Tom Brands photo courtesy of Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com

The top two wrestling teams in the country collide Friday night when Iowa visits Penn State. The gap between these two appears substantial. The top ranked Nittany Lions are 10-0 and their closest dual was a 22-12 victory over Iowa State. The second ranked Hawkeyes are 12-0 but three of their duals have been decided by six points or less as injuries have forced coach Tom Brands to constantly juggle his lineup.

“They know the ranking and they know what is at stake”, said Iowa coach Tom Brands. “It is a fun environment and you know what, competitors thrive in those situations.”

The Nittany Lions have won three of the last four duals in the series, including a 19-13 victory in Carver-Hawkeye arena last season.