Previewing the Iowa-OSU dual

Vitals

Start: Sunday, January 11, 2:00 PM CT
Location: Stillwater, OK (Gallagher-Iba Arena)
Television: None
Radio: 93.7 KSPI-FM (Roger Moore & Rex Holt)

Records

Cowboys – 3-1
Hawkeyes– 7-0

Best win

Cowboys– Oklahoma Sooners (NR)
Hawkeyes– Ohio State Buckeyes (No. 3)

Three things to watch

1. Oklahoma State (34) and Iowa (23) have combined for 57 NCAA team championships, and the coaching staffs from each team have combined for 11 individual NCAA titles. Last season the Cowboys finished third in the NCAA Championships with 96 ½ points and Iowa was fourth with 78 ½.

2. Each Oklahoma State wrestler I’m sure is chomping at the bit to get out and wrestle and earn some type of bonus-point or highlight-reel moves versus the Hawkeyes.

3. Individual Match-ups: Look for some good upset wins from Eddie Klimara (125), Anthony Collica (157), Nolan Boyad (184), and the match of the night: Austin Marsden (285). As long as Oklahoma State wrestles within themselves and stays off of their backs, they have a great opportunity to steal a dual in their own backyard.

Projected matches

125 – Eddie Klimara (No. 11) vs Thomas Gilman (No. 5)
After an incredible tournament at the Southern Scuffle, Klimara has been wrestling the best of his career recently. This match, although it favors Gilman, could be one of the key victories in Klimara’s entire wrestling career.

With nothing to lose, expect fireworks from a well-prepared Klimara, where I expect an upset if the Pokes have any chance to win this dual.

Prediction: 6-3 Klimara

133 – Gary Wayne Harding (NR) vs Cory Clark (No. 4)

With all of this talk of the high-profile recruits Oklahoma State brought in this year, GWH may be the most underrated of them all.

Having dominated most of his matches this year wrestling in smaller open and the freshman divisions of tournaments, true freshman Gary Wayne brings a solid wrestling style into this match.

However, his losses have been big losses, and Cory Clark has a knack for scoring bonus points. Expect the true freshman to be worked in this match. Anything less than a major decision is a win for the Cowboys.

Prediction: 10-2 Clark

141 – Dean Heil (No. 18) vs Josh Dziewa (No. 7)

In your classic Senior Iowa wrestler vs Freshman Oklahoma State wrestler, the athlete in this match who is able to assert their style more is going to come away as the winner in this match.

Heil has a borderline funky wrestling style, but it is going to take a grueling number of matches like this for his wrestling style to become successful at the Division 1 level. Don’t be surprised if the redshirt freshman in Heil gets taught a lesson by Dziewa.

Prediction: 10-3 Dziewa

149 – Josh Kindig (No. 2) vs Brandon Sorenson (No. 6)

There is not much to say here. After a couple solid matches at the Southern Scuffle, Kindig looks to expand on the revenge of several of his only losses in the last two years. Expect a 2-3 takedown difference here from the returning National Finalist.

Prediction: 8-5 Kindig

157 – Anthony Collica (No. 18) vs Mike Kelly (No. 15)

This is one of the better matches we may see in this dual, especially on paper. Moving up two weight classes seems to be catching up to Collica. His best win is to teammate Chance Marsteller, who has moved up to 165 pounds.

Collica has looked good, but has not been able to physically compete with some of the better guys at this weight. Luckily, Mike Kelly isn’t one of those guys. The last takedown in this match will win.

Prediction: 4-1 Collica

165 – Alex Dieringer (No. 1) vs Nick Moore (No. 9)

Possibly the best wrestler in the entire nation, Dieringer should be looking for nothing less than a major decision here. Moore will be prepared to try and stop Ringer’s dumps and tilts, but only one or two is needed to create separation by Dieringer.

Prediction: 12-2 Dieringer

174 – Jordan Rogers (NR) vs Mike Evans (No. 2)

As poorly of a season as Rogers has had, an important win vs the No. 1 team in the nation could put him on the right track this season. Especially after a rough final-round loss at the Southern Scuffle that Rogers just gave away.

However, the No. 2-ranked wrestler in the nation just can’t let something like that happen. In the end, everything balances out, and for all of the people Jordan Rogers has pinned in his career, he might be due his Pin Tax in this dual.

Prediction: Pin Evans

184 – Nolan Boyd (No. 14) vs Sammy Brooks (No. 7)

After earning MVP of the Reno TOC, Nolan Boyd had several tough losses at the Southern Scuffle. This matchup is favorable for Boyd though, as “The Manhandler” himself has the ability to dictate any wrestling at any moment he chooses.

Sammy Brooks has had a solid season and has had solid wins, but the fact that they have been so close tells me that he is not ready for the physical dominance Nolan brings to the mat.

Expect at the one overpowering takedown and turn from Boyd leading to yet another upset in quite possibly a crowd-roaring dual win.

Prediction: 5-3 Boyd

197 – Austin Schafer (NR) vs Nathan Burak (No. 6)

Don’t even be surprised if we see someone other than Schafer come out for this match. After two very dissappointing tournaments from both Schafer and Bean at this weight, let’s just trust that John Smith can make a proper decision here to save not only the season, but a young man’s wrestling career.

Anything short of a pin by Iowa at this weight would be a huge win for Oklahoma State.

Prediction: Pin Burak

HWT – Bobby Telford (No. 1) vs Austin Marsden (No. 4)

Easily the match of the night. Simply put, Marsden is on a mission this year, and this is one of the few men who has the ability to stop him.

Complete domination all season, and a proper turnaround of thought processes before the Scuffle seems to have paid off, with multiple bonus-point wins, let’s call it….a slick single leg takedown for Marsden in SV for the crowd-pleasing finish.

Prediction: 5-3 Marsden (SV)

Predictions

Cowboys 19-19 (Officially 20-19 after Oklahoma State wins by Criteria d. Most matches won…6)

As a whole, realistically, a win in this dual is a silly prediction. Oklahoma State is a young team, and is looking to compete for the No. 1 spot next season.

The 184 pound weight has exceeded expectations thus far, but the team is theoretically not getting production from the 133,141, 157, 174, and 197 weight classes…which is half of the team.

If one or two wrestlers truly stepped up, which is extremely possible, and may even happen in the dual tomorrow, Oklahoma State’s 52nd overall and 35th wrestling team National Championship is well within reach.