Here’s a bout-by-bout breakdown of No. 2 Penn State wrestling’s dual vs. No. 12 Ohio State

If it seems like Penn State wrestling’s dual season has just begun, that’s because it has.

But it’s also almost over.

The No. 2 Nittany Lions (4-0) are set to wrap up their six-dual season with meets against Ohio State on Friday and Maryland on Monday, before launching into the Big Ten Championships on March 6-7.

Penn State is coming off a big win, knocking off then-No. 2 Michigan, 18-13, on the road on Sunday. But coach Cael Sanderson is confident his team still has more to prove in the short time they have left.

“I think we’re gonna find out I think we have a lot of potential,” he said Tuesday. “We competed against a very good team. But I don’t think anyone left there feeling really satisfied. I think that’s encouraging. You can never really be satisfied with where you’re at, and, if you have time to, make some progress.

“We have a good match on Friday with Ohio State and we’re back at Rec Hall, hopefully, on Monday for our last match. So we sill have a couple matches we can improve on and be ready to roll for the Big Ten.“

No. 12 Ohio State (5-2) will be the toughest of Penn State’s remaining two opponents, with six wrestlers ranked by InterMat.

Here’s our bout-by-bout breakdown and predictions for the 7 p.m. BTN-televised matchup:

125: PSU’s Robbie Howard (1-0) vs. OSU’s No. 10 Malik Heinselman (6-1)

Robbie Howard made his collegiate debut on Sunday with a hard-fought 6-5 win over Michigan’s Jack Medley.

Howard had to fight to hang on to his lead after giving up a takedown in the third period, but was able to fend off the 2020 NCAA qualifier to close out the victory. The win showed grit from the true freshman, and gave the Nittany Lions something they haven’t seen much of in the past several years — a win at 125 pounds.

“Howard was off the mat, even last week, so we weren’t even sure if we were going to have him in the lineup,” Sanderson told reporters Tuesday. “Still, he stepped in there and did really well. He defeated a tough competitor in a good-quality, competitive match. So we’re obviously very happy with that. That’s a nine-point sweep from what we’re used to with that weight class the last few matches. So it’s nice to have a (1)25-pounder back in there.”

The true freshman will have a tough test on Friday, though. Ohio State junior Malik Heinselman has stepped his game up a level from last year. He’s 6-1 on the season, avenging several previous losses along the way. His lone loss was 1-0 to Purdue’s No. 14 Devin Schroder.

A win over Heinselman could vault Howard into the top 10 in the rankings at the most important time of the regular season. But stopping the Buckeye’s momentum won’t be easy — particularly for a wrestler with just one match under his belt.

Muthler: Heinselman by decision

Sauber: Howard by decision

133: PSU’s No. 3 Roman Bravo-Young (4-0) vs. OSU’s Jordan Decatur (6-3)

The Nittany Lions shouldn’t have much to worry about once the dual gets to 133 pounds. Roman Bravo-Young is one of the best in the country at the weight class and Jordan Decatur isn’t the type of wrestler who can give him a real challenge.

With that being said, there’s reason to believe Bravo-Young might not notch bonus points in the matchup. He’s 4-0 on the year but only one of his wins — a fall over Northwestern’s winless Dylan Utterback — resulted in bonus points. Meanwhile, Decatur has only given up bonus points once so far this season, and even that was only a major decision.

Bravo-Young won a 10-4 decision over Decatur at the Bryce Jordan Center last season. While seeing a similar result wouldn’t be a surprise, the Nittany Lion is plenty talented enough and has a strong enough track record to buck that trend.

He’s going to be a major asset for Penn State when the postseason rolls around and peaking when that time comes will be important. This could be the start of RBY getting the ball rolling the rest of the season.

Muthler: Bravo-Young by major decision

Sauber: Bravo-Young by major decision

141: PSU’s No. 2 Nick Lee (4-0) vs. OSU’s Dylan D’Emilio (4-4) or Anthony Echemendia (4-3)

Penn State listed both Nick Lee and Beau Bartlett in their team notes for the dual, but there’s little reason to believe we’ll see the true freshman Bartlett at 141 pounds, especially after weighing in at 149 pounds against Michigan.

While Bartlett could still try to crack the lineup at 149 pounds this season, it seems assured that the three-time All-American Lee’s starting spot is secured at 141.

Lee could face either redshirt freshman Dylan D’Emilio or true freshman Anthony Echemendia. They two had been splitting time this season, but Echemendia hasn’t taken the mat since getting pinned by Iowa’s No. 1 Jaydin Eierman on Feb. 7.

Lee is one of the bests in the country and has registered bonus points in three of his four matches this season. Regardless of who he sees Friday night, he’ll have a chance to rack up more. D’Emilio has only given up bonus points in one of his three losses this year, a major decision at the hands of Rutgers’ Sebastian Rivera.

Regardless of who takes the mat, Lee should pick up bonus points for the fifth time this season.

