The Complete ILLINI Wrestling Schedule

 

Above you have the nonconference duals and tournaments. Below is the full schedule, as I've added on the conference and NCAA tournaments to what you can find at FightingILLINI.com here. Of course, at the website, you can also click on a "History" link for each opponent, which will give you complete results over the last ten or so duals and an idea about how the rivalry is shaping up recently.  

I've already done mini-previews of the nonconference matches here, here, here and here. I'm going to do a mini-preview of each Big Ten dual below and save the full length award-winning previews for match week. 

Before that, though, we have to acknowledge the coaching staff for getting out lineups well before they are traditionally announced, and commend the coaches, the ILLINI athletic department and the B1G for getting out schedules so early. Great job! 

IOWA

Wow, is there anybody or anything you hate more than Iowa? I hate Iowa worse than just about everything except Cancer and The Disney Channel. When there's an unsolved crime down here in Myrtle Beach, I always call the tip line and suggest that it was committed by the University of Iowa. Once, I even picked Iowa out of a police lineup. 

OFFICER: [Speaking into microphone] "Step forward #5. [Turning to me] Now, are you sure you saw this university commit the crime."

ME: "Yes, Officer, I'm positive." 

The dual will be in Carver Hawkeye Arena, where home-cooking is expected. Wrestlestat.com, also known for favoring the Hawkeyes, has the match 32-3. That's a larf. Besides Lucas Byrd, there should be some good competitive matches between Kevon Davenport or Jake Harrier and Max Murin, Danny Braunagel versus Patrick Kennedy, Edmond Ruth facing Nelson Brands, Dylan Connell and Abe Assad, and finally Zac Braunagel versus Jacob Warner. 

Although heavy underdogs, I can't wait to see the ILLINI wrestle-off winner at 125 versus Spencer Lee, Danny Pucino against Real Woods, and WroboCop dancing around Skinny Cass. 

WISCONSIN

This will be a home meet for the ILLINI at Assembly Hall. The last time Wisconsin was there for a dual, they left with a big, fat "L." This'll be another tough match for the good guys. 

The Badgers have a tough team with some top ten wrestlers, but they also have a couple of holes in their lineup. Wrestlestat.com has it as a 27-6 win for the bad guys; only Lucas Byrd beating Taylor Lamont and Zac Braunagel beating Braxton Amos. 

The holes in the Badger roster will line up across from Dylan Connell and Edmond Ruth. I like our chances there, and just one more upset, and we got ourselves a thriller. 

PURDUE

The ILLINI are only 5-2 against Purdue in the last seven duals. In their last 19, ILLINOIS is 16-3, which is better, but not good enough! Last season, the Boilermakers won. That might be the last win for them in a long stretch. 

Andre at Wrestlestat.com is calling for a 23-11 win for the school from the Land of Lincoln. 

That score does give all the breaks to the ILLINI, with wins by Danny Pucino over Parker Filius, and Zac Braunagel over Thomas Penola. I can see both happening, even though Filius has a win over Dylan Duncan in the past, and Penola will be one of the bigger (if not the biggest) 197er that Big Brawny will see all year. Penola also has wins over WroboCop and Luffman. 

On the other hand, Wrestlestat.com picks a NC State transfer named Jacob Null to beat Edmond Ruth. Null had a nice redshirt year, but I doubt he's good enough to beat Ruth. The Purdue dual will be at home, which should also help ILLINOIS. 

NORTHWESTERN

In my never ending quest to upset former Wildcat Mike Tamillow, let me quote FightingILLINI.com for the proposition that ILLINOIS has a 17-2 record against Northwestern in the last 19 duals. 

For some reason, Wrestlestat.com is predicting a win for the Wildcats by the score of 21-9. The only ILLINI who win are supposedly Lucas Byrd and both of the Brawlnagels. I don't see Edmond Ruth losing to Troy Fisher, unless the latter has markedly improved since last year, and I don't see Dylan Connell losing to Jack Jessen. Moreover, the algorithm has Frankie Tal-Shahar beating Danny Pucino, who is 1-0 against his NW foe with a somewhat easy 6-2 victory. 

