NCAA

Stephen Buchanan vs Josh Barr: Wrestling Preview & Prediction

Stephen Buchanan vs Josh Barr: Wrestling Preview & Prediction

A preview of the upcoming wrestling match at 197 pounds between Penn State's #4 Josh Barr and Iowa's #1 Stephen Buchanan.

Jan 29, 2025 by Jon Kozak
Stephen Buchanan vs Josh Barr: Wrestling Preview & Prediction

#1 Penn State will welcome #2 Iowa to State College on Friday, January 31 for what has the potential to be the best dual of the season. This dual will start at 7:00 pm (ET) and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. There are several key storylines to follow in this dual but one of the biggest is the matchup at 197 pounds between #1 Stephen Buchanan and #4 Josh Barr. Check out the article below to see for a complete breakdown of the upcoming showdown between Barr and Buchanan.

More Penn State vs Iowa Preview Content

PSU vs Iowa Dual Preview | Parco vs Van Ness | Iowa Insider | PSU Insider

#1 Stephen Buchanan, Iowa

3-time All-American - 3rd (2024 & 2022) 8th (2021)

99-25 Career College Record Against D1 Competition

Victories over All-Americans

  • Trey Munoz, Oregon State
  • Jacob Cardenas, Michigan
  • Tanner Sloan, SD State (2X)
  • Michael Beard, Lehigh
  • John Poznanski, Rutgers
  • Stephen Little, Little Rock (2X)
  • Rock Elam, Missouri (3X)
  • Yonger Bastida, Iowa State (3X)
  • Patrick Brucki, Michigan/Princeton
  • Eric Schultz, Nebraska
  • Dakota Geer, OK State (2X)

#4 Josh Barr, Penn State

2024 U20 World Silver Medalist

26-0 Career College Record Against D1 Competition

Victories over All-Americans

  • John Poznanski, Rutgers
  • Stephen Little, Little Rock
  • Michael Beard, Lehigh

The Case For Josh Barr

Josh Barr is currently undefeated in his college career accumulating a 14-0 record in his redshirt season at 184 pounds and a 12-0 record this year at 197 pounds. After winning a roster battle against teammates Lucas Cochran and Connor Mirasola, Barr quickly shot up the rankings at 197 pounds establishing himself as a title contender with victories over All-Americans #6 Michael Beard (11-3), #5 Stephen Little (4-1, SV-1), and #17 John Poznanski (22-6). 

Those wins alone are impressive for Barr but what makes it even more impressive is HOW he’s winning. Barr is overwhelming his opponents with a ferocious hand fight and pace that no one has been able to match this season. This was illustrated perfectly in Barr’s wins over Michael Beard and John Poznanski. In the Beard match, Barr led only 4-2 going into the third period before rattling off an escape and two takedowns to come away with the major decision. The match against Poznanski was tied 0-0 going into the third period before Barr secured an escape and 7 takedowns in under a minute for the 22-6 tech fall!

Barr is wrestling beyond expectations this season and he’s using his pace, positioning, and hanfighting to open up his offense as the match progresses. This has been a huge development in Barr’s wrestling career. In the past, Barr tried to implement his pace by shooting relentlessly. That strategy worked against most opponents but Barr struggled against counter wrestlers with strong defense. If Barr can implement his pace early and keep the match close going into the third, he’ll be in a great position to defeat Buchanan. If he does defeat Buchanan, Penn State fans (and everyone else) should expect Barr to challenge for a national title this year.

Watch Barr's win over Michael Beard:

The Case For Stephen Buchanan

Though Josh Barr is off to a great start, Stephen Buchanan is the far more accomplished wrestler. His resume of significant wins and All-American finishes speaks for itself. What’s more significant to consider is how Buchanan’s wrestling style matches up against Barr.

Buchanan is far-and-away the best wrestler Barr has faced in his collegiate career and presents challenges Barr hasn’t faced to this point. First, and maybe most significant, is Buchanan’s power. Barr is a more natural 184-pound wrestler and only moved up to 197 because of Carter Starocci’s move to 184. Buchanan’s power-double could be a major advantage for Buchanan over Barr.

The other area that could separate Buchanan from Barr is his counterattacks. As mentioned above, Barr has the tendency to use volume in his attacks to wear down his opponents and open up his offense. He’s been more disciplined this year but if Barr goes back to his old ways, Buchanan has some of the best counter-attacks in the game and Buchanan is capable of making Barr pay if he takes an errant shot. 

Finally, Buchanan is a veteran and is known for wrestling a strong pace for seven minutes. Barr hasn’t wrestled someone that can match his pace yet but Buchanan might be that wrestler. In his opening match of the year, Buchanan trailed Trey Munoz 4-1 heading into the third period. However, Buchanan secured an escape and two takedowns showcasing his conditioning in his victory over two-time All-American Trey Munoz. Because of that match, and Buchanan’s career, I have a hard time imagining Barr wearing down Buchanan.

Watch Buchanan's win over Trey Munoz:

Who Wins On Friday Night - Barr Or Buchanan?

I expect this to be an incredible battle in State College and the match between Josh Barr and Stephen Buchanan has the potential to be the match of the night. In my full preview of the dual, I predicted Buchanan to win a close decision and I’m sticking with that pick here. I think this will be a tight match where Buchanan builds an early lead that Barr isn’t able to overcome. Barr is more than capable of taking out top-ranked Buchanan but I think Buchanan’s power and counter-offense will be just a little too much for Barr to handle. Regardless of what happens, this is a “must-watch” match on Friday night and has the potential to be a preview of this year’s NCAA final at 197 pounds.

Match score prediction - Stephen Buchanan 7, Josh Barr 5