The University of Wisconsin wrestling team (1-1 Big Ten, 10-2-1 overall) will host two conference foes this weekend inside the UW Field House, which will undoubtedly be a critical weekend for Badger Big Ten championship hopes.
On Friday night, the Spartans of Michigan State will entertain the UW grapplers as they look to upset the No. 13 Badgers.
Meanwhile, UW is coming off their first conference win of the season after upending Indiana last weekend 20-15 and is looking to drive that momentum further this weekend.
Several key matchups will determine the fate of both teams, especially for the Spartans, who desperately need a conference victory to get back into the Big Ten race as they currently sit winless following setbacks against Minnesota and Purdue, respectively.
In the 133-pound class, MSU's Franklin Gomez will walk into the fieldhouse boasting a 16-1 record on the season, while looking to defeat UW junior and No. 12-ranked Zach Tanelli.
Michigan State wrestler Joe Williams will also try to improve upon his 19-8 record when he grapples with Badger junior and No. 4 ranked Dallas Herbst in the 197-pound match.
Following the match with the Spartans, the Badgers will have a quick turnaround as they match strength with No. 1 ranked Iowa on Sunday afternoon.
The Hawkeyes have reeled off seven straight victories following a 19-14 loss to Oklahoma State earlier this season. Needless to say, Iowa will be one of UW's most difficult challenges of the season, but the match could also serve as a season changer if the Badgers are able to knock off the top-ranked team in the country.
Depending on their results against the Gophers on Friday night, some Iowa standouts could make the trip to Madison with gaudy records. Junior Charlie Falck, who at the time of publication has a record of 24-1 in the 125-pound class, will most likely be matched up with UW senior Collin Cudd.
In the 133-pound match Iowa will most likely send sophomore Joe Slaton to the mats with his 23-2 record at time of publication. He could be matched up with the Badger's Tanelli.
Finally, heavyweight Iowa senior Matt Fields will look to claim his 22nd win of the season when he battles UW junior Kyle Massey.
Action will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening and will resume at 1:00 p.m, Sunday afternoon.
-uwbadgers.com contributed to this report