For Jacobs, it will be his last appearance at the Big Ten Tournaments, and with an NCAA Tournament berth still up in the air, each match has the potential to be his last.

“(You) really can’t think about it,” Jacobs said. “If you do, it will interfere with your game, and I’ve learned that throughout the years. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is the mental game when it comes to wrestling, so I try not to let the pressure get to me at all.”

Head coach Tom Minkel said he hopes those with more tournament experience will extend their arms toward their teammates and help prepare them for the task at hand.

“We’ve got a combination of youth and experience,” he said. “And my expectation is that some of the older guys who have been there will serve as kind of a guidance for the guys who are first timers.”

Among those with more experience is sophomore 125-pounder Brenan Lyon, who wrestled as a true freshman before he was redshirted last year.

Lyon is in a unique situation as he prepares for the tournament. He spent most of the season behind senior Eric Olanowski in the lineup. However, due to an internal matter with Olanowski, Lyon will be making the trip to West Lafayette in Olanowski’s place as the No. 8 seed.

Lyon said he wrestles better in tournaments than he does in dual meets, and he doesn’t think he lost a step while Olanowski started.

“I don’t think I’m rusty, I think I’m ready to go,” he said. “I’ve been ready all year to jump into the lineup whenever they need me.”

Also wrestling at the Big Ten championships is senior 157-pounder Anthony Jones Jr., who is the highest seeded Spartan at No. 4 in his class. Senior 184-pounder Ian Hinton, junior 149-pounder Dan Osterman and junior heavyweight Steve Andrus — the No. 8, No. 9 and No. 10 seeds in their respective weight classes — round out the pre-seeded wrestlers making tournament appearances for the Spartans.

Throughout the season, the Spartans have had quite a bit of talent thrown at them just by being a member of the 12-team Big Ten Conference. Jacobs is prepared to face a couple wrestlers he has competed against before, but Minkel warned that his wrestlers can’t get caught up in who their opponents are.

“Sometimes you wrestle a guy the first time, and it goes well, or doesn’t go well, and next time it’s a whole different match,” he said. “We’ve seen most everybody in the Big Ten, and most of our guys have had close matches with some of the best guys.”

However, Minkel feels that his wrestlers are well prepared, and after already completing a grueling Big Ten season, should be ready to go against anyone.

“This is a time where you want everything to come together, all the work from the preseason back in September and October, the lifting, the running, the drilling, the making weight,” he said. “They seem to be on track, and we’ve been training really hard; they seem ready to go, and I’m optimistic that we’ll have a really good weekend.”