Most people watch college football on New Year's Day. But wrestling fans know where the real action will be on Tuesday morning: Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Watch the 2019 Southern Scuffle Live on Flo

January 1-2 | 10:00 AM Eastern

Now in its 16th year, and eighth time being hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Southern Scuffle is one of the premier events every year in college wrestling. We're looking at approximately 50 ranked athletes, not to mention several highly touted redshirts.

As we regularly do with major tournaments like this, the previews are being separated into light, middle, and upperweights. Starting off with 125, 133, and 141, let's see who the studs are, who could cause some ruckus, and make some predictions.

125 Pounds

Contenders

#4 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State), RSJR: 13-0

#18 Gabe Townsell (Stanford), JR: 9-4

In The Mix

Shakur Laney (Ohio), RSJR: 4-3

Rico Montoya (Northern Colorado), RSSR: 6-2

Fabian Gutierrez (Chattanooga), RSSO: 12-2

Alex Mackall (Iowa State), RSSO: 9-2

Dark Horses

Sidney Flores (Air Force), FR: 8-5

Jon Tropea (Rider), RSSO: 9-3

Jakob Camacho (NC State), FR: 13-1

Brody Teske (Penn State), FR: 0-0

Commentary: Nick Piccininni is in a much different stage of his career compared to the last time he was at the Scuffle. Then a redshirt freshman, he walked in as the six seed with only five varsity matches against other D1 wrestlers under his belt. The seed would prove accurate, as he hit a hard semi-slide to finish sixth; he would go on to place fourth that year at the national tournament.

Looking back at his 2017 Scuffle, his day one performance was buoyed by fast starts, scoring over half his points in the first period. But on day two, Picc scored just a single point in the first period of his three matches, implying that he was easier to gameplan and make adjustments for. Now a more patient and varied wrestler, I expect the Cowboy junior to put up consistent points in all three periods.

The man he lost to for fifth place that year is the only other ranked wrestler in the bracket. That 4-3 match was the only meeting between Piccininni and Gabe Townsell in college. Townsell has yo-yoed in and out of the rankings, up and down the list, but has twice made it to the big show. The Stanford junior isn’t going to put up a lot of points, he has just nine bonus point wins in his career, but he is a major pain to wrestle due to his sound positioning from a Greco background combined with quick strike ability. He's also the only returning placer at 125.

After those two, there are some salty upperclassmen hoping to leave their mark. Guys like Rico Montoya and Shakur Laney have pretty impressive hit lists, but haven’t necessarily put it all together. Laney has a ranked win this year over Michael McGee and is very clearly a landmine in any tournament he enters. The Northern Colorado staff is very high on Montoya after dropping down from 133, but after getting majored by Hofstra's Dylan Ryder, the expectations may have cooled a bit. Montoya was fourth here last year at 133.

A guy I’ve had my eye on all year will be wrestling in his home gym: Fabian Gutierrez. It took him three years, but he’s finally taking control of the 125lb spot at UTC. He can put guys on their back, having pinned Shakur Laney, Alonzo Allen, Elijah Oliver, Joey Melendez, and Tommy Cox this season. Allen, an NCAA qualifier last year, will also be wrestling for the Mocs.

I’m very curious to see how Sidney Flores fares in this field. All his losses are to ranked guys, so this is a great opportunity to prove he is above qualifier level and someone who can put some points on the board for Air Force at NCAAs. Fellow Big 12 lightweight Alex Mackall has yet to wrestle any big names besides Spencer Lee, but could make the Iowa State staff look wise after picking up the transfer this summer.

I put Brody Teske and Jakob Camacho as dark horses, but there are several other redshirts who we'll have our eye one: Cevion Severado (Missouri), Jace Koelzer (Northern Colorado), and Jaret Lane (Lehigh). Camacho's only loss thus far is to Steven Bulzomi of Binghamton, who is in a battle for the starting spot with Audey Ashkar. It will be Teske's collegiate debut.

Nomad's Picks

1) Piccininni, OKST   2) Flores, AFA   3) Townsell, STAN   4) Laney, OHIO

133 Pounds

Contenders

#7 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State), RSFR: 12-0

#10 Austin Gomez (Iowa State), RSFR: 6-0

#17 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State), FR: 7-0

In The Mix

#20 Sean Nickell (CSU Bakersfield), RSSR: 11-5

Mario Guillen (Ohio), RSSO: 5-1

Mason Pengilly (Stanford), RSSR: 1-0

Dark Horses

Casey Cobb (Navy), SO: 13-4

Matt Kazimir (Columbia), FR: 10-2

Chris Wright (Rider), FR: 6-3

Commentary: A year ago, Daton Fix was at this tournament and supposed to wrestle 125, but did not end up competing, perhaps the only time we can ever remember Fix not wrestling a major event for any reason. This year, he walks into the Scuffle as the favorite in a truly fascinating 133lb field.

