20 nationally this season, although their elite 133-pounder Nick Suriano is taking the year away from collegiate competition to focus on making the U.S. Olympic team.
For the Buckeyes, tonight's dual is another chance for true freshman Jordan Decatur to establish himself as a future title contender, and for Rocky Jordan to unseat Gavin Hoffman as the starter at 184 pounds. Kaleb Romero and Kollin Moore should each get a shot at another Top-20 foe, further burnishing their already impressive resumes this season.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Head Coach: Scott Goodale
| Wt | OSU | RU |
|---|---|---|
| 125 | Malik Heinselman (9-8, So.) |
No. 14 Nicholas Aguilar (14-4, r-Fr.) -OR- Malcolm Robinson (4-4, r-Fr.) |
| 133 |
Jordan Decatur (9-1 at 133, Fr.) -OR- Dylan Koontz (8-8, r-So.) |
No. 11 Sammy Alvarez (15-4, Fr.) |
| 141 | No. 1 Luke Pletcher (15-0, Sr.) |
JoJo Aragona (8-3, Fr.) -OR- Zach Firestone (5-6, r-Jr.) |
| 149 | No. 6 Sammy Sasso (13-2, r-Fr.) |
Gerard Angelo (10-6, r-Fr.) -OR- Nick Santos (6-2, r-So.) |
| 157 | Elijah Cleary (11-6, r-Jr.) | Michael Van Brill (13-8, r-Jr.) |
| 165 | No. 13 Ethan Smith (11-7, r-So.) | Brett Donner (13-7, r-Jr.) |
| 174 | No. 9 Kaleb Romero (10-2, r-So.) |
No. 19 Joe Grello (5-2, r-Jr.) -OR- Willie Scott (6-4, r-Sr.) |
| 184 | Rocky Jordan (20-3, r-Fr.) | Billy Janzer (11-4, r-Fr.) |
| 197 | No. 1 Kollin Moore (15-0, r-Sr.) |
Matthew Correnti (10-3, r-Jr.) -OR- No. 17 Jordan Pagano (14-4, Gr.) |
| HWT | Gary Traub (15-2, r-Jr.) | Alex Esposito (13-9, r-So.) |
Ohio State is unbeaten versus Rutgers, currently holding a 5-0-1 dual-meet record. In 1984, a 24-24 tie opened the series before the Buckeyes captured the next five duals spanning from 2001-18.
This meet is the first Big Ten competition of the season for the Buckeyes, who have wrestled one of the toughest out-of-conference schedules in the country, highlighted by Monday's 17-16 win over Arizona State. Rutgers, like ASU, comes to Covelli Center undefeated thus far on the season, including a win over conference opponent Maryland.
Scott Goodale is the winningest coach in Rutgers wrestling history with 173 career victories “On the Banks" to his credit. Since taking the helm in 2007, Goodale has made Rutgers wrestling into one of the most relevant teams in the country, coaching two individual national champions, and 10 All Americans over the past six seasons.
Last year's team was the best in the program’s 89-year history, as Rutgers recorded its first Top 10 finish at the NCAA Championships, coming in ninth-place in Pittsburgh. The year was highlighted by individual national titles for Nick Suriano at 133 pounds and Anthony Ashnault at 149, as Goodale was named NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year.
Notable Matchups
133 pounds: Jordan Decatur vs. No. 11 Sammy Alvarez
Jordan Decatur announced his presence Monday night by upending No. 15 Josh Kramer. He gets a second shot at a top-15 guy in Alvarez, who took out No. 5 Micky Phillippi and No. 8 Cam Sykora on the same day at the Southern Scuffle last week.
The battle of true freshmen is practically must-see TV (well, streaming anyway), as Alvarez was ranked by FloWrestling as the No. 34 recruit in the class of 2019 while Decatur was No. 5. If Decatur pulls of the on-paper upset, he'll rocket well into the Top 10.
174 pounds: No. 9 Kaleb Romero vs. No. 19 Joe Grello
Kaleb Romero seems to get better each time he steps on to the mat. While his technique and conditioning are clearly a part of that, the biggest improvement in his game is pure and simple confidence, and that grows with every win.
His emphatic win over No. 8 Anthony Valencia last week not only ignited the home crowd, it earned him the team's latest "black shirt" recognition, signifying that he's living up to the program's expectations on the mat, in training, and in the classroom and community.
Beating another guy with a number in front of his name will further solidify his position as a potential All American come March.
Buckeye Breakdown
It's dollar-a-dog night at Covelli! Ohio State fans will have to battle the teeming masses coming to see Jeff Dunham and his cast of characters at the Schottenstein Center, but those who make it will be rewarded by inexpensive frankfurters.
On the mat the team should have no trouble handing a second-consecutive opponent their first loss of the season. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Buckeyes win 7, 8 or even 9 matches on the night, even.
But the most important thing for this team is how each individual wrestles and improves week to week. Tom Ryan and his staff will be watching attack rates, decision-making in critical moments (like Sammy Sasso's mental lapse late last week that took a potential major decision off the board) and finishing strong in the third period.
It's a big night for Decatur and Jordan as they make their second start at new weight classes, and for the four Buckeyes facing ranked foes. Action starts at 7 p.m., and streams live on BTN Plus.
