OSU Wrestling: Rankings Update, Storylines to Track Entering Iowa Dual

Despite losing to the Hawkeyes back in November, the Cowboys will be favorites, according to the rankings, when the two teams meet again on Sunday.

Oklahoma State hosts Iowa at 5 p.m. Sunday in Gallagher-Iba Arena, where the Cowboys will be in search of their first win in the series since 2019.

The rankings updated after the Cowboys beat Virginia Tech this past weekend to move to 14-1 as a team, now featuring all 10 of the Cowboys’ presumed starters inside the Top 10 of their respective weights.

Per the rankings, the Cowboys would be favored at 133, 141, 149, 157, 165, 197 and heavyweight going into this weekend’s dual. Here is a look at Iowa’s lineup as it pertains to the rankings:

There are, however, some questions about each lineup entering this weekend. Here are a few storylines to know:

Will Jax Go?

Jax Forrest and Ronnie Ramirez are two freshmen who have wrestled five dates, meaning whichever guy makes the walk against Iowa will burn his redshirt and almost certainly be the Cowboys’ 133-pounder for the postseason.

Signs would indicate that Forrest will be the guy given his meteoric rise, but David Taylor has been publicly noncommittal on the matter, forcing opponents to prepare for two different wrestlers.

Whichever Cowboy goes, they’re getting a two-time national finalist who hasn’t had his best year. Ramirez wrestled Drake Ayala at National Duals, with Ayala winning 7-4 in sudden victory.

Will Bailey Be Back?

The Hawkeyes might be having a bit of a late-season battle for their 141-pound spot, as regular starter Nasir Bailey hasn’t wrestled since Iowa’s dual against Minnesota on Jan. 30. Since, Kale Petersen has wrestled in four straight duals.

It looked like Bailey suffered some sort of hand or finger injury in that Minnesota dual. Peterson has gone 3-2 in duals this season with one bonus-point win and two bonus-point losses.

Bailey and Vega met at National Duals, with Vega besting the former All-American 3-0 in sudden victory.

Will Swiderski Be Back?

Similarly, Casey Swiderski has missed the Cowboys’ past two duals, but the broadcast for the Virginia Tech match this past weekend made note that Swiderski’s absence is not expected to be a long-term thing.

The Cowboys would want to flip this result from the National Duals match, as Swiderski lost to Ryder Block 5-3. Since that loss, though, Swiderski has gone 9-1 with the lone loss coming to No. 3 Caleb Tyus.

Which Former Cowboy Will Go at 157 for the Hawks?

Odds are Landon Robideau will wrestle a former Cowboy at 157 pounds on Sunday, but which former Cowboy that is might be a better question.

Jordan Williams has wrestled nine duals for the Hawkeyes this year, while Victor Voinovich has taken part in eight.

Robideau got Voinovich at National Duals, with the OSU freshman majoring the Hawkeye 16-5.

184 Is A Mystery for Both Teams

Both squads have some question marks at 184 pounds.

Angelo Ferrari hasn’t taken the mat since the Hawkeyes’ dual against Penn State in mid-January, where he dropped a bout to Rocco Welsh in tiebreakers.

Gabe Arnold has been filling in his place, which has been a luxury for the Hawkeyes. He is 13-4 on the season and is 7-3 in duals. Ferrari is considered the better guy, but Arnold wouldn’t be easy point for the Cowboys, either.

Meanwhile, Zack Ryder, OSU’s regular starter at 184, has been out of action since suffering an injury in the Northern Iowa dual. Trevor Dopps has filled in for him, going 0-3 in the Cowboys’ past three duals.

Does Iowa Get Weird at 197?

Massoma Endene was a big part of the Hawkeyes win at the dual in Tulsa, but he’s no longer with the program.

Iowa has since been juggling freshman Harvey Ludington and redshirt freshman Brody Sampson at the weight. Ludington is out of dates should the plan still be to redshirt him. Sampson is 0-3 in duals.

But maybe there is a world if Ferrari is back at 184 that the Hawkeyes push Arnold up to 197. Arnold has wrestled in duals at 174, 184 and 197 this season. He went 2-0 in 197-pound matches, winning in duals against Chattanooga and Utah Valley back in December.

Arnold would probably give up some size to Cody Merrill, but he’d likely be Iowa’s best shot at that weight.