WHO: #1 Penn State Nittany Lions (9-0, 3-0 Big Ten)
WHEN: 6:00 PM CT (Friday, January 31, 2025)
WHERE: Bryce Jordan Center (State College, PA)
TV: BTN (Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Steven Grace, Mark Ironside
MOBILE: foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @HawkeyeBeacon | @Hawks_Wrestling | @IowaonBTN
#2 Iowa wrestling has been off to a strong start this season -- the Hawkeyes are 9-0 on the season and 3-0 in Big Ten play, including a very solid 24-13 win over #4 Ohio State last weekend. On an individual basis, the Hawkeyes have a strong team as well, with ranked wrestlers at nine weights (per InterMat) or ten weights (per Flowrestling). To boot, the Hawkeyes have seven wrestlers ranked in the top-7 at their respective weights, plus another wrestler ranked just outside the top-10 (Ben Kueter, #11 at 285).
On paper, this looks like a stronger team than some of the squads that the Hawkeyes have fielded in recent years, despite some uncommon holes at weights that had been sources of immense strength (125, 141). Last year, the Hawkeyes had just four All-Americans and scored only 67 points at the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Hawkeyes have a realistic shot at 7-8 All-Americans and are projected to score over 100 points at the NCAA Tournament if they wrestle to their current rankings.
That sounds like a team that should be favored against almost any opponent that they see on the other side of the mat. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, #1 Penn State is not just "any opponent" -- even by the Nittany Lions' own extremely high recent standards, this year's PSU team is absolutely loaded.
There simply isn't an obvious weakness in this PSU lineup -- they have a wrestler ranked in the top-7 at all 10 weights. Six of their ranked wrestlers are ranked third or better and two others are ranked fourth. Their lowest-ranked wrestlers are still ranked seventh at their respective weights.
MORE HERE:
iowa.rivals.com
WHEN: 6:00 PM CT (Friday, January 31, 2025)
WHERE: Bryce Jordan Center (State College, PA)
TV: BTN (Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons)
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Steven Grace, Mark Ironside
MOBILE: foxsports.com/mobile
ONLINE: foxsports.com/live
FOLLOW: @HawkeyeBeacon | @Hawks_Wrestling | @IowaonBTN
#2 Iowa wrestling has been off to a strong start this season -- the Hawkeyes are 9-0 on the season and 3-0 in Big Ten play, including a very solid 24-13 win over #4 Ohio State last weekend. On an individual basis, the Hawkeyes have a strong team as well, with ranked wrestlers at nine weights (per InterMat) or ten weights (per Flowrestling). To boot, the Hawkeyes have seven wrestlers ranked in the top-7 at their respective weights, plus another wrestler ranked just outside the top-10 (Ben Kueter, #11 at 285).
On paper, this looks like a stronger team than some of the squads that the Hawkeyes have fielded in recent years, despite some uncommon holes at weights that had been sources of immense strength (125, 141). Last year, the Hawkeyes had just four All-Americans and scored only 67 points at the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Hawkeyes have a realistic shot at 7-8 All-Americans and are projected to score over 100 points at the NCAA Tournament if they wrestle to their current rankings.
That sounds like a team that should be favored against almost any opponent that they see on the other side of the mat. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, #1 Penn State is not just "any opponent" -- even by the Nittany Lions' own extremely high recent standards, this year's PSU team is absolutely loaded.
There simply isn't an obvious weakness in this PSU lineup -- they have a wrestler ranked in the top-7 at all 10 weights. Six of their ranked wrestlers are ranked third or better and two others are ranked fourth. Their lowest-ranked wrestlers are still ranked seventh at their respective weights.
MORE HERE:
PREVIEW: No. 2 Iowa Wrestling at No. 1 Penn State
Previewing Iowa's Friday night showdown with #1 Penn State.
