Gene Chizik won’t be preparing his team for a national championship game this year, but when the first-year Cyclones’ coach sits down to watch it, he wouldn’t mind seeing some changes, including a playoff.

“I think it’d be pretty cool,” Chizik said.

Chizik, who helped coach Texas to a BCS National Championship as a defensive coordinator two seasons ago, was on the Stephen F. Austin State University coaching staff that competed through the Division I-AA playoffs system. The Lumberjacks made it to the semifinals in 1995 with Chizik as an assistant coach. Having experienced both types of postseasons, he says he likes the playoffs and wouldn’t mind seeing the rest of college football adapting to it.

“I think it’s a really neat system, but I know there’s so much more to it right now because there’s all kinds of issues out there, starting with bowl tie-ins, money, and all the things that we all know make a difference,” he said.

While he is in favor of a playoff system instead of the current BCS form, Chizik said he’d have to see all the details before signing off on it. He doesn’t think it’ll ever happen because of all the steps college football would have to take.

“I doubt it,” he said. “They’ve been talking about it forever.”

A BCS contender?

Speaking of the BCS, Chizik’s opponent this weekend is finding itself right in the thick of the national championship hunt – No. 4 Oklahoma.

The Sooners (6-1, 2-1 Big 12) enter this weekend fifth in the BCS standings. Their lone loss this season came on Sept. 29, when Oklahoma fell to host Colorado 27-24. While the loss has dropped them down the rankings, the Sooners could still be in the hunt. Coach Bob Stoops thinks it’s too early to tell.

“We’re just halfway through [the season],” Stoops said. “Everything, the BCS standings, that’s not for me to talk about. It doesn’t matter right now, all that matters is beating Iowa State.”

Injury update

Fans may want to catch a glimpse of backup quarterback Austen Arnaud on Saturday, but if the redshirt freshman makes it into Saturday’s game, he’ll be limited as to what he’ll be able to do. The Ames native has been hampered with an injured foot for the past two weeks.

“It’s hard for him to move around right now,” Chizik said. “We got him in the game some Saturday [against Texas], but we can’t do all the things with him that we would like him to do right now.”

Arnaud, who has completed 3 of 7 passes for 18 yards on the season, isn’t the only Cyclone dealing with an injury. Junior running back J.J. Bass has been bothered by an injured shoulder. While the bad shoulder has kept him out of only one game – against Nebraska – the junior college transfer has seen a significant drop in playing time, as junior Jason Scales has taken the majority of carries and moved to the top of the Cyclones’ depth chart.

Against Texas, Scales carried the ball 19 times for 77 yards.

“I thought Jason Scales tried to run the ball hard,” Chizik said. “J.J. Bass is still banged up, and he’s not full go.”

Todd Blythe the quarterback?

Senior wide receiver Todd Blythe wasn’t just catching passes against Texas on Saturday – he was throwing them.

“It was good,” Meyer said. “In practice he usually doesn’t throw the best ball. He’s a gamer, so I knew he would put it on me in the game.”

After the pass, Blythe walked back to the ISU huddle with some post-play acting.

“He was acting like his arm was sore, doing something,” Meyer said. “We kind of joked about it. It was fun though.”

Meyer, who said he was excited about the play when it was sent in, said he didn’t have any last-minute advice for the wide receiver.

“I didn’t want him thinking about it too much,” he said, jokingly.

A little Big 12 North love

Typically known as the weaker part of the Big 12, the North Division finds itself as the only division of the conference with an undefeated team. No. 15 Kansas is 6-0 on the year and is helping the North earn some props.

“I think it’s very obvious that [the North is] stronger,” Chizik said. “The Big 12 North to me is stronger than it was last year from top to bottom.”

Chizik and his Cyclones will get a up-close look at the rest of the division as their final four games of the season are against North teams. On Oct. 27 the Cyclones travel to Missouri (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) before coming back home to host Kansas State (4-2, 2-1). After a home matchup with Colorado (4-3, 2-1), the Cyclones wrap up the season on the road when they travel to undefeated Kansas.

“It’s not getting any easier starting with Saturday,” he said. “But if you’re a competitor and you love the game of football, you go out there and play it every Saturday.”

Quotent quotable

“The true test of a man in life is really not where they stand in times of prosperity but where they stand in times of difficulty and adversity, and right now, we’ve faced some adversity in recent weeks, and we’re definitely going to plug away.”

– ISU junior defensive end Kurtis Taylor on the Cyclones’ season-long troubles.