Four #1s in Northwestern vs Ohio State
Four #1s in Northwestern vs Ohio State
Four #1-ranked wrestlers headline Sunday's dual between Northwestern and Ohio State. Here are the top reasons to watch.
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Sunday's star-studded dual in the Covelli Center has four top-ranked wrestlers and a number of compelling matchups. Here are the top reasons to watch Northwestern vs Ohio State.
Watch Northwestern vs Ohio State LIVE on FloWrestling
Sunday, Feb 9 | 2:00 PM ET
Four #1s In Action
The first #1 in this dual is Ohio State two time All-American Luke Pletcher. At the start of the season, Pletcher was considered one of the contenders in a deep 141 field, but he has emerged as a frontrunner alongside Penn State's Nick Lee.
Pletcher boasts a 22-0 record with a 63.64 percent bonus rate, nearly double the bonus rate he had last year, his next best season for bonus-point wins. Between his timing and shot selection, Pletcher has been incredibly efficient from neutral this year and is one of the most entertaining wrestlers in the country, regardless of weight. He's coming off a major decision over #6 Chad Red.
At 149, freshman Sammy Sasso is the top dog in a 149 weight class with a whole lot of parity. He'll have a solid test on Sunday with Northwestern's #16 Yahya Thomas.
Yahya returned from an injury last weekend and had a win over Illinois' Mousa Jodeh. He has solid wins this year and is dynamic from his feet. This match should be fun.
We'll see our third #1 in a row when Ryan Deakin takes the mat at 157. Deakin, like Pletcher, is a guy who has had success in the past but looks to have reached another level this year. He's undefeated with a 61.54-percent bonus rate.
Deakin earned the top spot at 157 with impressive wins over David Carr and Hayden Hidlay. He'll probably have either Quinn Kinner or Elijah Cleary on Sunday and will be a heavy favorite either way.
Kollin Moore is the #1 guy at 197 and the fourth #1 in these lineups. He has the most impressive stats of this bunch with a 22-0 record and 77.27-percent bonus rate.
Moore will have #13 Lucas Davison who is having a nice season and owns wins over #16 Shakur Rasheed and #5 Christian Brunner.
Seabass' Return Against Decatur?
Sebastian Rivera hasn't competed since his injury default in the third-place match at the Midlands Championships, but he could be back this weekend. If he is, he'll have Ohio State's talented freshman Jordan Decatur.
Rivera's most memorable match at Midlands was his controversial, ultra-competitive bout with NCAA champion Seth Gross. If he returns to his full form, he'll be an NCAA title contender.
Gas Tank Gary's Covelli Center Season Finale
In a lineup that includes three wrestlers ranked first in their weight-classes, Gas Tank Gary has been the fan favorite. Gary Traub will take the mat for the final time in Columbus this Sunday for the Buckeyes' home finale.
Traub has ignited the Ohio State crowd on many occasions this season. Most recently, he put up 24 points en route to a tech fall over Maryland's Parker Robinson.
On Sunday, Traub will see Northwestern's Jack Heyob. The two have yet to meet in their careers. Before the dual, get to know Gas Tank Gary by listening to his conversation with Mark Bader from a few weeks ago.
