PREVIEW: Rutgers Wrestling to take on Ohio State on Friday night
Rutgers wrestling is on the road this weekend, as they face two Big Ten foes. The first of whom is Ohio State, who they will take on tonight at 7:00 PM. Ohio State has been a perennial powerhouse in college wrestling for decades, and this year it is no different.
Ohio State is ranked third in the nation by Flowrestling, and has a number of ranked wrestlers in their lineup. The leader and star of the Buckeyes is No. 1 Kollin Moore, who is poised to finally capture the elusive NCAA title that he has been chasing.
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There are several toss-up bouts in the match, most of which Ohio State is favored in. At 133, 157, 174, and 184 are all matchups that could go either way, and play a pivotal role in the final team score. It should be noted that Rutgers heavyweight, Christian Colucci, is out for two weeks with a minor injury. Therefore, Alex Espositio will be the anchor for the Scarlet Knights.
TKR has broken down each weight class, dissecting this highly anticipated Big Ten dual. Read below to see weigh-by-weight analysis and picks for tonight’s dual between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
125-POUNDS: MALIK HEINSELMAN vs. No. 14 NIC AGUILAR
THE SKINNY: Though Malik Heinselman is not in the national rankings, Nic Aguilar should not over look him. Heinselman was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school, and started for Ohio State in his first season. However, Heinselman has had trouble being consistent, keeping him on the outside looking in at the 125-lb rankings. Nic Aguilar has easily been one of Rutgers best wrestlers this season, and despite a rocky performance at the Southern Scuffle, Aguilar is very much in contention to reach the NCAA podium in March. It will not be a cakewalk for Aguilar with Heinselman, but if he gets back to previous form, he should take care of business.
RESULT: Rutgers via decision
TEAM SCORE: 3 - 0 Rutgers leads
133-POUNDS: JORDAN DECATUR VS. NO. 11 SAMMY ALVAREZ
THE SKINNY: At 133-lbs fans will see a very exciting match, as recently pulled redshirt, Jordan Decatur, takes on the red hot Sammy Alvarez. Jordan Decatur is another extraordinary young talent for the Buckeyes, who was on a redshirt year until about a week ago. Decatur’s speed is his best attribute, as he can be in on an opponents legs in the blink of an eye. Sammy Alvarez is quite the athlete himself, and is coming off of an extremely impressive Southern Scuffle championship. Alvarez appears to be getting better every time he takes the mat. There will be a lot of fireworks in this one, but if Alvarez wrestles how he did at The Scuffle, he can walk away with his hand raised after a high scoring bout.
RESULT: Rutgers via Decision
TEAM SCORE: 6 - 0 Rutgers leads
141-POUNDS: NO. 1 LUKE PLETCHER VS. JOJO ARAGONA
THE SKINNY: If there is anyone in the country that deserves their number one ranking, it is Luke Pletcher. He has already taken down a number of top 10 foes, such as Chad Red, Mitch McKee, and Dom Demas. He is going to be a tall order for the rookie, Jojo Aragona. Aragona has seen a number of highly ranked opponents himself, but he has not faired as well as Pletcher has. Aragona has not necessarily been dominated by anyone, as each one of his three losses has been by a narrow margin. However, Pletcher’s ability and experience make him capable of lighting up the scoreboard.
RESULT: Ohio State via major decision
TEAM SCORE: 6–4 Rutgers leads
149-POUNDS: NO. 6 SAMMY SASSO VS. GERARD ANGELO
THE SKINNY: This matchup at 149-lbs is probably one of the more intriguing battles, even though it is not between two ranked grapplers. Sammy Sasso was easily one of the top redshirts in 2019, and he has been stellar in his first year as a starter. Sasso is a bonus point machine, with 8 of his 13 wins contributing for four, or more, team points. Gerard Angelo has seen his fair share of ups and downs this season, but for the most part, Angelo has been a solid contributor for Rutgers. Like Sasso, Angelo has a tendency to find bonus points, usually coming in the form of a pinfall. Angelo has a vicious cradle that he can hit at just about any point in the match. Is it likely that Angelo can lock up Sasso for a pin? No. Is it possible, though? Absolutely.