The expectations were high after Fix made it to Final X - Lincoln this summer, and he has lived up to them so far, with wins over two All-Americans already and cruising to an RTOC title. He never lost to Austin Gomez in high school and would probably have been favored in a match against RBY any time within the past six or so years.

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It's a small sample size, but Gomez has yet to taste defeat in 14 career college matches over the past two years. He also won every match he wrestled in freestyle this spring before an injury kept him out of Junior worlds. The Cyclone will occasionally fall behind in matches, but his third period pace is difficult to handle, plus he can go upper body.

We thought Roman Bravo-Young could be very good, and expected him to be entertaining, what we didn't know is that he's pretty dang good on top. He's picked up riding time in all of his matches that haven't ended in pins, and will almost definitely win a match at the Scuffle in which he has to ride out a period. We've never seen him against Fix or Gomez, which always makes things a little juicier. With no Korbin Myers in the field, he could see Gomez in the semis and then Fix in the finals if he wins.

Nickell's only losses this season are to ranked wrestlers, and he's made it to the national tournament the past two years. A sixth year senior, Nickell is a great litmus test for someone like RBY, and that match will likely happen in the quarters. He was seventh at last year's Scuffle, the highest returning placer at the weight.

Complete Southern Scuffle Entries

A couple Ohio boys who aren't ranked could find themselves on the podium at the end of this tournament. Columbia freshman Matt Kazimir was an Ironman placer as a junior and made the state finals for St. Edward his senior year who enters Scuffle with a 10-2 record, half of which are bonus point wins. After going both 125 and 141 last year, Mario Guillen appears to have settled in at 133 for coach Greenlee and the Bobcats.

Four years after graduating high school in Idaho, Casey Cobb has finally started picking up matches at the Naval Academy. He made Luke Pletcher sweat out a season opening victory and has since picked up 13 wins.

Rider fans will get a look at their future 133 as four-time Pennsylvania state placer Chris Wright is entered. He's redshirting behind senior Anthony Cefolo, who is making his first appearance at the Scuffle.

Nomad's Picks

1) Fix, OKST   2) Gomez, ISU   3) Bravo-Young, PSU   4) Guillen, OHIO

141 Pounds

Contenders

#4 Nick Lee (Penn State), SO: 9-0

#9 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State), RSJR: 7-3

In The Mix

#15 Nicholas Gil (Navy), SR: 14-3

#16 Ian Parker (Iowa State), RSSO: 11-2

Dark Horses

Kyle Shoop (Lock Haven), RSJR: 16-2

Cam Kelly (Ohio), SR: 0-0

Real Woods (Stanford), FR: 4-0

Frankie Gissendanner (Rider), FR: 5-0

Commentary: There will be several weights where the odds heavily favor a final between Penn State and Oklahoma State; 141 is one of those weights. Last year's Scuffle was Nick Lee's breakout tournament, bonusing his way into the finals, including three wins over NCAA qualifiers.

But he got pinned in the finals by Kaden Gfeller, who is now up at 149. In his stead is another Cowboy All-American in Kaid Brock, who is coming up from 133. Brock faced some growing pains in November and December, having lost to Mitch McKee, Dom Demas, and Sam Turner. None of those guys are slouches obviously, but they haven't accomplished the same things that Brock has in college.

Lee, the highest returning placer, has had a large knee brace on all season. It hasn't seemed to affect him so far, but he hasn't faced anyone the caliber of Brock yet either. He's bonused everyone to this point, with four techs, three majors, and two pins. Meanwhile, Brock will put up a dozen or more points on everyone below a certain level, but hasn't knocked off any AA-caliber guys this year.

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A two-time NCAA qualifier, Nicholas Gil came in to this tournament as the seventh seed last year. The senior finished fifth, and has worked his way into the rankings this season, making him a good bet to finish a little higher this time around. If he can get his headwheel single working and get out from bottom, he's a tough out. But Gil will often find himself in close matches, trying to battle through collar ties.

The final ranked guy is Ian Parker of Iowa State. A tumultuous redshirt freshman season started with him struggling at 133, before moving up to 141 and beating Dean Heil but then ultimately failing to qualify for NCAAs as he battled injuries at the end of the year. Finally looking healthy again, he took out Max Murin and majored Kyran Hagan to close out his first semester.

Over half of Kyle Shoop's 16 wins this season are tech falls, giving him the Lock Haven school record for career 15 point victories. We're still waiting on entries, but Ohio could have two decently tough 141s in Moises Guillen and Cam Kelly, the latter of whom we have yet to see this year.

A couple of excellent true freshmen round out this weight: Real Woods of Stanford and Frankie Gissendanner of Rider. Woods was #21 on the 2018 Big Board and Gissendanner finished 32nd. Both won the only tournaments they entered this year, but win matches in different ways. Woods is a bear on the mat and Gissendanner is hard to stop on his feet.

Nomad's Picks

1) Lee, PSU   2) Brock, OKST   3) Woods, STAN   4) Parker, ISU