I can't wait!!

[bourbon n blues]

I don’t understand the vitriol. Intermat has us over 30 back on paper and PSU consistently shows up much better in March than Iowa. Why is it such heresy to think we won’t be within 20? Have you even bothered to look at where the rankings are coming in?

True overall, I looked back at victory margins and 2018 what’s the last false tournament. If you go back through that you’ll see Penn State had close tournament wins early on during this current run.
You play the season for a reason, people get hurt, some guys break out, you never know.

 

[Inthecircle]

I don’t understand the vitriol. Intermat has us over 30 back on paper and PSU consistently shows up much better in March than Iowa. Why is it such heresy to think we won’t be within 20? Have you even bothered to look at where the rankings are coming in?

You are missing the point. My apologies if I hurt your feelings. This is about enthusiasm for the current year. While it may be akin to the boy whistling in the dark, let us whistle.
If it makes you feel better, you’re probably right.

 

[SPOONER]

You are missing the point. My apologies if I hurt your feelings. This is about enthusiasm for the current year. While it may be akin to the boy whistling in the dark, let us whistle.
If it makes you feel better, you’re probably right.

That's a fair point. I appreciate the explanation.

 

[MSU158]

You are missing the point. My apologies if I hurt your feelings. This is about enthusiasm for the current year. While it may be akin to the boy whistling in the dark, let us whistle.
If it makes you feel better, you’re probably right.

You can still be incredibly enthusiastic, while being ok with ending up behind by a bit more than 20. If they were to lose by, lets say, 25, that would be more than a 75 point gain from last year. That would be a MASSIVE improvement. This is especially true considering PSU would be returning the following finishers: Starocci(4X Champ), Kerkvliet( 7-4-2-1), Haines(2-1), Bartlett(3-2), Mesenbrink(2), Van Ness(3), Kasak(3), Nagao(5).

So, that is 5 returning Finalists, 2 more top 3's and a top 5 AA. On top of that, you have top 5 lb for lb recruits like Lilledahl, Barr and Facundo to fill in spots depending on any possible redshirting or weight changes. They just broke the scoring record and have, arguably, just as good of a team this year.

I know Spooner can be a bit of a "downer", but the fact he said 20 instead of 50 is actually a pretty good sign!

 

[Inthecircle]

You can still be incredibly enthusiastic, while being ok with ending up behind by a bit more than 20. If they were to lose by, lets say, 25, that would be more than a 75 point gain from last year. That would be a MASSIVE improvement. This is especially true considering PSU would be returning the following finishers: Starocci(4X Champ), Kerkvliet( 7-4-2-1), Haines(2-1), Bartlett(3-2), Mesenbrink(2), Van Ness(3), Kasak(3), Nagao(5).

So, that is 5 returning Finalists, 2 more top 3's and a top 5 AA. On top of that, you have top 5 lb for lb recruits like Lilledahl, Barr and Facundo to fill in spots depending on any possible redshirting or weight changes. They just broke the scoring record and have, arguably, just as good of a team this year.

I know Spooner can be a bit of a "downer", but the fact he said 20 instead of 50 is actually a pretty good sign!

Those are the facts. Unfortunately 2020 and last years Gamble-gate leave the true results as mysteries. The Hawks wouldn’t have won last year, however the distance would not have been 100 points.

 

[MSU158]

Those are the facts. Unfortunately 2020 and last years Gamble-gate leave the true results as mysteries. The Hawks wouldn’t have won last year, however the distance would not have been 100 points.

No argument from me. I have argued on here quite a bit that Iowa was the clear #2 last year, if not for the gambling fiasco. I have also made it clear that Covid hurt Iowa in a myriad of different ways and no team was hurt nearly as significantly.

I know many in wrestling like to use the “You make your own luck” adage, but I struggle mightily to see how they could have averted that run of bad luck, preventing a global pandemic and being the only state in the country where schools were investigated for gambling…

 

[bourbon n blues]

Looks like 9 titles have been decided by less than 20 points since the 2000 tourney. Most teams have been winning by fairly big margins, even in the 1980s and 1990. 6 titles in that time frame were decided by less than 20 points. And everyone knows the dominant team back in that time frame. I think it has to be a combination of PSU falling off and Iowa really moving up to close the gap to that degree.

 

[LIV4GOD]

I know many in wrestling like to use the “You make your own luck” adage, but I struggle mightily to see how they could have averted that run of bad luck, preventing a global pandemic and being the only state in the country where schools were investigated for gambling…

You are correct, sir. The covid and gambling fiasco was unprecedented.

And their injuries after winning the natty, was imo, also unprecedented. I've never seen such a devastation to a team.