No. 1 Penn State Wrestling vs. No. 2 Iowa: Preview, key matches, and prediction

No. 1 Penn State Wrestling clashes with No. 2 Iowa for the second Bryce Jordan Center dual of the season

The last time the Nittany Lion Wrestling team squared off against the Hawkeyes, it was virtually a battle to the very end. Thanks in large part to Carter Starocci’s marathon win against Michael Kemerer and Max Dean’s clutch comeback against Jacob Warner, Penn State Wrestling pulled out the 19-13 win over the Hawkeyes.

And while this year’s Nittany Lion squad had only a few moving pieces in its lineup, Iowa’s lineup is vastly different than the one from last season.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed “W” for Cael Sanderson and his talented crew. This is still Iowa we’re talking about.

So with that, let’s dive into the lineups, pick out some key matchups, and give our best shot at predicting the outcome. Because you all know how good I am at that.

Everything you need to know about No. 2 Iowa at No. 1 Penn State Wrestling

Here’s a look at the Nittany Lions lineup heading into Friday:

No. 1 Penn State (10-0)

125 – Gary Steen
133 – No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young
141 – No. 4 Beau Bartlett
149 – No. 13 Shayne Van Ness
157 – Terrell Barraclough or No. 9 Levi Haines
165 – No. 5 Alex Facundo
174 – No. 1 Carter Starocci
184 – No. 1 Aaron Brooks
197 – No. 4 Max Dean
285 – No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet

The Nittany Lions are coming off their domination weekend of the state of Michigan. Penn State busted up a Wolverines squad last Friday night in the BJC and then laid a whooping on Michigan State on Sunday in the Rec Hall.

The incredibly talented and young Nittany Lion squad is starting to really hit its stride and it couldn’t come at a better time. Really the only question this team has is what Cael Sanderson and the coaching staff want to do with Levi Haines and Terrell Barraclough at 157.

I’m glad I’m not paid to make that decision.

No. 2 Iowa (12-0)

125 – No. 1 Spencer Lee
133 – No. 17 Brody Teske
141 – No. 2 Real Woods
149 – No. 7 Max Murin
157 – No. 15 Cobe Siebrecht
165 – No. 13 Patrick Kennedy
174 – No. 16 Nelson Brands
184 – No. 12 Abe Assad
197 – No. 7 Jacob Warner
285 – No. 3 Tony Cassioppi

Just like Penn State, Iowa also comes into this matchup undefeated in both the regular season and conference portion of the schedule. But it hasn’t always been pretty for the Hawkeyes.

They narrowly got past the Fighting Illini 25-19 in their Big Ten opener. And then just this past Sunday, Iowa found themselves in a dog fight with Wisconsin.

The dual meet finished with both teams deadlocked at 18-18 after the 10 matches had finished. But Iowa was awarded an additional team point to win by “Criteria” 19-18.