Muthler: Lee by major decision

Sauber: Lee by major decision

149: PSU’s No. 20 Terrell Barraclough (2-2) (or others) vs. OSU’s No. 2 Sammy Sasso (8-0)

With just two scheduled dual meets left in the regular season, Penn State still hasn’t solidified a starter at 149 pounds. Through four duals this season, Penn State has had three different starters.

“We had a round of wrestle-offs, but we’re still looking for the guy that’s going to bring the most energy,” Sanderson said Tuesday. “We’re trying to figure out what’s in the best interest of the team and make sure everyone has a shot.”

No matter who the Nittany Lions choose to roll out on the mat Friday, it will most likely end in a loss. With No. 2 Sammy Sasso at the weight, 149 is the most assured win for the Buckeyes in this dual.

Sasso has looked every bit the part of a national championship contender so far this season, stringing together a perfect 8-0 record. His record includes pins of Iowa’s No. 7 Max Murin and Illinois’ No. 10 Michael Carr.

It’s unlikely Friday’s match will be too helpful for Penn State’s coaching staff in making that final decision.

Muthler: Sasso by major decision

Sauber: Sasso by technical fall

157: PSU’s No. 8 Brady Berge (4-0) vs. OSU’s Elijah Cleary (4-5)

It’s likely Brady Berge has a bad taste in his mouth from the last time the Nittany Lions wrestled the Buckeyes.

After missing most of last season while battling the aftereffects of a preseason head injury, Berge tried to test the waters against Ohio State to see if he could make a comeback before the postseason. He ended up falling 4-3 to Quinn Kinner, a wrestler who was bumping up several weight classes. This was the last time Berge wrestled that season.

With Kinner not on the Buckeyes’ roster this season, Berge will have a new opponent in Elijah Cleary. While Berge (4-0) has seen limited action this year compared to Clearly (4-5), the Nittany Lion should have the edge.

Among common opponents this season, Berge has wins over Michigan’s No. 9 Will Lewan and Wisconsin’s Garrett Model, while Clearly took losses to both.

So far this season, Sanderson has been pleased with his wrestler’s progress.

“He’s worked hard to get back, and he’s going to be in every and any match,” Sanderson said Tuesday. “He’s done a real good job. He’s worked hard to get back to this position and he’s got pretty lofty goals.”

Muthler: Berge by decision

Sauber: Berge by decision

165: PSU’s No. 14 Joe Lee (3-1) vs. OSU’s No. 10 Ethan Smith (7-1)

Joe Lee will have a chance to bounce back after registering his first loss of the season Sunday morning against Cameron Amine. The freshman couldn’t get his offense going against Amine and it led to a 4-1 loss by decision. Things won’t get much easier for the younger Lee this weekend when the Nittany Lions travel to Columbus.

Ethan Smith is a solid yet unspectacular 165-pounder who can hang with most of the best in the class, which should lead to a close matchup between the Buckeye junior and Nittany Lion freshman.

Unlike Lee, Smith was able to defeat Amine when they faced off last week, earning a 4-3 decision victory against Michigan. The razor thin margins against Amine are another reason to believe this will be one of the most tightly contested matches of the dual. Smith has the upper hand when it comes to experience but Lee has more upside than his counterpart and should be up for the challenge.

However, Lee will need to be better than he was against Amine last week in order to defeat the more highly ranked Smith.

Muthler: Smith by decision

Sauber: Smith by decision

174: PSU’s No. 5 Carter Starocci (4-1) vs. OSU’s No. 3 Kaleb Romero (5-1) or Fritz Schierl (1-4)

One of Friday night’s most anticipated bouts should come at 174 pounds. Both Carter Starocci and Kaleb Romero have an “OR” next to their names in the teams’ potential lineups for the match, but if both are good to go, it could be the match of the night.

Starocci lost his first match of the season to Indiana’s Donnell Washington, 10-9, but hasn’t looked back since. He’s won four matches in a row, including a 7-1 win over then-No. 2 Logan Massa of Michigan in tiebreakers. The star freshman notched a takedown and four near fall points to earn the win over Massa and give himself all of the momentum he needs heading into this week.

Unlike Starocci, Romero lost his last match. He fell on Feb. 7 to Iowa’s Michael Kemerer by a 3-1 decision. Kemerer was — and still is — ranked No. 1 at 174 pounds by InterMat. Romero has been battling an ankle injury since then and hasn’t wrestled. If he takes the mat Friday night, it should lead to one of the most competitive matches of the dual and a good measuring stick for both wrestlers leading into the postseason.

If either Starocci or Romero doesn’t take the mat, the other becomes the immediate favorite to earn bonus points and the victory.

Muthler: Starocci by decision

Sauber: Starocci by decision

184: PSU’s No. 2 Aaron Brooks (4-0) vs. OSU’s No. 20 Rocky Jordan (4-4)

Aaron Brooks has built off his dominant freshman season with a stellar start to his sophomore campaign. He’s earned bonus points in three of his four matches and will be in line to do the same against the Buckeyes.

