This Friday night, top-ranked Penn State welcomes in No. 2 Iowa for a Big Ten wrestling showdown. And if you don’t know, the two programs really do not like one another.
Not only are they competing year in and year out for conference glory, they are typically two of the top teams challenging for NCAA championship gold. This year will likely be no different, though the Nittany Lions appear to be the clear-cut frontrunner.
Related: 2024-25 Penn State Wrestling Schedule: Start Times, TV Info For Upcoming Penn State Wrestling Duals
That hasn’t stopped Iowa’s Gabe Arnold from calling out defending four-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci ahead of a meeting. The two are expected to be part of the dual on Friday from the Bryce Jordan Center.
“We got Penn State next week,” Arnold said following a dual win over Ohio State (thanks to PennLive.com for the quotes). “We didn’t get the job done last year and that kinda sucks. But we’re gonna get it done this year.”
But Arnold, a former state champion from Iowa, continued from that point. And Starocci was the target of his words.
“This time, we’ll be in your home dojo,” Arnold said, “and I promise, your head’s mine. Book it.”
Both Penn State and Iowa are 9-0 on the year in duals. The Nittany Lions, though, are the overwhelming favorites to win the upcoming matchup, entering have captured each of the last 65 duals overall.
Included in that streak is a 29-6 victory in Iowa City last year. That dual did not include Arnold, as Starocci picked up a major decision over Patrick Kennedy.
Arnold is 10-1 overall following an overtime win this past weekend vs. Ohio State’s Ryder Rogotzke. Iowa won just two matches vs. Penn State, with Drake Ayala and Caleb Rathjen scoring decisions.
Related: Iowa Wrestling Schedule 2024-25: Start Times, TV Info For Upcoming Iowa Hawkeyes Wrestling Duals
