There will be serious Big 12 title implications this week when the no. 17 Iowa State Cyclones pay a visit to the no. 6 Oklahoma State Cowboys. At home, the Cowboys are 3.5-point favorites with an over/under of 52 points.
Oklahoma State has been idle for the past two weekends after last week’s game with Baylor had to be postponed. However, the Cowboys looked convincing in their last game, a 47-7 blowout of Kansas after pulling out a couple of tough games against Tulsa and West Virginia.
With Texas and Oklahoma both losing two league games, the Cowboys are in a prime position to take advantage and compete for the Big 12 Championship.
Of course, the same thing can be said of Iowa State. The Cyclones have done a great job of bouncing back from a loss to Louisiana in their season opener.
Matt Campbell’s team has started the conference season 3-0, including a win over Oklahoma. Like Oklahoma State, the Cyclones have a chance to win the Big 12 and perhaps sneak into the College Football Playoff if they can keep winning.
Looking Purdy
Iowa State is hoping to get more consistent play out of quarterback Brock Purdy. The junior has had some ups and downs but started to look sharp in his last game against Texas Tech.
Fortunately for the Cyclones, they’ve been able to rely on running back Breece Hall through the early part of the season. Hall has eight touchdowns and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, giving the ISU offense great balance.
The Cyclones should provide a good barometer for the Oklahoma State defense. The Cowboys returned almost all of their starters from a year ago, setting up high expectations for a defense that’s been much maligned in the past.
Thus far, OSU has conceded just 27 total points over three games. However, it’s hard to be too impressed by that when they’ve played Tulsa, West Virginia, and Kansas. This game should tell us if the Oklahoma State defense is good enough to win a Big 12 title.
QB Shuffle
The Oklahoma State offense is likely to utilize two quarterbacks against Iowa State. Spencer Sanders, who started the season opener, looks ready to return from injury. However, freshman Shane Illingworth has played well in his absence, so it’ll be hard for Mike Gundy to take him off the field.
Of course, it doesn’t matter that much who starts. The Cowboys have Chuba Hubbard, one of the best running backs in the country, and Tylan Wallace, who is one of the best wide receivers in the Big 12.
That being said, the Iowa State defense should be ready to put up some resistance against the OSU offense. Under Campbell, the Cyclones have routinely been one of the best defensive teams in the Big 12.
Last time out, ISU held Texas Tech to 15 points and 270 total yards. That’s the same Texas Tech team that scored 56 points against Texas, so the Cyclones have some talent on defense.
Prove It
This is what you might call a “prove it” game for Oklahoma State, who has excelled against a weak schedule. Meanwhile, Iowa State’s win over Oklahoma shows what the Cyclones can do.
Right now, they are the more reliable team, so take Iowa State and the points.
