The Big 12 Wrestling Championships feature five nationally-ranked teams, and dozens of nationally-ranked individual wrestlers. With that kind of firepower, it is considered a premier conference tournament, a showcase of the best of college wrestling. However, with only five colleges competing in wrestling in the Big 12, winning the conference tournament is quite a challenge. Every single match in the event is a factor in the final team standings, and every match makes a difference in what athletes qualify to compete at the NCAA Championships. The 2007 Big 12 Wrestling Championship is scheduled for March 3 at the Hearnes Center on the University of Missouri campus. In one short day of wrestling, anything could happen. The last four years, Oklahoma State first won the Big 12 title, then followed that triumph two weeks later by winning the NCAA Div. I team title. This year, the Cowboys are not favored to win the NCAA meet again, and they are not favored at the conference tournament, either. The NWCA/InterMat national rankings, based on the dual meet season, has Iowa State, under first-year coach Cael Sanderson, ranked No. 2 in the nation, followed closely by Brian Smith's Missouri Tigers at No. 3. Next in the poll is John Smith's Oklahoma State team at No. 4, then Jack Spates' Oklahoma Sooners at No. 14 and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, under Mark Manning, at No. 19. You can throw away the dual meet season when the first whistle blows at the Big 12 Tournament. Sanderson, the 2004 Olympic champion who has had a marvelous first year at the helm of the Cyclones, assumes the favorite role in his normal humble fashion. His team is led by senior Paulson twins, Trent, who is ranked No. 2 in the nation at 157 pounds and Travis who is ranked No. 3 at 165 pounds. "I guess, with the regular season dual meets, we have to be the favorite," said Sanderson. "It makes no difference to us if we are the favorite or the underdog. We go in with the same mindset. At the Big 12's, it's anybody's championship. Regardless, we have the same focus, to get in there and give it whatever we got." Like all of the coaches in the conference, Sanderson knows that the season will be measured by the team's effort at the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Auburn Hills, Mich. two weeks later. Taking care of business at the Big 12 meet is a big first step towards that goal. "To win a national championship, you need guys to score points. To get them there, you have to perform at the Big 12 Championships. Everybody wants to win the Big 12. It is big for the athletic department, big for the program. But, you want to be in a position to win a national championship. We want to do well here, but we need to get people through to the national championships. Missouri's Brain Smith believes his team, which held a No. 1 national ranking earlier in the year, has a chance to do something special on the home mats in Columbia. He is confident his athletes will perform well in the tournament format. The Tigers are led by defending national champion Ben Askren at 174 pounds, his younger brother Max Askren (No. 2 at 197 pounds) and a strong lineup throughout. "Every team is solid. It is all about how each team performs. We need 10 people to step up for us," said Brian Smith. "We won Vegas and the Southern Scuffle, and did very well at the National Duals. We are a very good tournament team." Brian Smith likes having the home-field advantage for his team, which has just gotten healthy after a challenging stretch where most of the lineup was stricken with the flu. The team comes in with confidence, and strong crowds are expected to cheer the Tigers during the day. "It does make a difference. The last time the Big 12 was in Columbia, we placed second, our best finish ever. This could help us. There is a comfort zone. We are on the same mat we have wrestled on all year, a facility they are used to. Still, we have to step onto the mat and wrestle a full seven minutes each match," said Smith OSU's John Smith brings a well-rested team to the tournament, which hasn't competed since February 11, when the Pokes beat in-state rival Oklahoma, 29-6 in a Bedlam Dual. The Cowboys are led by a senior, two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks at 165 pounds, and a pair of talented juniors, No. 4 Coleman Scott at 133 pounds and No. 5 Nathan Morgan at 141 pounds. "I am pleased with the opportunity to train for a period of time," said John Smith. "From January to early February, we had like seven practices. We were traveling and competing all the time. I didn't set the schedule like this. But I think this time off will benefit us." Smith's Cowboys have a number of new faces in the lineup, after losing some of the veteran stars who helped bring four straight NCAA titles to Stillwater. In spite of the odds, he likes his team's chances. "Pointwise, where the seeds end up, it looks like Missouri and Iowa State have the upper hand. To capture the championship, we have to do something special. Some guys who have struggled will have to step up. But this is the time to do it, to have your best matches of the season. We should be in the thick of it. We need guys to surprise the public, but it won't surprise me," said John Smith. Oklahoma entered this season after another strong finish in 2006, placing second in the conference and third in the nation. Jack Spates' Sooners have been challenged with injuries most of the year, but seem to be coming together as the post-season arrives. The team is led by a pair of seniors, Sam Hazewinkel, ranked No. 1 nationally at 125 pounds, and Matt Storniolo, ranked No. 2 at 149 pounds. "It has