1) Penn State

The Nittany Lions are the best team in the conference, and it will take a major hiccup by Cael Sanderson’s team to not walk out of Carver-Hawkeye with the team title

2) Iowa

However, if Penn State is to mess up things royally, it should be the Hawkeyes that take advantage. It’ll take a lot, but there is a chance.

3) Ohio State

Logan Stieber no longer holds things down for the Buckeyes, but they still have more than enough weapons to factor into the championship race.

4) Illinois

Illinois’ 4-5 record in conference meets is a bit misleading when looking at the individual talent on the team. The Illini have four wrestlers with serious shots at making the championship finals.

5) Michigan

Between 184-pounder Dom Abounader and heavyweight Adam Coon, there is potential the Wolverines could make a little noise. The problem (and thing that keeps them out of serious contender status) is depth.

6) Nebraska

It was actually really tempting to put Nebraska after Illinois, but the simple fact of the matter is that the Cornhuskers just aren’t there yet as a program.

7) Rutgers

The middle of the Big Ten is very much a cluttered mess this year, and the Scarlet Knights have been in the middle of it. Rutgers doesn’t have a bunch of elite talent, but they do have guys that can make things interesting.

8) Minnesota

The Gopher’s are definitely down this season, but Brett Pfarr (197) and Tommy Thorn (141) should keep Minnesota fans awake through Sunday. Maybe.

9) Wisconsin

The Badgers 165-pound No. 1 seed Isaac Jordan might get another crack at his cousin Bo, who is the No. 2 seed. That honestly might be the most interesting thing that happens in Wisconsin wrestling this weekend.

10) Purdue

The Boilermakers aren’t quite a mess this season, but the lack of both elite wrestlers and relative depth will send them to the bottom of the team rankings.

11) Indiana

It seemed at the beginning of the season that Indiana might be able to swing itself into the top half of the Big Ten, but it hasn’t happened yet.

12) Maryland

The bottom of the Big Ten is a massive well of sadness. Lou Mascola and Geoff Alexander will not change that.

13) Northwestern

While they haven’t won a conference meet this year, Northwestern is still better off than Michigan State. That should tell you a lot about the Spartan wrestling program.

14) Michigan State

It’s really difficult to get negative points at the NCAA Tournament, but the Spartans managed it last year. How low can this team sink? Stay tuned.