The dual is at Northwestern, so they've got that going for them. DeAugustino versus the ILLINI wrestle-off winner at 125 will be a good match, and it is always fun to see the look of resignation on Chris Cannon's face as he's about to lose, yet again, to Lucas Byrd. 

MARYLAND

The state was called the Maryland Colony starting in 1632. Before the American Revolution in 1776, it was the Province of Maryland. It is named after Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of England's King Charles I. 

This, of course, means that Maryland has had 246 years to zip into court and get a quick name change to anything other than the tyrant queen we fought a bloody war against! I'm disgusted with these people. 

Wrestlestat.com is calling for a 22-12 win for the Orange and Blue. The Terps will supposedly win at 125, 157, 174 and 285. I personally think that whoever wins the wrestle-off at 125 will beat Braxton Brown. His best win as a redshirt freshman was against the #47-rated wrestler, and his next-best win was against #72. 

Edmond Ruth will not lose to this jamoke from Maryland. On the other hand, I agree that Matt Wroblewski will have a tough battle against Jaron Smith who is also moving up to heavyweight from 197, and who beat him last year 6-1. This will be a home dual for the ILLINI. 

MINNESOTA

Next the ILLINI travel up north to the Target Center to face the Gophers. Wrestlestat.com has this as a 21-12 win for the Northmen, but I think this will be much, much closer. First of all, Danny Pucino will shock the world with a win over #3 Jake Bergeland. Next up, Kevon Davenport or Jake Harrier will get the mild upset over Michael Blockhus. 

Then, Edmond Ruth and Dylan Connell will have tight matches over their opponents, who are favored at this time, but maybe not by the time the dual rolls around. If the ILLINI win two of those four matches, they win the dual, as long as everybody else holds serve. (That includes a tough match between a favored Danny Braunagel and Minnesota's Andrew Sparks). 

Of course, all bets are off if Gable Steveson magically appears in the lineup. 

NEBRASKA 

How I hate them. They are an ugly people, much like the English, with funny accents and teeth growing out at strange angles but without the stylish haircuts. I want to beat these guys pretty bad, as the ILLINI are 1-7 in their last eight against the Huskers. 

Wrestlestat.com's prognostication calls for a 23-12 win for the visiting Nebraska squad. This is almost exactly how the score ended up last season (23-11). 

The big match here will be between Ridge Lovett and Kevon Davenport. (Even if Jake Harrier wins the starting spot, you can bet that Kevon wants this shot at Lovett). The other marquee matchup pits Edmond Ruth versus Mikey Labriola. Pennsylvania kids with Pennsylvania grudges to settle. 

Nebraska will have new faces from 184 to heavyweight, so this is the year to start beating these guys. 

MICHIGAN STATE

The Spartans are actually favored to beat the ILLINI by Wrestlestat.com. I won't believe that until I see it. 

For one thing, they have the marquee matchup all wrong with DJ Shannon beating Edmond Ruth! Okay, not lying, that'll be a fun match, but I have to think Ruth will be favored by then. 

The other marquee matchups will be Lucas Byrd versus RayVon Foley and Zac Braunagel versus Cam Caffey. Byrd is 1-0 against Foley with a 5-2 win, while Big Brawny is 1-2 versus Caffey. This match will be on the road in East Lansing. 

Whoever wrestles at 125 for the ILLINI: Catch the leg that Tristan Lujan will try to put in. Then, get the reversal. Don't let some punk-*** leg rider beat you! 

CONCLUSION

The ILLINI have what looks like a very exciting team. There are quite a few new faces, and there will be growing pains. There may be even more new faces pending wrestle-offs at 125 and 157. 

This is a very tough tournament and dual schedule. 

In my mind, the ILLINI will be favored in duals against Buffalo, Pitt, UTC, Maryland, Purdue, Michigan State and Northwestern. Of course, Wrestlestat.com disagrees with those last two. 

But even against Iowa, there will be fantastic and interesting matches during the whole dual. The coaches set up some serious challenges for their wrestlers. Coach Poeta could've taken the Indiana route and filled the nonconference schedule with Franklin & Marshall and Presbyterian and Citadel, but instead, the ILLINI have Iowa State and NC State and Pitt. 

GO ILLINI!!!