2026 B1G Tourney Session IV Thread

[Tom McAndrew]

I'm setting this (and all of the B1G Session Threads) the day before the start of the B1G Tourney, so that everyone knows the plans, has the links, etc.

Please use the thread for all pre-tournament, in-session, and post-session discussion for the 2026 B1G Wrestling Tournament.

When:
March 8, 4:30 pm EDT

Where:
Bryce Jordan Center, State College, PA

Action:
Finals, 3rd- & 5th-place matches will take place in this session.

TV:
BTN

Video Streaming:
For BTN subscribers, you can stream it via the FOX Sports App. For B1G+ subscribers, you can also watch there. (This enables you to dictate which mat you watch, whereas with the BTN TV coverage you are at the whim of the BTN producer as to what mat is on the broadcast.)

Audio Streaming:
The radio PBP, with Jeff Byers at the mic, will be streamed for free. They are taking a break of the radio stream between Sessions III and Session IV, and Byers will be back for Session IV at 4:10 pm EDT. (But, they're still using the same link in LionVision that they used for Session III.) To get the PBP via LionVision, go to:

GoPSUsports.com

Once there, click on the 3 horizontal bars in the upper right corner

From the drop-down menu that appears, select the down arrow to the right of Multimedia

Next, select LionVision from the Multimedia drop down menu

On the LionVision screen, click on the arrow to the left of Wrestling: Big Ten Championships (Session 3/4 - one entry) - State College, PA

Team Scoring:
The best place to track the team scoring is the Penn State Wrestling Club web site. The link for the team scoring is:

https://www.pennstatewrestlingclub.org

PBP:
I should be good to provide PBP. I believe @SlipperyPete and @GregPickel will be posting results/doing PBP as well. And as always, anyone else is encouraged to help with that as well. As always, I remind you to please include the score for the match in your posts, or provide some context (wrestler, school, and weight class) beyond just "that's not a takedown." It also helps to give folks a heads up as to what mat a PSU wrestler will be wrestling on. You can usually get that info from Ironhead's audio PBP, from Penn State Wrestling's twitter account, or from TrackWrestling.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[ElDuce]

 

[Sir Pin Alot]

For as much grief as we give Breaden, he's a real trooper. As probably the least heralded recruit in the starting lineup he is an accomplished wrestler and rightly or wrongly leaves it all on the mat. My hats off to him for jumping into the fray when he was expected to sit this year and getting mostly back into wrestling shape. just wanted to give the kid a pat on the back.

 

[District 4]

For as much grief as we give Breaden, he's a real trooper. As probably the least heralded recruit in the starting lineup he is an accomplished wrestler and rightly or wrongly leaves it all on the mat. My hats off to him for jumping into the fray when he was expected to sit this year and getting mostly back into wrestling shape. just wanted to give the kid a pat on the back.

I'll take him over the Beau approach to wrestling

 

[watoos]

Blaze - Davino
SVN - Stiles

Big matches for the B1G title.

 

[gimb14]

Blaze - Davino
SVN - Stiles

Big matches for the B1G title.

why?

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Team Standings, After Session III

1. PSU - 147.5
2. tOSU - 136.5
3. Nebraska - 117.5
4. Iowa - 84
5. Mich. - 76.5
6. Illini - 76
7. Minny - 75.5
8. Rutgers - 62.5
9. Wisky - 51
10. Indy - 40
11. Maryland - 35.5
12. Purdue - 26.5
13. NW - 14.5
14. MSU - 10.5

All but PSU, tOSU, and Nebraska have been eliminated in the race for the team title.

Currently, the max points that the 3 teams still in the competition can attain (they win each match they are in, and their wrestler pins their opponent) are:

PSU - 198.5
tOSU - 169.5
Nebraska - 150.5

PSU has 8 in the finals, tOSU has 3, and Nebraska had 5.

PSU has 0 in the 3rd-place match, tOSU has 5, and Nebraska has 1

PSU has 1 in the 5th-place match, tOSU has 0, and Nebraska has 1

Nebraska is very close to being eliminated in the team title race, as their max score is only 3 points higher than PSU's current score. tOSU's max score is 22 points higher than PSU's current score, so they will be in contention somewhat longer than Nebraska.

 

[Sunshine88!]

why?

We want to Win by the Biggest Margin Possible ! Not just win. Crush the 2nd place team….

 

[gimb14]

We want to Win by the Biggest Margin Possible ! Not just win. Crush the 2nd place team….

please stop

 

[Sunshine88!]

please stop

Just having a little fun gimb.

 

[Scam likely]

In finals what does a decision win get you?

 

[gimb14]

Just having a little fun gimb.

you're spamming and providing no value. I get it's your thing, but it's tiresome

 

[gimb14]

In finals what does a decision win get you?

