By Chris Williams, CycloneFanatic.com Publisher
Iowa State @ #6 Oklahoma
Saturday @ 6 p.m. on FOX Sports Net
Cyclone Radio Network
CLICK HERE for complete Iowa State statistics
CLICK HERE for complete Oklahoma statistics
Fanatics…Here are three different quotes from defensive coordinator Wally Burnham describing three members of the Oklahoma Sooner offense that the Cyclones will go up against on Saturday night.
On quarterback Landry Jones…
“He is the best we’ve seen. They are number six for a reason.”
On wide receiver Ryan Broyles…
“He’s the best we have lined up against.”
On running back DeMarco Murray…
“He is the best that we’ve played against. No doubt. He’s got speed. He runs tough inside. He can break it outside. All you have to do is give him a little crease. He can be gone in a minute. He has great vision.”
That’s not great news for fans praying for a Cyclone upset of the Sooners tomorrow night.
As far as Iowa State’s offense goes, the matchup doesn’t appear to be quite as daunting. While they’re 5-0, Oklahoma’s defense is ranked 93rd nationally and they’re 98th against the pass. If Iowa State’s offense from the Texas Tech game decides to show up, the Cyclones can certainly put up some points right? One would like to think that is the case.
In order to do that, going 0-for-11 on third down like the Cyclones did last week will not cut it.
“We have to stay on the field,” said offensive coordinator Tom Herman. “I have never been around a time where we score 27 points, had as many yards as we did and actual drives but not made a third down. That is obviously a big point of emphasis for us.
NOTEBOOK
– Alexander Robinson will be a game time decision for Iowa State. CLICK HERE to read my thoughts on this situation. I say if he isn’t 100 percent, don’t play him. Iowa State will need a healthy A-Rob down the stretch when trying to qualify for a second straight bowl game.
– Oklahoma is currently on a 33-game home field winning streak that began on Sept. 1, 2005.
– Oklahoma is the nation’s number one team as far as turnover margin goes. They’ve turned the ball over less than all five of their opponents this season.
– Oklahoma wide receiver Ryan Broyes has had 100 or more yards in seven of his last eight games.
TOP CYCLONE STORYLINES
– Who gets the majority of the carries at running back? Who starts the game? How do they do?
– What will the passing game look like? Will we see another Texas Tech-like performance or with the group look bland like we’ve seen for much of the season?
– How will Iowa State’s 102nd ranked rush defense stack up against DeMarco Murray and the potent Sooner running game?
– How will the Cyclones bounce back from giving up 68 points to Utah a week ago? This team has been awfully resilient since Paul Rhoads arrived in Ames. Will they keep up that trend?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Right now, it is awfully trendy to pick Iowa State to lose this game by 30-plus points. That certainly could happen tomorrow. But as I wrote above, this staff has a pretty decent track record of keeping their kids’ chins up. That’s not going to be the difference between a win and a loss but it could be the difference between a blowout and a semi-close game. In modern day college football, anything can happen on any given Saturday. I don’t believe that Iowa State will win tomorrow but I’m not predicting the Clones to relive what went down last weekend either. There are too many quality leaders on this football team. I think that the offense will show up and score some points. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that the Cyclone defense is up for the challenge.
Chris’ Final Pick
Oklahoma 41, Iowa State 21
