The ISU football team has reached a critical point in its season.

The Cyclones, sporting a 3-3 record and an 0-2 Big 12 mark midway through the season, are looking a must-win game straight in the face.

With seven wins needed to assure a bowl bid, Iowa State is running out of games it can lose and still reach its sixth postseason game in the last seven years.

This week’s game is crucial.

And it’s against No. 23 Oklahoma, a team ISU coach Dan McCarney has never beaten.

Oklahoma is just 3-2 so far and is coming off a convincing loss to Texas last weekend.

Although the Sooners are not the powerhouse that played for three national titles in the past five seasons, they are still one of the best teams in the Big 12.

“Their record is not indicative of the team they are and the kind of talent they have on that football team,” McCarney said. “They’re an excellent team.”

It just doesn’t get any easier for Iowa State.

Three of the last four Cyclone games have been against ranked teams, with the team falling to Iowa, Texas and Nebraska.

Those three teams have three combined losses this season. Iowa and Texas fell to No. 1 Ohio State and Nebraska lost at No. 3 USC.

Not bad losses at all. And not an easy schedule for the Cyclones.

“I didn’t have a great game and a lot of my teammates didn’t either,” center Scott Stephenson said. “This game coming up against Oklahoma, we have to have a good game. Having a good game against them will ensure better success down the road.”

Oklahoma comes into the game powered by running back Adrian Peterson.

Peterson leads the Big 12 in rushing with 752 yards in just five games.

He has reached 100 yards rushing in each of his games this year, including a 211-yard outburst at Oregon.

“I don’t know if I’ve coached against one better,” McCarney said.

The Sooners have built their success on the legs of Peterson.

After quarterback Rhett Bomar was kicked of the team for accepting improper benefits during the offseason, Oklahoma had to put its offensive trust in unproved Paul Thompson.

The Sooner quarterback has been up to the challenge, passing for an average of 227 yards a game.

The Oklahoma offense has been clicking, but the ISU offense has struggled to get anything going.

The Cyclones are only averaging 100 yards rushing a game, and have put together just 150 yards on the ground in their last three games.

The offensive line has struggled to get any push for its running backs.

“We’re not as good as we want to be right now,” McCarney said. “We need to be better.

“They got out-physicaled on some snaps [against Nebraska], no question about that.”

Kickoff for the ISU-Oklahoma game is set for 11:30 a.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports Net.