Blue White Illustrated

THREE TIMES THE CHARM? The conference is loaded with talent. But Penn State's roster is, too Three seasons of the Cael Sanderson era are in the books, and it's tough to imagine his success rate continuing to increase. He's led Penn State to two national championships and two conference titles and has coached four individual NCAA champs, and last season's championship run was even more emphatic than the one that preceded it. So it's strange to think that the 2012-13 campaign could be the most dominant of them all, but that's how it goes. From top to bottom, this year's squad might boast the most talented and experienced starting lineup since Sanderson arrived in Happy Valley. Six starters are ranked among the top five in the country at their respective weight classes, and five All-Americans return. While this could and should be the first undefeated dual-meet season for Sanderson at Penn State, the Big Ten is also the deepest it's been since his arrival in 2009. "The Big Ten is always very competitive," he said. "Just thinking back, the last six national championships came from the Big Ten. Six in a row. You've gotta be ready for the Big Ten. There are great teams, and there are up-and-coming teams and they're all great programs. "We've gotta be at our best. Every match." LAST SEASON Penn State finished atop the Big Ten with a 7-1 dual-meet record – its only loss was to Minnesota in the league opener – before roaring to the conference and NCAA tournament championships. Individually, the team finished with three Big Ten and national titles and crowned six BIG TEN PREVIEW CAEL SANDERSON "The Big Ten is always very competitive. We've gotta be at our best. Every match." All-Americans. David Taylor (165) won the 2012 Hodge Trophy, wrestling's equivalent of the Heisman, and Sanderson was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. FAVORITES The Nittany Lions return three national champions and have eight of their 10 starters ranked in the top 15 heading into the Big Ten season, so they are primed to contend for the Big Ten and NCAA crowns. Minnesota finished second to the Lions at last season's NCAA tourney and will probably be their toughest challenger. Iowa can never be counted out of a championship race, especially with two of its wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the country at their respective weight classes. DARK HORSES Ohio State has hauled in three of the conference's best recruiting classes in recent years, and those blue-chippers will comprise most of the Buckeyes' lineup this season. They have a returning national champion and several other highly rated young guns. The Bucks jumpstarted the season with a victory at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, arguably the third-best regular-sea- son tournament of the year. Look out for Illinois, too. Ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten, the Illini finished fourth at the league tournament last season. Is 2012-13 the season they crack the conference's top three? MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER CANDIDATES Juniors Taylor and Ed Ruth (184) should cruise through their respective Big Ten campaigns. Both are two-time Big Ten champions and are favored to repeat. If the past two seasons are any indication, they will probably do so in dominating fashion. Iowa's three-time national finalist Matt McDonough (125) has to be included on this list, too, and Ohio State's Logan Stieber (133), a defending NCAA champ who opened the season with 12 consecutive wins and a Big Ten Wrestler of the Week citation, is already on his way to the top. And is there anyone out there who can defeat Minnesota heavyweight Tony Nelson? PENN STATE'S CHANCES You've gotta like them. The Lions are ranked No. 1 in the country in every major poll heading into the conference slate. The team's blue-chip recruits – Nico Megaludis (125), Andrew Alton (149), Dylan Alton (157), Taylor, Ruth and Quentin Wright (197) – all have at least one year of postseason experience, meaning that this has the potential to be the highest-scoring campaign of the Sanderson era. But Minnesota, the No. 2 team in most polls, matches up well against Penn State, even though they don't face each other in dual-meet competition. The conference also has to be prepared for the youth-dominated Ohio State roster and an angry squad of Hawkeyes, who absolutely are not used to being the third wheel in the Big Ten. – T.O.

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