Every weight class in the Big Ten is tough. The #1 ranked wrestler in every weight class except 141 is from the Big Ten, and at that weight class the #2, 3 & 5 ranked wrestlers compete in the Big Ten. 

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But which weight class in the Big Tens is the toughest of the tough? Let's go through weight by weight by-the-numbers and see if we can make that determination. 

125 Pounds

9 in the Top 20

10 in the Coaches Poll

8 NCAA qualifiers took 14 total trips

4 All-Americans earned 5 honors

1 National Champ

133 Pounds

7 in the Top 20

8 in the Coaches Poll

9 NCAA qualifiers took 14 total trips

4 All-Americans earned 6 honors

141 Pounds

7 in the Top 20

9 in the Coaches Poll

7 NCAA qualifiers took 11 total trips

3 All-Americans earned 4 honors

149 Pounds

5 in the Top 20

9 in the Coaches Poll

7 NCAA qualifiers took 16 total trips

3 All-Americans earned 6 honors

157 Pounds

11 in the Top 20

11 in the Coaches Poll

9 NCAA qualifiers took 18 total trips

3 All-Americans earned 7 honors

1 two-time National Champ

165 Pounds

6 in the Top 20

9 in the Coaches Poll

8 NCAA qualifiers took 13 total trips

4 All-Americans earned 5 honors

1 two-time National Champ

174 Pounds

7 in the Top 20

11 in the Coaches Poll

7 NCAA qualifiers took 12 total trips

2 All-Americans earned 4 honors

1 National Champ

184 Pounds

6 in the Top 20

9 in the Coaches Poll

7 NCAA qualifiers took 13 total trips

4 All-Americans earned 6 honors

1 National Champ

197 Pounds

5 in the Top 20

6 in the Coaches Poll

4 NCAA qualifiers took 8 total trips

2 All-Americans earned 5 honors

1 two-time National Champ

285 Pounds

9 in the Top 20

10 in the Coaches Poll

3 NCAA qualifiers took 6 total trips

2 All-Americans earned 2 honors

That's a lot of numbers but not a lot of clarity. The notion that every weight is in the Big Ten is loaded is reinforced, but that was never in dispute to begin with. So perhaps a more systematic approach is necessary. 

What we want is to assign some sort of value to each wrestler in every weight class, add them up and see which weight class had the highest score. Ideally, this value would be as objective as possible. 

To start, we took the number of points earned at the NCAA tournament by each wrestler. We used their placement and a scoring rubric, so bonus points were ignored and the advancement points will be off slightly from actuals for a few of the guys. 

Next, we can use the latest coaches poll and use the same rubric to assign points as if that was their finish in the NCAAs. 

Finally, so as to not short change the younger wrestlers with eligibility left, we carried over this year's NCAA points based on the coaches poll and multiplied it by every year of eligibility remaining. 

For example, Sebastian Rivera gets 9 points for his sixth-place finish at the 2018 NCAAs, 20 points for his #1 ranking in the coaches poll, and then 40 points for his two years of eligibility remaining, for a total of 69 points. 

That process was repeated for every wrestler and the results are below. 

Does that mean 157-pounds is indisputably the most stacked bracket in the Big Ten conference this season? No, not indisputably. You'd have to wait until everyone's career is complete and then review the results, and even then it would probably be debatable. 

But 157 has a pretty good argument to the toughest at the moment. Now the fun of watching the tournament to see it all play out. Enjoy wrestling fans!