4

 

[RS17]

why?

Because people don’t understand wrestling math with potential scores. Every year same thing.

 

[watoos]

4

plus any bonus

 

[DWKeller]

why?

tOSU is close to PSU in total points

 

[RS17]

tOSU is close to PSU in total points

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[DWKeller]

that's math

 

[gimb14]

plus any bonus

he asked without

 

[gimb14]

that's math

we could lose both and it still won't be close

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Appears Mat 2 will be used for the Championship matches.

Lilledahl will be wrestling on Mat 2 at the start of Session IV, and Blaze is on deck on the same mat.

Flo only lists 3 assignments per mat, but it's safe to assume that the 8 PSU wrestlers in the finals will be on Mat 2.

It appears that the 3rd-place matches will be on Mat 1, and the 5th-place matches will be on Mat 3. So Mirasola will very likely be on Mat 3 at some point in the session.

 

[mcpat]

plus any bonus

The question was what does a decision get you in the finals. By definition, a decision has no bonus.

 

[watoos]

Because people don’t understand wrestling math with potential scores. Every year same thing.

I understand when you beat your competition, put the boot to them.

I remember back in 2018 when Nationals were at Cleveland and tO$U was the favorite. I was surrounded by rabid Bucknut fans waiting to get into the arena, as the doors opened I said to them, looks like it's your tournament to lose. I have good memories from Cleveland, 1st Nationals for my grandson, he was 6, he has been to every tourney since and is undefeated, when Bo pinned MyMar he simply said, Bo Nickal saved the day.

 

[El_Jefe]

Nebraska is very close to being eliminated in the team title race

And when that happens, which gets redder -- Manning's face or the mullet half of Ferrari's hair?

 

[DWKeller]

we could lose both and it still won't be close

Both? We have the potential to win 9 more matches. If we lose them all and tOSU wins theirs they win.

What is the chance this happen: < .1%. I think we win at least 5 and up to 7. Cool with all 9. My guess is we win by at least 20 points.

 

[johnstownsteel]

WIN has the Big10 and NCAA priming us for Mendez to "steal" the Hodge from Mitch.

 

[mvattivo]

I've been in Florida all week for my son's college baseball. I tried to follow both high school and the BIG's as much as I could. I got home at 1:30am and was tired as hell. I got myself completely caught up watching the BIG replays and our consy matches on BIG+, just in time for the finals! Let's get all 8 and a win from Cole!

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[RS17]

that's math

No it’s not. It’s potential. You’re basically saying someone is about to hit a 12 leg parlay

 

[mcpat]

A tournament with 8 placers is scored as follows:

1st: 16 placement points
2nd: 12 placement points
3rd: 10
4th: 9
5th: 7
6th: 6
7th: 4
8th: 3

In addition, team points are also earned for:

Fall: 2
DQ: 2
MFF: 2
Inj Def: 2
Tech: 1.5
Major: 1
Advancing in the winner’s bracket: 1*
Advancing in consolation bracket: 0.5

*A bye only earns advancement points if you win the next match too

At any point in time, the team score reflects all the points already earned. We have 8 guys that can finish no worse than 2nd; the team score therefore already reflects 12 placement points for each. If they win, it’s another 4 placement points each because 1st is worth 16 points vs 12 for 2nd.

Mirasola can earn one more placement point. At worst, he finishes 6th so the team score already reflects 6 placement points for him. But if he wins and places 5th, he’ll earn 7 team placement points instead of 6, thus 1 more team point for winning.

There are no more bracket advancement points to earn; only additional placement points and bonus points.

Wrestlers wrestling for 9th plus are wrestling for allocations only; there are no more team points earned once eliminated from the ability to place 8th or better. Not even for bonus point wins.

A team with 8 1st round byes lost 8 opportunities to earn bonus points against 8 low seeded wrestlers. It’s a glitch in the matrix.

 

[DWKeller]

WIN has the Big10 and NCAA priming us for Mendez to "steal" the Hodge from Mitch.

the pregame show is doing the same. Mendez was mentioned as 1a for the Hodge

 

[DWKeller]

No it’s not. It’s potential. You’re basically saying someone is about to hit a 12 leg parlay

Just read what Tom entered above

Team Standings, After Session III

1. PSU - 147.5
2. tOSU - 136.5

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[johnstownsteel]

the pregame show is doing the same. Mendez was mentioned as 1a for the Hodge

Makes me sick. I love that Cael throws digs at WIN Magazine because it's deserved.

 

[Mstan85]

Current view

 

[AgSurfer]

It’s 1:30 on the West Coast and my wife wanted me to do a bunch of chores. Think I agreed to that?

 

[OhioLion]

Not able to Jeff B on Lion Vision!!
Am I the Lone Ranger?

 

[Nikko57]

Loud and clear