Anyone who was watching the ISU football team’s 24-13 loss to Texas Tech last Saturday could not help but cringe at the performance from Steele Jantz.

The ISU starting quarterback passed for a measly 73 yards and completed 50 percent of his passes en route to committing four turnovers — three interceptions and one unprovoked fumble — in the second straight year of failing to make it to 4-0 for the Cyclones (3-1, 0-1 Big 12).

While ISU coach Paul Rhoads said he would not make an immediate decision on whether to bench or start Jantz for the team’s upcoming game against No. 16 TCU, the symphony of “Bench Jantz” is currently being sung by ISU fans on social media.

We’re here to say Jantz will not be benched, even if he’s now in the hot seat.

Yes, Jantz has yet to prove he can win a Big 12 game — he is 0-5 against conference opponents as a starter. Yes, Jantz passed for a pitiful 73 yards against Texas Tech.

And yes, Jantz’s four turnovers were major killers in momentum at points in which Iowa State had a shot to remain in the game. Without those turnovers, Iowa State doesn’t lose by 11 and possibly even wins the game or at least makes it close.

Jantz’s lack of proper decision-making has led to him overthrowing receivers and scrambling for his life while trying to find open targets. He’s over-thinking on the field as he was last year when he entered Big 12 play with a foot injury.

The short-pass game that worked so well in the first two games was all but present last Saturday. The offensive line was getting manhandled by Texas Tech’s defense, forcing Jantz to scramble out of the pocket and make decisions on the run that led to overthrows or miscues.

But will making an immediate switch from Jantz to Jared Barnett yield immediate success, especially with No. 16 TCU waiting next for the disparaged Cyclones?

Think back to last season when Iowa State got beaten into the ground 52-17 against Missouri in possibly the last meeting in the near future between the two schools.

The feeling among the program at that point was not that of optimism but that of contempt — players and coaches were not very happy to talk to the media and even though they obliged and said they shrugged it off, hostility was still noticeable.

At that point, Jantz was already being challenged by Barnett for the starting quarterback job.

While Jantz got the start and the loss after an 0-for-4 performance with an interception against Texas A&M, Barnett was not immediately thrown into the game as a quick fix.

Barnett did go on to a 3-3 record as the starter for the rest of the season, but the change was not immediate and nor would this one be if it should take place.

If anything, Barnett will get a chance this Saturday against TCU, but don’t expect him to get the start instead of Jantz.

Heck, we wouldn’t even expect a win against the Horned Frogs. Maybe the team can work to prove us wrong, but we really don’t see it coming away with a win even if Barnett gets a majority of the snaps.

But the notion Barnett will be the immediate savior is ludicrous. In his only action this season in the team’s win against Western Illinois on Sept. 15, Barnett went 4-for-9 for 31 yards with one interception.

After the game, Barnett said he was not feeling up to par in terms of his performance. If he struggled against a low-tier FCS team, how do you think he will do against a ranked Big 12 opponent?

Best-case scenario: Barnett will go in after halftime against TCU with an average performance in a loss, then will be the focal point of another quarterback controversy before taking a majority of the snaps in a close game against Kansas State.

If you are planning on jumping off the Steele Jantz bandwagon after this game, think before doing something so hasty. Barnett will not be the quick fix for this team, so looking for immediate answers is a lofty hope.

We’re sorry, but Jantz cannot compete in the Big 12. Barnett has proven himself in keeping the team competitive in conference play — 3-2 as a starter — but lacks consistency in his passing game to take the Cyclones to the next level.

But hold your horses, folks, because there’s a lot of football left to play.