Takedown Report

What to Watch: Week 11 of the College Wrestling Season

As Week 11 of the college wrestling season kicks off, many teams begin their conference schedules, gearing up for some of the most intense matches of the season. Wrestling fans won’t want to miss the NWCA National Duals happening in Iowa this weekend, where teams from five divisions are set to compete.

NWCA National Duals
Date: January 10-11, 2025

Time: 10 a.m. CT
Location: UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Where to Watch: FloWrestling
Teams from multiple divisions travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the annual NWCA National Duals. Competition begins on Friday, January 10, and continues into Saturday. Brackets have been released for the following divisions: NCAA DI Men, NCAA DII Men, NCAA DIII Men and NAIA Men. For more information, visit themat.com.
NAIA Men: Campbellsville, Corban, Cumberlands, Doane, Eastern Oregon, Embry-Riddle, Grand View, Indiana Tech, Life, Missouri Valley, Montana State Northern, Morningside, Oklahoma City, Providence, Reinhardt, … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/january/09/what-to-watch-week-11-of-the-college-wrestling-season
And …

5 college wrestling duals to watch this weekend
With nearly two dozen upcoming college duals this weekend featuring ranked teams, there’s no shortage of great action to watch. Here are five duals in particular worth your attention. 

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Friday, Jan. 10: No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Illinois, 8 p.m. on BTN+

Ranked No. 4 in the country, the Buckeyes have nine wrestlers in the top 15 and are loaded with stars. Illinois, though, poses a sneaky challenge in this dual, as the Illini are favored in half of the projected bouts in this Big Ten battle. The home mat advantage in Illinois is notable here as well, particularly in a dual where every weight will matter. 
If the dual begins 125 pounds, Ohio State will have the advantage at the start with No. 10 Brendan McCrone, a sophomore who has made big jumps this year but is fresh off a 6-5 loss to Maximo Renteria of Oregon State. This is one of just two weights where Illinois does not have a ranked wrestler, so McCrone’s job will be to go out and win with bonus to swing the momentum toward Ohio State before the top-10 battle at 133 pounds between No. 9 Nic Bouzakis and No. 2 Lucas Bryd. 
Byrd and Bouzakis have not hit yet in their college wrestling careers because Byrd was out with an injury last season, but expect this match to be fast-paced and intense. Byrd is 9-0 on the year and heavily favored, but Bouzakis does have wins over All-Americans Dylan Ragusin and Anthony Noto this year with his only non-teammate loss coming against Cliff Keen champ Zeth Romney. There’s a path for both teams to win without the match, though the possibility becomes narrower for Illinois if Byrd drops to Bouzakis.  Ohio State will then be favored at 141 pounds with No. 1 Jesse Mendez vs. No. 13 Danny Puncino, 157 pounds with No. 7 Paddy Gallagher vs. Jason Kraisser, … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2025-01-09/5-college-wrestling-duals-watch-weekend

January 14, 2025 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | college-wrestling, sports, wrestling