Big Ten Men’s Gymnastics Week 4 Preview: Illinois faces Oklahoma at home, remaining teams on byes
Following multiple riveting Week 3 matchups, Week 4 of Big Ten men’s gymnastics will see most teams on a bye as they prepare for the Big Ten regular season to start. Despite a large portion of the conference being off this week, we will still get to watch a top-5 matchup with the No. 1 ranked Sooners taking on No. 5 Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
#1 Oklahoma @ #5 Illinois
Week 4 Matchup: Sunday, January 28 @ 5:00 p.m. ET | Video (BTN)
Coming off their first dual meet win of the season, Illinois will face a red-hot Sooners team, who are coming off an NCAA season-high team score of 420.350 in Week 3. Illinois will need standout performances from their full lineup to bring down Oklahoma. This competition will likely hinge on the depth of both teams’ lineups and their ability to hit under pressure. Expect heated duels between Connor McCool and Turkish world team member Emre Dodanli on floor and between pommel standouts Brandon Dang (ILL), Ignacio Yockers (OU), and Zach Nunez (OU).
Routines to Watch:
- Sebastian Ingersoll’s pommel horse: The pommel All-American has started the season with two hits, scoring 13.500+ both times. Ingersoll’s routine includes a Sohn, Bezugo, and a Roth directly connected to a Wu. If he can minimize leg form errors, he could easily cross the 14.000 plateau.
- Garrett Schooley’s vault: Schooley is one of the few freshmen to start their NCAA career with a 5.6 vault. If he can minimize landing errors, his vault is guaranteed to bring home a massive score.
- Connor McCool’s floor: McCool’s floor will remain a routine to watch for the full season. McCool had some minor, uncharacteristic errors in Week 3 that he will likely fix in training. Expect an enormous score from the graduate student.
#3 Nebraska
After delivering a stellar debut performance at the Rocky Mountain Open, the Cornhuskers will be on a bye this week. In Week 3, Samuel Philips made his return from injury, which was highlighted by a floor routine that included a 2.5-twisting double back and a double-twisting double back. The freshman class made an immediate impact in the Huskers’ lineups, posting multiple 14+ scores on vault, parallel bars, and high bar. Expect to see their contributions grow as Nebraska heads into the Big Ten regular season. Nebraska will face Penn State in Week 5.
#4 Michigan
The Wolverines will be on a bye following a Big Ten team high score of 412.500 against the Army Black Knights. Fred Richard debuted an upgraded high bar routine that involved some of the hardest release skills in the Code of Points, including a Cassina, Kolman, and Liukin. Paul Juda (vault), Javier Alfonso (rings), and Fred Richard (pommel horse, high bar) are all currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA. The Wolverines are 7-0 on the season and will look to extend their undefeated season against Illinois in Week 5.
#6 Ohio State
Like much of the conference, Ohio State will also be on bye in Week 4. Although their team score average remains sub-400, the Buckeyes have displayed the ability to hit under pressure, at home and on the road. While established competitors such as Caden Spencer, Donovan Hewitt, and Kameron Nelson have largely contributed to their victories, new X-factors have emerged, especially Justin Ciccone on vault. Ohio State will have a difficult matchup following its bye, facing Oklahoma in Norman.
#7 Penn State
Coming off a disappointing showing at the Navy Open, Penn State will be on bye. Penn State has thus far not heavily relied on its stars, including Josh Karnes and Matt Cormier, in lineups. While this has enabled their roster to get much-needed experience, they will likely start using their All-Americans more in the coming weeks. The Nittany Lions’ next competition will be on the road against Nebraska to open the Big Ten regular season.
