Weekend Special: Who Should be on Upset Alert?

Saturday's Games to Watch

West Virginia @ #4 Syracuse - 1:00PM, ESPNU

The key matchup here will be how Syracuse handles West Virginia star Kevin Jones inside. The Orange are without Fab Melo once again, so they will need their other big men to step up defensively and on the glass. Jones as been an absolute force in Big East play this season. If the Mountaineers have a shot at the upset, they will need Jones to be that stellar again.

Texas @ #7 Baylor - 1:00PM, CBS

Texas is an improving young team that is fully capable of pulling an upset. However, they will play an angry Baylor team that is coming off its first two losses of the season. If they Bears exploit their advantage inside, they should get the win.

#16 Mississippi State @ #13 Florida - 1:30PM, ESPN3

Mississippi State has the size and strength inside to possibly give Florida some trouble. The Gators guards have been playing great and their team defense has stepped up in a big way as of late. This game should give us a better picture of both teams chances in March.

#5 Kansas @ Iowa State - 2:00PM, ESPN

This is a popular upset pick among the experts. Iowa State has an edge on the perimeter with their great guard play. They also have a big man in Royce White, who is capable of holding Kansas stud Thomas Robinson in check. The Hilton Coliseum should be on a full tilt, so Kansas is going to have to play very well in order to exit as the victors.

Middle Tennessee @ Vanderbilt - 2:00PM

This is a statement game for Middle Tennessee. They have a 20-2 record overall and are 9-0 in Sun Belt Conference play. However, this is there last chance to get a signature non-conference win. Vanderbilt has had their ups and downs all season. It will be interesting to see how they play against an amped up Blue Raiders team.

Cincinnati @ Rutgers - 6:00PM, ESPN3

Cincinnati was cruising having won 10 out of 11 games. But then they dropped their last two prior to this one. Rutgers has had their moments this season and have shown signs of hope for the future. The Scarlet Knights would love to get another quality win under their belts. It will be interesting to see how the Bearcats bounce back. If they are going to be a serious contender, this is a must win game.

#20 St. Mary's @ BYU - 9:00PM, ESPNU

St. Mary's convincingly won the first matchup of these two teams. The Gaels are currently looking like the favorites to win the West Coast Conference. BYU is currently sitting square on the bubble. They have a solid record, but a lack of quality wins. If they were able to pull the upset here, this would be a big step in the right direction.

Marshall @ Memphis - 9:00PM, CSS

Both of these teams are near the top of what is a crowded Conference USA standings. Marshall had some solid wins early in the season and even competed well at the Carrier Dome with Syracuse. As of late, the Thundering Herd have stumbled a bit, losing three in a row. On the other hand, Memphis is playing some of its best basketball right now. The Tigers are winners of eight of their last nine. This is an intriguing matchup with clear conference implications.

Sunday's Games to Watch

Notre Dame @ #19 Connecticut - 12:00PM, ESPN3

Connecticut won the previous matchup in South Bend in convincing fashion, but much has changed since then. Notre Dame upset Syracuse handing them their first and only loss of the season so far. The Fighting Irish are playing with a lot of confidence right now. Conversely, Connecticut has lost four out of their last six. The Huskies are looking to return to form. This is another statement game for both of these teams.

#22 Michigan @ #3 Ohio State - 1:00PM, CBS

Everyone normally talks about this rivalry in reference to a football game, but this is matchup of two Top 25 teams among the top of the Big Ten. Michigan has had their ups and downs, but are 3-2 against Top 25 teams, including a big win over in-state rival Michigan State. Ohio State has looked dominant at times, but there has also been a couple of pitfalls in their schedule so far this season. The Buckeyes will look to Jared Sullinger to lead the way once again. He is coming off a big game in a win over Penn State.

Wrestling in Iowa Isn't Just Political

While there has been a lot of political wrestling going on because of the state's recent caucus, the sport of collegiate wrestling has had a foothold in the state of Iowa for a long time. The state's very first title was won by little Cornell College in 1947. Many of the state's schools today still have fine wrestling programs. In fact, the state of Iowa collectively has an opportunity to do something a state has never done in NCAA history before. That is having the number one ranked team in the Division I, Division II, and Division III polls in the same sport.

Call Iowa stubborn if you wish, but Iowans are proud of their wrestling. "Wrestling is part of the culture. In just about every small town in the state wrestling is the top program. A lot of the sport's icons come from Iowa," commented Cornell coach Mike Duroe. The legend of state lore is Dan Gable. Gable won two NCAA titles for Iowa State, an Olympic gold medal in 1972, and coached Iowa to 15 team championships. In regards to this, Wartburg head coach Jim Miller said, "I think the state of Iowa has always taken pride in college athletics. You can drive across the state and see school emblems on barns, see the schools they are supporting. It really blew up with Gable. He raised the awareness of the non-wrestling fans and made them acknowledge that we weren't just seeing the best in the country but the best in the world."

Let's begin are look at Iowan collegiate wrestling today with the small schools, Division III. But just because they are small does not mean, they don't take it seriously. In case you didn't know, NCAA Division III schools aren't allowed to give athletic scholarships, which means that all these guys are wrestling because of their love for the sport. Five Iowan schools are currently in the top 16 of the NWCA rankings, led by #1 Wartburg. This comes as no surprise as the Knights have won eight DIII titles since 1996, including three of the last four. The state's other ranked schools are #5 Coe, #6 Cornell, #11 Luther, and #16 Dubuque.

The only Division II school in Iowa is Upper Iowa. Since joining DII in 2005, the Peacocks have been flexing their muscle on the mat. They are currently #2 in the DII polls. Upper Iowa head coach Heath Grimm understands the importance of maintaining success no matter who you are competing against. Grimm stated that, "Coaches have a big responsibility to continue with that tradition."

Then, there are the big boys of Division I, University of Iowa, Iowa State, and Northern Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones are currently on the outskirts of the rankings looking in. Everyone in DI though is looking up at the #1 Iowa Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes are 6-0 as a team so far and have been wrestling very well.

Now, let's look at what this means in retrospect to this weekend. DIII #1 Wartburg looks to hold its spot atop the rankings when they travel to Springfield, Illinois to North Central College to take on the hosts, Dubuque, and other schools. DII #2 Upper Iowa hopes to surpass #1 Newberry with a win at the National Duals. DI #1 University of Iowa plays host to #2 Oklahoma State on Saturday night. This means that if the Knights, Peacocks, and Hawkeyes all win this weekend, the next NWCA polls to be released will feature an Iowan school atop each of their respective divisions.