Rocky Jordan has been competitive in all eight of his duals this season but just doesn’t stack up to the Penn State sophomore. He’s yet to give up bonus points this season, but also hasn’t taken on a wrestler of Brooks’ caliber. The two faced off last season when the Buckeyes took on the Nittany Lions in the Bryce Jordan Center, and it didn’t go particularly well for Jordan. Brooks took Jordan down six times on his way to a 15-4 major decision victory and never gave the Buckeye a chance.

This time around should be more of the same with Brooks looking to earn his first national championship after the postseason was canceled last year.

Jordan is no slouch but it’s difficult to see him having much of a chance against one of the bests Penn State has to offer.

Muthler: Brooks by technical fall

Sauber: Brooks by major decision

197: PSU’s No. 16 Michael Beard (1-1) vs. OSU’s Gavin Hoffman (4-4) or Chase Singletary (4-1)

Michael Beard suffered his first loss of the season on Sunday, falling 8-5 to Michigan’s No. 2 Myles Amine, who bumped up from 184 pounds.

But even in the loss, the redshirt freshman showed a lot of promise. Beard wasn’t afraid to push the action against the two-time Big Ten finalist, as two of Amine’s three takedowns were off of Beard’s shot attempts.

Whoever takes the mat Friday, be it Hoffman or Singletary, should be a much easier match for Beard. Beard’s disadvantage, as with most of his teammates, will be his lack of matches so far this season.

Singletary earned an at-large bid to represent the Buckeyes in the 2018-19 postseason, before a season-ending injury kept him sidelined for most of last season. Hoffman has since mostly taken over the starting job, going 4-4, while Singletary is 4-1 with two starts.

Friday will be a good test for Beard to see how he can rebound from a tough loss, but it’s a test he should win.

Muthler: Beard by decision

Sauber: Beard by decision

285: PSU’s No. 8 Seth Nevills (3-1) vs. OSU’s No. 16 Tate Orndorff (4-4)

Of all of the matches on Friday, heavyweight will be one of the most important in terms of postseason implications. To get a favorable seed at Big Tens, this bout is a must-win for Seth Nevills. It could also be a good barometer of his outlook for NCAAs.

Despite his lower rank, Tate Orndorff shouldn’t be overlooked. The Utah Valley transfer was ranked as high as No. 3 nationally last season with the Wolverines, and was set to be the No. 8 seed for the NCAA Championships that never happened. All of his loses this year have come against ranked wrestlers.

The result of this match could be an indicator of Nevills’ chances of becoming an All-American this year. The Big Ten was awarded six pre-allocations for heavyweight last week, and with the weight class being top loaded in the conference with the likes of No. 1 Gable Steveson, of Minnesota, No. 2 Mason Parris, of Michigan, and No. 3 Tony Cassioppi, Iowa, every win matters in terms of seeding.

Nevills has not yet been able to break into that upper echelon of wrestlers at heavyweight, falling by a 12-2 major decision to Parris on Sunday. With highly touted redshirt freshman Greg Kerkvliet unable to wrestle for the Nittany Lions this season, Sanderson said this year is Nevills’ chance to make a name for himself and hang on to that starting position.

A loss Friday could be detrimental to those chances. How well the sophomore is able to handle pressure could go a long way in determining the outcome of this one.

Muthler: Nevills by decision

Sauber: Ordorff by decision

Muthler’s Outlook: Friday night’s Penn State vs. Ohio State dual should be less closely contested than battles between the two schools have been in the past several years, with the Nittany Lions favored to come out easily on top. But that doesn’t mean the meet won’t be packed full of action. There are important postseason implications tied to several of these bouts, and a chance for Penn State’s younger wrestlers to keep increasing their stock and to put themselves in a strong position heading into Big Tens. Some of the most interesting bouts to keep an eye on should be at 125, 174 and 285 pounds. Final score prediction: Penn State 25, Ohio State 10

Sauber’s Outlook: Penn State should cruise to a victory Friday night, it’ll just be a matter of how large the margin of victory will be. I have the Nittany Lions taking most of the toss-ups in the dual with a chance to grow the margin by earning bonus points in any of them. While Heinselman could very well earn the win at 125, and Romero could do the same at 174, the path to a team win is too heavy with upsets for Ohio State to pull it off. Final score prediction: Penn State, 24, Ohio State 11.

No. 2 Penn State (4-0) vs. No. 12 Ohio State (5-3)

When: 7 p.m., Friday

Where: Covelli Center, Columbus, Ohio

Radio: WRSC (93.3 FM) or WQWK (103.7 FM)

TV: Big Ten Network (55)

Online: Radio, Lionvision at GoPSUsports.com; Video, FoxSportsGo

Twitter: @pennstatewrest