Iowa will travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma on Sunday for what is one of the best and most historic rivalries in college wrestling. Wrestling begins at 3 pm Eastern and will be televised on FS1. Oklahoma State leads the series all time 29-25-2, but Iowa has won seven of the last nine including 28-7 last season. With several toss-up matches, this one could go either way.

Probable Lineups

125: #3 Drake Ayala, Iowa vs #8 Troy Spratley, Oklahoma State

133: Brody Teske/#23 Cullan Schriever, Iowa vs #3 Daton Fix, Oklahoma State

141: #2 Real Woods, Iowa vs #9 Tagen Jamison, Oklahoma State

149: #11 Caleb Rathjen, Iowa vs #21 Jordan Williams/Sammy Alvarez, Oklahoma State

157: #5 Jared Franek, Iowa vs #11 Teague Travis, Oklahoma State

165: #7 Michael Caliendo, Iowa vs #3 Izzak Olejnik, Oklahoma State

174: #5 Patrick Kennedy, Iowa vs #24 Brayden Thompson, Oklahoma State

184: Aiden Riggins/Gabe Arnold, Iowa vs #2 Dustin Plott, Oklahoma State

197: #12 Zach Glazier, Iowa vs #16 Luke Surber, Oklahoma State

285: Bradley Hill/Ben Kueter, Iowa vs #11 Konner Doucet, Oklahoma State

125: #3 Drake Ayala vs #8 Troy Spratley

The first match of the dual is also one of the most intriguing. A top-10 matchup where the two wrestlers have never met. After going 7-2 as a redshirt last year at Minnesota, Troy Spratley is putting together a nice freshman campaign. He currently sits at 18-4. He’s still probably a slight underdog to Iowa’s third-ranked Drake Ayala. Ayala notably sat out Iowa’s dual against Wisconsin last weekend with what Tom Brands implied was “flu like symptoms”. If those symptoms are still lingering, it could be advantage Spratley.

Prediction: Ayala by decision

Dual Score: Iowa 3, OSU 0

133: Brody Teske/#23 Cullan Schriever vs #3 Daton Fix

Iowa has been switching back and forth at 133 between Brody Teske and Cullan Schriever. They were both listed in the probable lineups, so I’m not sure who the Hawks are going to put out there. I’m not so sure it matters though. As he has his entire Cowboy career, Daton Fix is looking great. He’s 12-0 with a 75% bonus rate. Fix majored Teske last year in the dual and was 3-0 against Desanto in his three previous Iowa duals.

Prediction: Fix by decision

Dual Score: Iowa 3, OSU 3

141: #2 Real Woods vs #9 Tagen Jamison

After taking two straight losses for the first time in his Iowa career, Real Woods got back on the winning track against Wisconsin last Sunday with a fall over Felix Lettini. Tagen Jamison is a much tougher test than Lettini, however. Similar to Spratley, after a redshirt year at Minnesota last season, Jamison is having a solid freshman season. He’s 14-5 with wins over Brock Hardy, Anthony Echemendia, Vince Cornella, Cole Matthews, Clay Carlson, Josh Koderhandt, Jordan Titus, and a win over Sergio Lemley who defeated Woods 14-2 last month. A healthy Woods is still the favorite on paper, but this isn’t a gimme. Especially when Woods hasn’t looked 100% at all times this season.

Prediction: Woods by decision

Dual Score: Iowa 6, OSU 3

149: #11 Caleb Rathjen vs #21 Jordan Williams

A rematch from the 2021 Fargo finals! Jordan Williams went classic Iceman and won with last second crotch lock exposure to win the match.

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That being said, Caleb Rathjen is having a better season so far. Hence why he is ranked 11th to Willams’s 21st. Rathjen is 11-3 and coming off of two nice wins over #12 Tyler Kasak and #15 Joey Zargo. Williams is 10-6 with his best wins coming over teammates Teague Travis and Carter Young. There is a chance we see the Cowboys through Sammy Alvarez out there. He was the predominant starter in January, but Williams has been the guy in February, so my guess is we’ll see him gain.

Prediction: Rathjen by decision

Dual Score: Iowa 9, OSU 3

157: #5 Jared Franek vs #11 Teague Travis

The savvy vet Jared Franek vs the young up-and-comer Teague Travis. Franek is as solid as they come. In his five years at NDSU he went 89-22, was a 4X NCAA qualifier, 2X bloodround finisher, and placed fourth in 2023. You know what you’re going to get with Franek every time he steps on the mat. Nothing super flashy, but tough gritty wrestling.