RESULT: Ohio State via major decision
TEAM SCORE: 8-6 Ohio State leads
157-POUNDS: ELIJAH CLEARY VS. MIKE VAN BRILL
THE SKINNY: If Rutgers is going to pullout an upset win over Ohio State, they are going to need a win here from Mike Van Brill. Van Brill has been streaky this season, but did find the podium at the Southern Scuffle. Van Brill looked his best against his teammate, Rob Kanniard, at the Scuffle. Van Brill was much more aggressive and offensive against Kanniard, and the coaching staff should be telling him that is how he must wrestle from here-on-out. Elijah Cleary is one of the more glaring holes in Ohio State’s lineup. Cleary does not have any notable wins to date, and has wrestled a fairly mild schedule thus far, posting an 11 – 6 record. The toughest obstacle Cleary has seen is Arizona State’s Jacori Temmer, who downed Cleary 6 – 2. Van Brill is very capable of walking away with a win, it is just a matter of which MVB we get tonight.
RESULT: Ohio State via decision
TEAM SCORE: 11 – 6 Ohio State leads
165-POUNDS: NO. 13 ETHAN SMITH VS. BRETT DONNER
THE SKINNY: It seems as if Brett Donner has solidified himself as the starter at 165-lbs, as he out-placed Jackson Turley at the Southern Scuffle. Donner’s reward is No. 13 Ethan Smith. Smith may not be the star in Ohio State’s lineup, but he is a tough out for anyone standing across the mat from him. Smith has a handful of both ranked wins and losses, but his best victory this season came in the dual meet against Virginia Tech, where he defeated multi-time All-American, David McFadden. Smith is very strong, and tough to score on, and has an explosive low, lefty single. This is going to be a tough match for Donner, but he is capable of avoiding bonus.
RESULT: Ohio State via decision
TEAM SCORE: 14 - 6 Ohio State leads
174-POUNDS: NO. 9 KALEB ROMERO VS. NO. 19 JOE GRELLO
THE SKINNY: Grello has desperately needed a marquee win to bolster him out of the top 13 – 20 of the 174-lb rankings, and into the top 12. A win over Kaleb Romero would certainly do the trick. Romero’s most recent win is one of his best this season, as he beat Anthony Valencia in a dominant decision. Romero does have a couple of ranked losses as well, that has kept him outside the coveted top 8. Romero, like Grello, is a methodical worker, but is constantly moving forward in his attack. Romero, being a bit more offensive than Grello, gives him the edge. However, a Joe Grello victory is not an outlandish possibility.
RESULT: Ohio State via decision
TEAM SCORE: 17 – 6 Ohio State leads
184-POUNDS: ROCKY JORDAN VS. BILLY JANZER
THE SKINNY: It seems like since forever ago we’ve seen an Ohio State lineup that did not feature someone with the last name “Jordan”. Just like his brothers before him, Rocky Jordan is a tough and physical wrestler, that is dominant from the top position. On his feet, Jordan prefers to wrestle from an under hook to slow down his opponents’ offense, and get to his own. If there is anyone in this Rutgers lineup that is ready for a challenge, it is Billy Janzer. Janzer is simply a tough kid. His hardnose style makes him a nightmare for opponents, as they will have Janzer in their face for all seven minutes. Jordan started the season at 174-lbs so he is a bit undersized, but would probably still be considered the favorite in this matchup. However, Janzer is definitely capable of picking up a win in a hostile environment, and I think he does here.
RESULT: Rutgers via decision
TEAM SCORE: 17 – 9 Ohio State leads
197-POUNDS: NO. 1 KOLLIN MOORE vs. NO. 17 JORDAN PAGANO
THE SKINNY: Jordan Pagano was wrestling well to start the season, but the senior has struggled as of late. Fans should not be discouraged, though, as Pagano will make adjustments and bounce back. However, tonight is not the night he will figure it all out, as he takes on consensus number one, Kollin Moore. Moore is the total package that you look for in a wrestler. He is tough, he is mean, and he loves to score points from any and all positions. Pagano may be able to weather the storm early, but Moore is going to prove to be too much down the stretch. Hopefully Pagano can keep it to a major or less.
RESULT: Ohio State via major decision
TEAM SCORE: 21-9 Ohio State leads
HWT: GARY TRAUB VS. ALEX ESPOSITO
THE SKINNY: Chirstian Colucci is currently dealing with a minor injury that will keep him out of action for about two more weeks. It is unfortunate Colucci will not be in the lineup tonight, as he would have had a winnable match in Gary Traub. Traub is 15 – 2, but does not have any wins to brag about. That’s not to say that Traub is anything to take lightly, but he certainly does not stand out in a star-studded Ohio State lineup. Despite being one of the weaker links, Traub will most likely be too much for back-up, Alex Espositio. Esposito has shown signs of potential when he has filled in for Colucci, and he does carry quite a large frame. However, there is more development that needs to be done in order for Esposito be a Big Ten quality heavyweight. He should keep it fairly close with Traub, and stay out of bonus.
RESULT: Ohio State via decision
TEAM SCORE: 24-9 Ohio State wins!
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