Iowa’s two-dual weekend road trip to Ohio State and Michigan State is unusual in the fact that it is the second time the fifth-ranked Hawkeyes have seen the #2 Buckeyes this season.

Ohio State defeated Iowa 27-12 in the championship match of the National Duals Invitational on November 16.

Given the twists and turns of this season for the Hawkeyes, that dual seems like a long time ago, but coach Tom Brands remembers.

“Whoever takes the mat first, we have to start better,” Brands said on Tuesday.

Ohio State won the first five matches, including a pin, a technical fall, and a major decision. “Competitors want to compete, and they want to right the wrong when there was a wrong,” Brands said.

The first rematch Friday night could come at 125, where Ohio State’s Nic Bouzakis pinned Dean Peterson in 1 minute, 34 seconds. Bouzakis is ranked fourth nationally, while Peterson, who is ranked sixth, is listed along with Joey Cruz as Iowa’s options for the weekend.

Ben Davino had a 10-4 win over Drake Ayala at 133, and those two will match up again. Jesse Mendez had a technical fall on Nasir Bailey at 141, but Kale Petersen will be taking Bailey’s spot on Friday. Ethan Stiles had a 3-2 win on Ryder Block at 149, and Brandon Cannon had a major decision on Victor Voinovich at 157 — Voinovich is listed at one option in the weight class this season, along with 16th-ranked Jordan Williams.

“Certainly, I think our 125-pounder is eager for a rematch,” Brands said. “And then you go from 125 to 133. I know that we want to see that match re-wrestled. At 141, we're not going to be with Bailey, we'll be with Kale Petersen. And we got a challenge there, we have an opportunity there, as well. Then on and on and on.”

Petersen takes a 16-1 record into Friday night's bout against Mendez, a two-time NCAA champion. Asked what he wants to see from Petersen this weekend, Brands said: "I would say grab the bull by the horns and don't make it a debate. Don't make it a debate on who owns that weight class, and make it a little bit personal, maybe." 

The Hawkeyes, 9-4 in duals with a 2-2 Big Ten record, head into February trying to bounce back after last Friday’s 21-16 home loss to Minnesota. Brands knows the calendar is shrinking.

“We have to be sharp when it's time to be sharp, we have to get better every day,” he said. “Frustration cannot enter as a negative. If frustration enters, it has to be a catalyst for righting the wrong at the moment, I just said that a little while ago, talking about righting the wrong of a result, but you also can right wrongs as they come up as a competitor. We've put together some performances where lately I think guys are improving because they're not focused on how they feel necessarily. And that's an important quality in a competitor's mind as well.”

Kueter vs. Feldman

One match to watch in the dual with Ohio State will be Iowa’s Ben Kueter vs. third-ranked Nick Feldman at heavyweight.

Feldman won by forfeit at the weight class in first dual against the Hawkeyes this season, but Kueter defeated him three times last season, including at the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships.

“So we took him down every time in those matches, and we got to keep scoring takedowns,” Brands said. “If we're scoring takedowns, we're going to be fine. That's a pretty good formula, and it's an obvious formula, but it takes some commitment to your offense.”

Ferrari’s Status

Angelo Ferrari isn’t listed at 184 again this week, as Gabe Arnold is the choice there. Ferrari, who is 9-1 this season, hasn’t wrestled since the January 16 dual against Penn State.

Asked about Ferrari’s status, Brands said: “Here’s the thing — we don't talk about that, I’ve never made a habit of that. We will put our best guys on the mat at the time. Gabe Arnold is very capable, and we will keep Gabe Arnold in the lineup for this week, and we will keep making adjustments to our lineup when our guys are available. That may be frustrating for some of you, but it's just the way that I will continue to operate.

“I'll give you a reason why — it's simpler in my line of work to talk that way, because there's a lot of boxes that are checked or not checked on what's permissible to say or not to say. Wisdom would tell me to be cautious and to operate with the understanding that there's not permission granted. And that's a good thing, anyway, in my world.”

Ludington’s Redshirt

Harvey Ludington will likely be wrestling in an open tournament this weekend, not with the Hawkeyes, as the true freshman has only one more date to compete to retain a redshirt season.

“We are still making that decision.” Brands said. “We have an open tournament opportunity this weekend. We have one date left for Harvey Ludington before we would pull him on a redshirt, so the next time he wrestles attached — which in dual meets you're wrestling attached — that would be his fifth date. That would be the end of using him in a dual-meet setting.”

The 197-pounder is 8-2 overall this season, but Brands is thinking about the longer term than just this season.

“He's important to our future, and we want our future to be long with him,” Brands said. “And so one year longer is better than one year shorter, if you're following me there.”

Asked about Ludington’s progress this season if he is heading toward a redshirt season, Brands said: “Keep getting better. Work on the things that you need to work on. Be focused. Pretty good formula right there.”

Redshirt freshman Brody Sampson, who is 7-8 this season, is listed as the probable at 197 this weekend.

“He's got a lot of horsepower,” Brands said of Sampson. “We need to continue to get better as we go through the season, and we need to believe that we belong on the mat with the best guys in the country. He has a lot of horsepower, got a lot of skills. He's gifted in athletic ways.”