Ohio State may hold a commanding 17-point lead in the NCAA Wrestling Championships entering the semifinals (tonight at 8 p.m. on ESPN), but holding on to take the school's first ever team crown will not be easy.
| Place | School | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OHIO STATE | 64.5 |
| 2 | IOWA | 47.5 |
| 3 | MISSOURI | 45 |
| 4 | CORNELL | 41.5 |
| 5 | EDINBORO | 40.5 |
| 6 | NEBRASKA | 36.5 |
| 7 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 36 |
| 8 | PENN STATE | 33.5 |
| 9 | MINNESOTA | 29.5 |
| 10 | ILLINOIS | 26.5 |
| 10 | MICHIGAN | 26.5 |
Although the Buckeyes have five wrestlers in the semifinals after going five for five in the quarterfinals, only senior Logan Stieber (141 pounds) is likely to be favored. One of the most important matches in deciding the title will be Ohio State freshman Kyle Snyder against defending NCAA champion Champ Cox of Missouri at 197.
The Tigers were one of the favorites entering the tournament, and sit third in the team standings with 45 points, but Missouri had a wrestler disqualified and lost his four points. Otherwise, the Tigers would sit second behind Ohio State (64.5 points). Instead, it is perennial power Iowa in second place (47.5 points).
It seems likely that someone other than Stieber will have to step up in order for the Buckeyes to claim the crown. Both Iowa and Missouri still have multiple wrestlers competing for individual titles.
We'll know a lot more after tonight's important session.
