Five teams ranked in the top 13 in the nation will be on the mats during the 2009 Big 12 Wrestling Championship Saturday at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb.

With so many top teams and wrestlers in action, the event will be a prelude to the NCAA championships in two weeks in St. Louis.

"We've got a lot of pride in how competitive and how the Big 12 is," Iowa State coach Cael Sanderson said. "We've got five of the best teams in the country and it really prepares us to be at our best. If you do well in the Big 12, you can do well on the national stage."

The one-day Big 12 event is a sprint, while the NCAAs are a three-day marathon.

"In some ways, (the Big 12 Championship) doesn't prepare you that well because you might only have two matches," Oklahoma coach Jack Spates said. "On the other hand, it's not a meat grinder so you don't run as much of an injury risk."

Iowa State, which will be trying to win its third consecutive Big 12 championship, is ranked third nationally. Nebraska is No. 4, Missouri is No. 5, Oklahoma State is No. 12 and Oklahoma is No. 13.

"I wouldn't say we're the heavy favorites," Sanderson said. "It's a small tournament and the outcome of one match could turn things. We have to get in there and get after it."

In addition to the team rankings, 37 Big 12 wrestlers have automatically qualified for the NCAA championships. That includes all five wrestlers in the 165, 197 and heavyweight classifications.

Oklahoma State is seeking its ninth Big 12 championship and 43rd conference title. The Cowboys also have won four of its 34 national championships during the Big 12 era (2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006).

Bruce Smith is the first Missouri coach to lead the Tigers to two 18-win seasons. Mizzou is still seeking its first Big 12 championship.

"When I first got here and said winning the Big 12 was a goal people laughed," Smith said. "We're in the hunt. If we could do it, it would be another step for our program. Our ultimate goal is to win a national title."

In the 197 weight class, the five competitors rank in the top 11 nationally led by Iowa State's top-ranked Jake Varner. Nebraska's Craig Brester is No. 2, Missouri's Max Askren is No. 4, Oklahoma State's Clayton Foster is No. 8 and Oklahoma's Eric Laptosky is No. 11.

Oklahoma State heavyweight Jared Rosholt is one of the six returning Big 12 champions. Rosholt, Iowa State's David Zabriskie and Missouri's Mark Ellis are the top-ranked competitors in the nation.

"Our conference tournament gives us somewhat of an advantage because you're wrestling in pressure situations against highly ranked guys," said Nebraska coach Mark Manning, who considers Iowa State to be a heavy favorite to defend its title. "You can't hide. There aren't any easy matches."

Weight by weight
Here's how the weight classes break down, thanks to the Oklahoma State wrestling release:

125
Oklahoma State's Obenson Blanc has as good of a chance as anyone to win at 125 pounds. He is 3-1 vs. the probable field, with his lone loss coming in overtime to Oklahoma's Joey Fio.

133
Oklahoma States's Chris Notte is a strong candidate to make the 133-pound finals. The favorite to win is Nick Fanthorpe of Iowa State, who missed most of the conference season with an injury but is the reigning conference champ and as good as anyone when healthy.

141
Reigning champ Nick Gallick of Iowa State is the clear favorite at 141 pounds, but given the right breaks, Missouri's Marcus Hoehn and Oklahoma State's Jamal Parks are capable of pulling the upset.

149
Perhaps the thinnest weight class at the tournament, No. 6 Kyle Terry of Oklahoma is the only wrestler ranked in the top 15.

157
Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs in the man to beat, but don't count out Michael Chandler of Missouri, Jon Reader of Iowa State or Neil Erisman of Oklahoma State, all of whom are ranked in the top 10.

165
A treacherous weight class featuring four wrestlers ranked in the top nine nationally, 165 pounds is up for grabs. Missouri's Nick Marable is the reigning champion.

174
No. 3 Brandon Browne of Nebraska and No. 5 Raymond Jordan of Missouri are the prohibitive favorites to meet in the finals.

184
Nebraska's Vince Jones would appear to be the favorite at 184 pounds, but not much separates him from the field.

197
A brutal weight class where all five wrestlers rank among the top 11 nationally. Iowa State's Jake Varner is No. 1 in the nation, with Nebraska's Craig Brester No. 2 and Missouri's Max Askren No. 4. Oklahoma State's Clayton Foster (No. 8) and Oklahoma's Eric Lapotsky (No. 11) are capable of upsets, making 197 pounds the feature weight class at the event.

285
The top three heavyweights in America will be on display with Oklahoma State's Jared Rosholt the reigning champion. Rosholt, Iowa State's David Zabriskie and Missouri's Mark Ellis are all viable Big 12 and NCAA title candidates.

Wrestling history
How the five schools with wrestling programs have fared in the Big 12 Wrestling Championship.