Which Conf. Has Easiest Track to Nationals?

[JonDMiller]

The age old debate.

Here is some interesting data from WIN Magazine

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21.8% of the qualifiers to nationals will come from the 11 Big 10 teams. 46.3% of the Top 8 ranked wrestlers in all weight classes are in the Big Ten.

11.5% of the qualifiers to nationals will come from 5 Big 12 teams. 21.25% of the Top 8 ranked wrestlers in all weight classes are from the Big 12.

To get closer to an equal comparison, double the Big 12's percentage totals, to emulate 10 teams, which is still one team shy of the Big Ten's 11 teams.

That gets you to 23% of the qualifiers, and 42.50% of the Top 8 Ranked. Neither of those numbers paints a picture that supports the claim that the Big Ten gets treated better than the Big 12. In fact, one could argue the opposite effectively.

In the end, the stats, rankings, number of ranked wrestlers is probably about where it needs to be with regards to who sends who to nationals.

Being at 165 in the Big 12 is a pretty tough draw, with 4 Top 8 ranked wrestlers. 184 and 197 have three. But 7 of the 10 weights in the B12 have no more than 2 ranked wrestlers in them, with 6 of the 10 having one or none.

[theshadow]

Assuming no upsets in the conference tournaments...

If you're a ranked wrestler: Even. Neither conference would leave ranked guys at home.

If you're an unranked wrestler: Big Televen, but only slightly, for this season. 11% of their qualifiers (8) will be unranked, compared to the Big 12's 5% (2).

Big 12 - 5 teams, 38 qualifiers (top 3 at each weight, plus 8 wild cards)
Big Televen - 11 teams, 72 qualifiers (top 7 at each weight, plus 2 wild cards)

Using InterMat's latest rankings (Feb. 26):

Big 12
125 - #4 Donahoe (NU), #14 Clark (ISU), #15 Fio (OU); WC-#16 Shinn (OSU)
133 - #1 Scott (OSU), #7 Fanthorpe (ISU), #10 Jordan (NU); WC-#20 McCormick (MU)
141 - #3 Morgan (OSU), #12 Gallick (ISU), #16 Bailey (OSU)
149 - #7 Burroughs (NU), #14 Wagner (MU), #17 Rowe (OU)
157 - #12 Chandler (MU), #13 Sanderson (ISU), #17 Terry (OU); WC-#20 McSpadden (OSU)
165 - #2 Marable (MU), #5 Dieffenbach (OSU), #7 Dwyer (NU); WC-#8 Reader (ISU)
174 - #5 Browne (NU), #8 Mason (OSU), NR wrestler
184 - #1 Varner (ISU), #5 Jordan (MU), #6 Weitzel (OU); WC-#13 Jones (NU)
197 - #7 Askren (MU), #8 Brester (NU), #9 Flaggert (OU); WC-#16 Bertolino (ISU)
HWT - #5 Zabriskie (ISU), #7 Rosholt (OSU), #11 Ellis (MU); WC-#14 May (NU)

TOTAL: 29/30 auto bids; 7/8 wild cards; 36/38 (95%) total spots to ranked wrestlers; 0 ranked wrestlers left out

Big Televen
125 - #1 Ness (MN), #2 Falck (IA), #3 Escobedo (IN), #5 Precin (NW), #8 Flores (IL), #9 McKnight (PS), #20 Cudd (WI)
133 - #3 Kennedy (IL), #4 Slaton (IA), #5 Gomez (MS), #8 Tanelli (WI), #9 Reiter (MN), #12 Hernandez (IN), #13 Humphrey (OS)
141 - #4 Russell (MI), #5 Ruschell (WI), #6 LeClere (IA), #7 Jaggers (OS), #8 Rivera (MN), #10 Scott (PS), #14 Sulzer (NW); WC-#15 Prater (IL)
149 - #1 Metcalf (IA), #3 Schlatter (MN), #4 Churella (MI), #5 Jenkins (PS), #6 Palmer (OS), #10 Patacsil (PU), #11 Lang (NW)
157 - #2 Poeta (IL), #3 Vallimont (PS), #4 Becker (IN), #5 Henning (WI), #6 Schlatter (MN), #15 Marsh (MI), #16 Morningstar (IA)
165 - #1 Perry (IA), #3 Tannenbaum (MI), #11 Safratowich (MN), #12 Sponseller (OS), #15 Coughlin (IN), NR wrestler, NR wrestler
174 - #2 Luke (MI), #3 Borschel (IA), #11 Dretsch (MN), #12 Hayes (NW), #15 Dergo (IL), #16 Erwin (PS), #17 Corpe (PU)
184 - #2 Pucillo (OS), #3 Todd (MI), #7 Keddy (IA), #9 Kish (MN), #14 Bomberger (PS), NR wrestler, NR wrestler
197 - #2 Tamillow (NW), #3 Davis (PS), #6 Herbst (WI), #11 Bond (IL), #15 Williams (MS), #19 Biondo (MI), NR wrestler
HWT - #1 Bergman (OS), #2 Massey (WI), #3 Fox (NW), #6 Fields (IA), #13 Wise (IL), NR wrestler, NR wrestler

TOTAL: 63/70 auto bids; 1/2 wild cards; 64/72 (89%) total spots to ranked wrestlers; 0 ranked wrestlers left out

[JonDMiller]

In looking at these numbers some more, there are 40 top 20 wrestlers in the B12. Only 38 will make it to nationals. So at least two will not make it. That's pretty rough.

[theshadow]

I take it you're sticking by the WIN rankings. I believe the InterMat/NWCA rankings are considered the more official of the two services.

[Bobber]

The wrestling equation always has been very confusing for me Jon. So you're saying in round about way the Big 10 has a slightly easier track?

[troyrew]

I would say its weight dependent in both conferences.