Stephen Buchanan appreciates the noise that comes with a rivalry, but he would prefer delivering some silence on Friday.

Second-ranked Iowa wrestles at No. 1 Penn State, and Buchanan, the Hawkeyes’ 197-pounder who is top-ranked nationally, is ready for the atmosphere.

“They’re great fans,” Buchanan said Tuesday. “But I think it's going to be hard to match Carver-Hawkeye Arena. And I think that's been a really good spot for me to prepare. I don't think that there's anything in (Penn State’s) arena that will throw me off, so I’m just going to go in there and try to wrestle my match and wrestle to the God-given ability that He’s given me.”

That said, Buchanan wouldn’t mind delivering some quiet.

“I think the noise helps you out,” Buchanan said. “When you're walking into a rival school, it's always good to silence the crowd. I think that's always a fun thing to do, too.”

Buchanan, 13-0 this season, gets fourth-ranked Josh Barr (12-0) in one of the seven matches of the dual featuring two top-10 wrestlers. It’s the first experience in the Big Ten rivalry for Buchanan, who transferred to Iowa from Oklahoma after last season.

“You can tell that the coaches are focused, and everyone's focused, trying to do a lot of building this week,” Buchanan said. “We've been building all year, and just trying to get everyone ready and into the best position they can be to wrestle their best match.”

Buchanan’s steady demeanor seems to be a good fit for such a big event.

“I think my focus really comes from ‘AO’, an audience of one, wrestling for God,” Buchanan said. “We have a great community of fans that shows up every single home dual, and it can definitely bring a lot of fear and anxiety into your match. But I think just keeping focus on just wrestling for God and for His glory really helps me focus in, and I also have the best (coaching) staff in the country.

“I have the best coaches. I have the best training partners, so that's also a confidence booster as well. To walk out on the mat and knowing that you're not only training with the best people, but you're being trained by the best people, it would do them a disservice, not wrestling to your best ability.”

“I think that he is (even-keeled and businesslike), but when you look at him, his excitement level, there's probably more going on in there,” said Iowa coach Tom Brands, touching his stomach. “But I think he's exactly what you described. He is calm. He keeps it level, and he gives credit to the higher power. But I know he's a competitor.”

Measuring Stick 

It’s the fifth time that Iowa and Penn State have faced off as the top two teams in the national rankings. The teams have split the first four.

Brands took a wide perspective when talking about the dual.

“Where we want to go, it’s big,” Brands said. “As far as the event, you keep it in perspective, but where we want to go, it's big. I mean, you're wrestling the best team in the country, and it's a measuring stick, and there's individual matchups that have postseason seeding implications, and so you’ve got to be ready.”

Iowa leads the all-time series 28-13-2. The Hawkeyes are 12-6-1 all-time in duals at Penn State.

Asked how the rivalry has evolved, Brands said: “(Cael) Sanderson gets hired at Penn State, there's instant change. So it evolves naturally that way. I think they're a worthy opponent, and we’ve got to do our job.”

Cool Cat

Jacori Teemer smiled when he was told that Brands called him a “cool cat.”

“I don’t know where it came from, but I like it,” Teemer laughed. 

Teemer, ranked #1 at 157 pounds, had been out with a leg injury since the November 23 dual against Iowa State. He returned in last Saturday’s dual against Ohio State, defeating Sammy Sasso 10-5.

“The return felt good,” Teemer said. “There were no issues with my leg. It felt awesome being back on the mat.”

Teemer wasn’t concerned about coming back.

“I trust my skills,” he said. “I'm a gamer at the end of the day, so if I need to win, I can pull it out. I knew I was healthy going in. So just to get on the mat again, getting that feel again, I'm good.”

Either Teemer or Miguel Estrada, listed as options at 157, will face #3-ranked Tyler Kasak on Friday.

Buchanan appreciates Teemer’s personality.

“He’s different, and he brings a different flavor to the team, and he's great to have,” Buchanan said. “You can never really know Jacori. I think he's really unexpected, but he's great to have on the team.”

“When you talk to him, you get the factor of entertainment in the conversation,” Brands said. “But he's no mystery. I mean, he wants what he wants, and he's after the big prize, and we're going to need him to deliver. We're going to need him.”

Fan Of 22 

Teemer was wearing a replica of Caitlin Clark’s #22 Iowa jersey during his post-match interview on BTN last Saturday.

“As soon as I committed (to Iowa), I ordered it,” Teemer said. “Now I gotta rock this for sure. I was always a fan.”

Clark’s number will be retired in a ceremony on Sunday when Iowa plays USC at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.