Men's College Notebook: Ohio State Hosts Iowa in a Rematch of the National Duals Final

This weekend’s dual will be without missing starters on both squads. #1 Brandon Cannon continues to miss time from the Buckeyes lineup, while #2 Angelo Ferrari is out again with an injury this weekend for the Hawkeyes. Also, #12 Nasir Bailey is not listed on this week’s probables for Iowa.

The two teams met earlier this year in the finals of the National Duals. The Buckeyes claimed a 27-12 win that day, winning the first five bouts and taking a commanding 21-0 lead.

Here are the ranked battles compiled by FloWrestling, along with the result from their meeting at the National Duals.

125: #6 Dean Peterson vs. #4 Nic Bouzakis – Bouzakis fall, 1:34

133: #8 Drake Ayala vs. #2 Ben Davino – Davino 10-4

149: #13 Ryder Block vs. #9 Ethan Stiles – Stiles 3-2

165: #3 Michael Caliendo vs. #14 Paddy Gallagher – Caliendo 4-1 (SV1)

174: #3 Patrick Kennedy vs. #5 Carson Kharchla – Kennedy 4-1 (SV1)

285: #9 Ben Kueter vs. #3 Nick Feldman – Did not meet

Here are some other top duals throughout the weekend, highlighted by a match to watch in each.

One Match to Watch: 149 pounds - #1 Shayne Van Ness vs. #17 Lachlan McNeil

When the season started, these two were ranked #1 and #2 in the weight class. Van Ness continues to sit atop with a perfect 15-0 record. He has six ranked wins on the year, and of those 15 wins, 13 have gone for bonus points. McNeil was a three-time All-American at North Carolina before transferring to Michigan for his final season and is 11-3 on the year, including 9-1 in duals. The two met last year at the NCAA Championships, with Van Ness coming away with a 7-2 decision in the quarterfinals.

One Match to Watch: 285 pounds - #2 Isaac Trumble vs. #16 Dayton Pitzer

These two met three times last year, with Trumble holding a 2-1 edge. In the dual, it was a 10-1 major decision for Trumble. Pitzer reversed the outcome in the semifinals at the ACC Championships, as he won 4-1 and went on to win an ACC title. In the second round of the NCAA Championships, it was Trumble’s 5-2 win that helped him to All-American honors. Since coming back in December, Trumble is 11-0 with four ranked wins. Pitzer is 12-4, but on a seven-match winning streak.

One Match to Watch: 141 pounds - #9 Vance VomBaur vs. #8 Joey Olivieri

One of eight ranked battles in this dual, the lone featuring both in the top-10. VomBaur claimed victory in two meetings last year, 12-5 in the dual, then 5-3 in the Blood Round at the NCAA Championships last year. Olivieri is one of four undefeated wrestlers at 141 pounds, 13-0 thus far. VomBaur is coming off of a 10-1 major decision over #11 Nasir Bailey of Iowa and has faced a ranked foe in 10 of his last 13 matches (6-4 record).

One Match to Watch: 157 pounds - #7 Ty Watters vs. #17 Teague Travis

Watters was ranked #1 in this weight class up until mid-December. He has suffered only one loss on the season (to Arizona State’s #5 Kaleb Larkin), compared to 14 wins. Teague was a transfer for the second semester, after having been an NCAA qualifier at 149 pounds last year at Oklahoma State. He is 8-3 since joining the Tigers.

One Match to Watch: 165 pounds - #2 LaDarion Lockett vs. #5 Matt Bianchi

A true freshman in Lockett faces a 2025 All-American in redshirt senior Bianchi. Both come into the battle undefeated, Lockett at 10-0 and Bianchi at 15-0.

One Match to Watch: 141 pounds - #7 CJ Composto vs. #6 Vince Cornella

An Ivy League battle on Super Bowl Sunday. Despite both being seniors, this will only be the second all-time match-up. Earlier this year at the Southern Scuffle, Cornella came out on top with a 7-2 decision. After a year and a half out of the Cornell lineup, Cornella has stormed back into the national rankings with a 13-1 start to his season. Composto has also missed time this year but appears back at full health and sports a 12-1 record.

One Match to Watch: 165 pounds - #8 Braeden Scoles vs. #4 Joey Blaze

One of the six ranked battles in this dual. Blaze was an NCAA finalist last year at 157 pounds, and is a perfect 15-0 thus far in his first year up at 165 pounds. Scoles will be his second top-10 foe he has faced this season. Scoles is 13-4 on the year, a perfect 5-0 in Big Ten duals, and has scored the second most dual points for his team up to this point (44).

Note: TV/Streaming information was compiled by Earl Smith of InterMat. All times listed are Eastern.