After starting the season at 149, Travis has moved up to 157 and gone 11-2 with the two losses coming to #9 Ryder Downey and #3 Jacori Teemer. Immediately after losing to Teemer, Travis rebounded by #12 Brock Mauller. 

Watch Travis take out Brock Mauller below.

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I like what I’m seeing out of Travis, but it’s tough to pick against the consistency of Franek.

Prediction: Franek by decision

Dual Score: Iowa 12, OSU 3

165: #7 Michael Caliendo vs #3 Izzak Olejnik

With two top-10 wrestlers, this might be the premiere match of the afternoon. Two All-American transfers this offseason who have continued to have success at their new institutions. Michael Caliendo went from NDSU to Iowa and Izzak Olejnik from Northern Illinois to Oklahoma State. Although Olejnik is ranked higher, Caliendo defeated Olejnik for 7th place at NCAAs last season in dominating fashion. It was two takedowns to none and over three minutes of riding time for a final score of 6-2. That being said, Olejnik has no doubt improved while at Stillwater. He defeated #5 DJ Hamiti at the All-Star Classic who just defeated Caliendo last week. A tough one to predict.

Prediction: Caliendo by decision

Dual Score: Iowa 15, OSU 3

174: #5 Patrick Kennedy vs #24 Brayden Thompson

There were doubts and questions as to whether he would and how well the move up to 174 would go for Patrick Kennedy after being an NCAA qualifier last season at 165. However, the fourth year sophomore has turned out to be a really solid guy for the Hawkeyes. He’s 11-4 with one of those losses coming to teammate Caliendo while he was competing at 165 and one in the second match of the season while Kennedy was still coming back from injury. Kennedy appears to have put on the right size and developed his gas tank enough to be a high AA contender. 

Brayden Thompson, on the other hand, probably isn’t having the true freshman season he envisioned. While not too bad, he’s just 9 - 7 including 2 - 3 in his last five matches. Thompson shouldn’t be counted out, however. He was the #4 overall recruit last year for a reason. He’s gritty and does have a nice recent win over #11 Peyton Mocco.

Watch Brayden Thompson beat Peyton Mocco below

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Prediction: Kennedy by decision

Dual Score: Iowa 18, OSU 3

184: Aiden Riggins/Gabe Arnold vs #2 Dustin Plott

I hope Iowa puts Gabe Arnold out to wrestle against #2 Dustin Plott. Arnold has one more event he can compete in and remain in redshirt this season and he was listed in the Iowa probable lineups. However, I’m not getting my hopes too high. If Iowa already has the dual locked up, as I have predicted, I don’t think we see Arnold. 

Watch the FRL crew debate whether or not to redshirt Gabe Arnold below

If Arnold wrestles, this becomes a toss-up match that is likely a decision either way. However, if Aiden Riggins wrestlers, this likely becomes a bonus point win for Plott. Plott has been really good this year. He’s 21-2 with a 72% bonus rate. 

Prediction: Plott by major

Dual Score: Iowa 18, OSU 7

197: #12 Zach Glazier vs #16 Luke Surber

If Oklahoma State can keep it closer than I predicted, which is possible, this could be a huge toss-up match with the dual on the line. Coming into this season if you would have told me that Zach Glazier, who hasn’t started in his four years at Iowa, vs Luke Surber, a 2X NCAA qualifier and R16 finisher last season, was a toss-up match, I would have said no way. But here we are. Glazier has made huge jumps in his first season as a starter at Iowa and is now 15-1 with the only loss coming to #1 Aaron Brooks. Surber is having a bit of an up-and-down season that has included some injuries. Tough to predict this one.

Prediction: Surber by decision

Dual Score: Iowa 18, OSU 10

285: Bradley Hill/Ben Kueter vs #11 Konner Doucet

If I have to pick, I think we see Ben Kueter at heavyweight for the Hawkeyes, but I’m not sure. Bradley Hill just wrestled against Wisconsin. They will both be underdogs to Konner Doucet. Kueter was the #2 overall recruit and his win over Bennett Tabor was good, but I haven’t seen enough out of him on the college level so far in his three matches that shows he’s the favorite against a national qualifier like Doucet. Can he win? I think so. The favorite? Not yet.

Prediction: Doucet by decision

Dual Score: Iowa 18, OSU 13