Penn State wrestling is not ranked No. 1 per one outlet.
How could this happen?
Well, it isn’t because Penn State wrestling has lost a step.
PSU has won its first three dual meets by a combined 124-9, extending its streak to 74, which is three shy of the national D1 record.
Yet, in FloWrestling’s weekly team tournament rankings, Ohio State, not Penn State, is No. 1.
It’s a close race, with Ohio State having 104 points the Penn State’s 103. It’s also a close race for second between Penn State and Iowa, which has 102.5 points.
In the official NWCA rankings, Penn State is No. 1.
So why are the team rankings different?
HOW TEAM RANKINGS WORK?
So how do Flo’s team rankings work?
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“Team tournament rankings are calculated by assigning team points from the individual rankings,” Flo explained. “All inactive wrestlers have been removed from the rankings so the Nittany Lions lose Josh Barr’s first-place team points.”
This adds more context. Barr, who finished national runner-up at 197 last season, has been dealing with a rib injury that’s sidelined him for the entire 2025-26 campaign thus far.
Last week, Barr was No. 1 at 197, but Flo took Barr out of the rankings due to being inactive.
The fact that Penn State could lose a wrestler like Barr and still be so dominant speaks to the empire that Cael Sanderson has built.
IT WILL ALL WORK ITSELF OUT
Cael Sanderson ahead of Penn State’s bout with Iowa.
Regardless of where Penn State is ranked by any publication, everything is going to be settled on the mat— for better or worse.
It’s hard to argue that Ohio State— winners of the National Duals which Penn State opted not to compete in— isn’t right behind PSU. We’ll find out a lot more about how these teams match up against each other on Friday the 13th. Ohio State takes on Penn State at the Bryce Jordan Center Feb. 13, in what will be Penn State’s last Big Ten dual meet of the season.
If all goes according to plan, Penn State will be still unbeaten by then and poised to win its 13th national title in 15 years.
