OKLAHOMA CITY -- After an impressive beginning, a crushing a midterm at the hands of top-ranked Iowa brought the wrestling team back to reality.

Penn State rebounded to win its 11th straight Eastern Wrestling League title in its final appearance. Now comes the final exam: Nationals. A passing grade will give the Lions their first national championship in 39 years.

With almost everyone crowning Iowa's present squad as "the greateast team ever," the fourth-ranked Lions have gotten lost in the struggle. Of the nine wrestlers present, five are All-Americans. Starting today, Penn State will try to achieve the near-impossible -- wrest the title away from perennial favorite Iowa.

"You have to go out there expecting to be a national champion," Coach Rich Lorenzo said. "If you go out there just wanting to be an All-American then you've already admitted defeat."

All eyes will be on defending 118-pound champion Jeff Prescott (25-1), as he tries to become the second Penn Stater to win two national titles. The top seed at 118 pounds, Prescott is 10-2 at nationals. He is also attempting to become the Lions' ninth three-time All-American.

"He's been saying all season he wants to be a two-time champion," Lorenzo said. "Now he just has to prove it."

Redshirt sophomore Shawn Nelson (24-2-2) had an outstanding season at 126. Unfortunately for him, Iowa's Terry Brands has dominated at 126 all season. Despite only wrestling in that weight class five times that season, Nelson is seeded sixth. With only one other seeded wrestler in the lower half of the bracket, Nelson appears to have a clear path to the semifinals.

All-American Bob Truby (23-3-2) hopes to finally win the big one. Truby comes in as the number four seed at 134. Truby sports a 5-3 NCAA record including a fifth-place finish last year.

If the Lions are going to have a shot at the title, 142 will be a critical weight. This is probably the second strongest weight class at the tournament.

Freshman John Hughes (19-7-2) hopes to duplicate or better his EWL performance. Hughes is one of only two unseeded Lions.

Troy Sunderland (23-3-3) reached the semifinals in his first NCAA appearance last year. One of the favorites at 150, Sunderland comes in as the No. 3 seed and he also looks like he has an easy path to the semifinals.

Sunderland's aggressiveness could be an asset at the tournament where offense is more rewarded than defense.

Two-time All-American Tim Wittman (16-6) almost didn't make it to this tournament. He lost the 158 spot to Josh Robbins last month then spent the next two weeks getting it back. In some strange way, it helped him because he won his second EWL title with a 6-4 overtime win over Scott Hovan of Pitt. The committee rewarded Wittman with a number six seed. He also has an easy draw.

Last March was a painful time for 167-pounder Dave Hart. After a second-place finish at EWLs, Hart failed to place at nationals when he lost both of his matches. Lorenzo said in the media guide, "I'm looking for a lot of great things from him."

Hart (29-1) has been scintillating this season. The third-seeded Hart, the Lions' most consistent wrestler, is one of the favorites to take the title. With no real challenges in his half of the bracket, Hart should cruise to the semifinals.

Matt White overcame a season of frustration and setbacks by finishing third at EWLs earlier this month. An All-American last year, White's experience should pay dividends here despite the lack of mat time this season. White's record (9-8-1) is the primary reason why he is unseeded.

The 190-pound slot could also bring good news to Penn State. Adam Mariano (10-1-1) demonstrated no after-effects from a separated shoulder as he won his first EWL title. As the sixth seed, Mariano has a tough draw. A possible second-round matchup looms with Iowa State's Dan Troupe, the only wrestler to defeat him this year.