Good Cop: Owen Slinde
Iowa State looked good last week as it easily took down BYU. This week is a different story with both teams needing a win.
Last week was great. Everyone showed out in a tough environment. The run game looked stellar for the first time this season, but they are now facing a tough Texas defense. I am interested to see how our offensive line handles business.
That also means protecting quarterback Rocco Becht will be huge Saturday. Keep him comfortable in the pocket and let him do what he does best—and that is finding the open target downfield.
While I do think Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers will be more of a challenge for the Cyclone defense, they need to stay grounded and play the ball they know. We saw some confusion and falling apart against Kansas, and we all remember what happened then.
A positive thing I have looked at is that Texas has shown weakness the past few weeks, and I think in those situations, the Cyclones need to jump in head first to take advantage.
I think it is going to be a close game, and I think the Cyclones barely escape like they have in years past.
Score Prediction: Iowa State 24, Texas 21
Bad Cop: Cayden Storm
Saturday night’s matchup against No. 7 Texas is no doubt the most anticipated game of Iowa State’s season. There is a lot on the line for both teams, as Texas looks to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive and Iowa State tries to make a late push for the Big 12 Championship.
The game has all the makings of a classic Iowa State upset under the lights in Jack Trice Stadium, but will the Cyclones really be able to pull off the upset? Personally, I am not expecting it.
Though Iowa State had its best performance of the season last week at BYU, it did not come against a team the caliber of Texas.
The Cyclones took advantage of BYU being down to their backup quarterback, who, to put it bluntly, did not look anywhere near a starting-caliber quarterback. BYU’s quarterback completed 10 of 27 pass attempts for 104 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
It is safe to say that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was the No. 1 overall recruit in 2021, will provide a much stiffer challenge for the Cyclone defense.
As for the offensive side of the ball, there really isn’t much to criticize from the BYU game. Sure the offense benefited from some short fields provided by the defense, but they did what they had to do and capitalized on their opportunities.
When it comes to the matchup against Texas and why I am skeptical about an Iowa State upset, it comes down to the talent mismatch on both sides of the ball.
We all saw what happened last time Iowa State faced off against a team with similar talent to Texas, and it was not good, as Iowa State took a 50-20 loss to then-No. 14 Oklahoma.
When it comes to the environment that Jack Trice Stadium will have and how that could potentially affect Texas, it is important to remember that this is a team that went into Bryant Denny Stadium and beat Alabama by double-digits on the road. Simply put, I do not think Texas is going to be phased in a tough environment on the road.
Despite all that I have laid out, Texas has shown that they will let inferior teams hang around, barely escaping Houston, Kansas State and TCU in recent weeks.
I think this game will follow a similar script, with the Cyclone keeping it close throughout the majority of the game before Texas’ talent ultimately proves to be too much.
