Ohio State @ Iowa

Iowa defeated Ohio State 24-13 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on January 25, 2025, handing the Buckeyes an 11-point loss in this Big Ten dual. The match ultimately came down to bonus-point production on both sides, with four bouts producing majors or technical falls that decided the scoreboard.

Ohio State got explosive bonus work from Ben Davino and Jesse Mendez. Davino topped Keyan Hernandez 19-4 by technical fall at 133 pounds and Mendez followed with a 19-2 technical fall over Ryder Block at 141, accounting for 10 team points and keeping the Buckeyes firmly in the hunt through the middle of the lineup.

Iowa answered with its own bonus surge. Michael Caliendo turned in an 11-3 major decision at 165 for four team points, and Stephen Buchanan II delivered a crushing 18-1 technical fall at 197 for five more. Those two bonus victories were the decisive swing; the combination of a major and a tech fall produced the margin Iowa needed to separate the teams.

With bonus points trading hands, the dual was not decided by a single fall but by which side could string together extra-credit wins. Iowa’s bonus production in the upper weights overcame Ohio State’s two tech falls and pushed the Hawkeyes to the 24-13 final.