been indicated in our last two dual meets. The second to last meet as the first time we had the whole lineup. We devastated No. 6 Hofstra, which was a great win for us. It continued in our last dual meet against Michigan State. We are coming on at the right time. We know this from the past, to keep our head in it, to go hard and smart." Spates is not entering the tournament with any set expectation for the team, in terms of place finish in the team standings. He is seeking outstanding efforts from each of the athletes, regardless of outcome. "I am looking to compete. We will evaluate the performance on how they wrestle, if they wrestle hard and aggressively. When you do that, good things happen." Nebraska has had its share of challenges during the season, but has remained competitive through the efforts of a core group of athletes. Coach Mark Manning may not bring back a team title, but he believes his Huskers can take a big step forward during this weekend. His team is led by Dominic Moyer, ranked No. 7 in the nation at 141 pounds, and Chris Oliver, rated No. 10 "For us, a good tournament is to get eight guys to the NCAA Championships. I think we have some guys who can be Big 12 champions. We are looking for a good tournament from a number of guys," said Manning. Manning believes that a wide-open race may benefit his team, which many do not have high expectations for in such a competitive field. "I think it is really good, from our standpoint. Nebraska likes that uncertainty. On paper, Iowa State and Missouri are the frontrunners. But March Madness can come alive and show itself this weekend" he said. The tournament will feature some of the nation's most celebrated athletes, with Johny Hendricks, Ben Askren and Sam Hazewinkel considered the most prominent. Hendricks and Askren have won national titles, and Hazewinkel, third in the NCAA his first three seasons, will be seeking his first national crown. These athletes are respected by their opposing coaches, who have watched these seniors dominate the conference during their four-year careers. "He has had an incredible career," says Sanderson of Hendricks. "I like the way he wrestles. He competes hard. That is what every coach wants from his athletes. He is always ready. He has had some great national tournaments." "He is an incredible wrestler," says Spates of Ben Askren. "He has tremendous flair. I'm from the days of people like Wade Schalles. Ben has that kind of flamboyance. He is relentless. He wrestles with supreme confidence, like Gene Mills did. He is also extremely dangerous. It is a lethal combination." "They are both quality kids," said Brian Smith about Hendricks and Hazewinkel. "I also know them off the mat. They are good people. I love to watch both of them compete. Hendricks wrestles as hard as anybody in the nation. Hazewinkel has been injured this year, but when he steps on the mat, he is hard to beat." In spite of these three superstars, the Big 12 does not have as many marquis names as in previous seasons. In total, there are six returning conference champions, including the big three, plus Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State, Trent Paulson of Iowa State and Kurt Backes of Iowa State. This does not mean that the conference overall is not as competitive as in the past, according to the conference coaches. "I see that it is a little different. There are lots of young talents in the conference right now," said Manning. "In the past, we had guys like (Jake) Rosholt, (BJ) Padden, (Zack) Esposito and others. There was more experience during those years. Now I see a lot of young guys eager to make a mark. We will be talking about these guys for the next three years. They are unproven, but there is a lot of talent in the conference. "It is the most solid conference in the nation," said Brian Smith. "It is not unusual for all the teams to be in the top 10. It gets tougher every year. And the athletic administrations are very supportive of all of the teams in the conference." "It is tough," said Sanderson. "There has been a power shift this year. But four of the teams have been in the top 10, and the other one is not far behind. The Big 12 is always tough." What team will emerge as Big 12 conference champions? Take your pick. No matter who you favor, you can count on some outstanding action and perhaps some unexpected drama in Columbia, Mo. on Saturday Big 12 wrestlers in the most recent NWCA/InterMat national rankings 125 pounds 1. Sam Hazewinkel, Sr. Oklahoma 6. Nick Fanthorpe, Fr. Iowa State 12. Paul Donahoe, So. Nebraska 14. Tyler Shinn, Fr. Oklahoma State 133 pounds 4. Coleman Scott, Jr. Oklahoma State 5. Tyler McCormick, Jr. Missouri 20. Nick Gallick, Fr. Iowa State 141 pounds 5. Nathan Morgan, Jr. Oklahoma State 7. Dominick Moyer, Sr. Nebraska 12. Mitch Mueller, Fr. Iowa State 149 pounds 2. Matt Storniolo, Sr. Oklahoma 13. Cyler Sanderson, Fr. Iowa State 14. Josh Wagner, So. Missouri 157 pounds 2. Trent Paulson, Sr. Iowa State 10. Chris Oliver, So. Nebraska 11. Will Rowe, So. Oklahoma 15. Michael Chandler, Jr. Missouri 165 pounds 1. Johny Hendricks, Sr. Oklahoma State 3. Travis Paulson, Sr. Iowa State 7. Matt Pell, Sr. Missouri 18. Shane Seibert, Sr. Oklahoma 174 pounds 1. Ben Askren, Sr. Missouri 8. Josh Weitzel, Jr. Oklahoma 15. Brandon Mason, So. Oklahoma State 19. Grant Turner, Sr. Iowa State 184 pounds 5. Raymond Jordan, So. Missouri 6. Jake Varner, Fr. Iowa State 197 pounds 2. Max Askren, Fr. Missouri 5. Joel Flaggert, Jr. Oklahoma 7. Kurt Backes, Sr. Iowa State 11. Craig Brester, Fr. Nebraska 285 pounds 15. David Zabriskie, Fr. Iowa State 16. Jared Rosholt, Fr. Oklahoma State 20. Mark Ellis, Fr. Missouri