The Baylor Bears are good. No, really, the Baylor Bears are good. Ask anyone on the ISU football team.

“I think it’s going to be a great football game,” said ISU coach Dan McCarney. “I’m very, very impressed watching their team. They have a great system. They have good players.”

Baylor (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) gave Texas A&M all it could handle in College Station, Texas, on Saturday, eventually losing 16-13 in overtime.

In fact, everything about the Bears seems to greatly resemble the Cyclones (3-1, 0-1) this season – especially how the rest of the Big 12 views the teams.

ISU safety Nik Moser said outsiders often only look at the history of programs when deeming which teams to show respect.

He said Iowa State is in no position to start underestimating teams.

“You know you can’t take a team lightly, especially when you’re Iowa State,” Moser said.

“You’re the team that’s been taken lightly for many years. The Bears are in the same boat as us, where they try to go out and earn respect every week, so you can’t take a team lightly like that.”

McCarney said he knows Baylor’s position well, and he should. When he started as coach of Iowa State in 1995, the Cyclones had suffered 45 losing seasons dating back to 1927.

It’s a laundry list of failures, too.

“It’s the same thing I’ve been balancing when I took the job here,” McCarney said. “The perception is that you stink, and you’re not very good. You can’t challenge, you can’t win, you can’t go to bowl games, you can’t win bowl games, you can’t go on the road and win, and can’t win at home. It’s a perception thing.”

Iowa State beat Baylor by one point last year, and that win came from a last-minute scoring drive. The Bears then beat Texas A&M the next week.

This season, Baylor beat Army 20-10, a team the Cyclones topped 28-21 after trailing at the end of the first half and the third quarter.

“They’re a team that, if they’re taken lightly or you’re not ready, they can come out and beat any team that they want,” Moser said. “When we saw the film against Army, we knew that Baylor was a good team … It didn’t really surprise me that they went into overtime with A&M.”

As both the Cyclones and the Bears try to bounce back from their respective losses, offensive lineman Scott Stephenson said it’s the sickening feeling of the loss that will be the motivating factor.

“They’re coming off a tough loss as well, and it’s important for them to do the same, which is just learn from your mistakes and keep moving,” he said. “But I certainly don’t want to end up like we did last weekend.”

If Iowa State gets caught up anticipating the Baylor of the past, the team is in for a rude

awakening.

“To people on the outside, well, this is one you should win. But you watch tape, and it’s tough as hell,” McCarney said. “You watch them go toe-to-toe against A&M, and outplay them most of the game at A&M.

“They beat them a year ago, they lost in overtime this year – they’re a very good football team. Very impressive.”

Plus, the Cyclones know what they’re playing for.

“It’s extremely important,” said defensive lineman Nick Leaders. “You’d rather be 1-1 in the Big 12 than 0-2. Especially in a division that’s up for grabs right now. We need to get back in the race.”