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No. 1 Penn State wrestling to host No. 2 Iowa in historic dual meet

On Friday, No. 1 Penn State wrestling is set to host No. 2 Iowa in a historic 1 vs. 2 dual meet at the Bryce-Jordan Center.

Published

2 years ago

January 24, 2023

Basic Blues Nation Staff

Mar 19, 2022; Detroit, MI, USA; Penn State wrestler Aaron Brooks (left) wrestles Michigan wrestler Myles Amine in the 184 pound weight class final match during the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Little Cesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

It’s that week, Penn State wrestling fans. No. 1 Penn State (10-0, 3-0 Big Ten) is set to host No. 2 Iowa (12-0, 5-0 Big Ten) for the top spot in the sport. Both teams are coming in hot, and this dual meet is shaping up to be a historic matchup at the Bryce-Jordan Center in State College, PA.

Penn State wrestling coming in hot

For the Nittany Lions, this Friday’s meet is nothing they aren’t prepared for. Over the weekend, Penn State wrestling downed two highly-touted Big Ten opponents by a wide margin. Last Friday, the top-ranked Nittany Lions destroyed No. 3 Michigan, 30-8, before seeing a similar result against No. 20 Michigan State, 34-6.

Penn State’s two impressive ranked wins only further asserted a point that no one is willing to argue with: the Nittany Lions are the best team and program in the nation. Penn State’s only competition for that title is its opponent this Friday: the 2nd-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes.

Penn State is riding high off of four-straight ranked wins now: a 22-12 win over No. 4 Iowa State, a 28-12 win over No. 16 Wisconsin, a 30-8 win over No. 3 Michigan, and a 34-6 win over No. 20 Michigan State. The Nittany Lions now have six ranked wins on the season and are currently 4-0 in home contests.

Iowa should not be taken lightly by many means

Despite Penn State wrestling coming in hot, Iowa is nothing to play with. The Hawkeyes are also on a large streak of ranked wins (3) that stretches back to mid-January. Iowa wrestling downed the nation’s No. 11 team in back-to-back weeks — a 27-9 win over Northwestern and a 34-6 win over Nebraska — before squeaking out a 19-18 win at No. 16 Wisconsin over the weekend.

The Hawkeyes are now 12-0 on the season and 5-0 in Big Ten meets. Iowa also has some impressive wins under its belt, such as a 18-15 win vs. No 7 Iowa State and a 26-11 win vs. U-Penn.

In order to be the best, you must beat the best — that is exactly what these two college wrestling giants will be looking to do at the end of this week. The winner of this Friday’s dual meet at the Bryce-Jordan Center will be ranked No. 1 regardless, so Cael Sanderson’s squad will need to be ready when the time comes.