Despite all the conference turmoil, the Big 12 is still standing -- for now, at least. On Saturday, the Longhorns will open up Big 12 play as they head to Ames, Iowa to take on the Iowa State Cyclones.
Mack Brown's team has played well so far this season. Texas began the year unranked, but it didn't take long for the Longhorns to be back in the top 25. After a 3-0 start, Texas has risen to No. 17 in the polls.
Iowa State, though, is 3-0 as well, though the Cyclones are unranked. Iowa State's victories have all been extremely close this year, as they nipped Northern Iowa 20-19 before needing overtime to knock off Iowa, 44-41. The Cyclones' last game came on Friday, September 16, when the Cyclones beat the Connecticut Huskies 24-20 in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Texas' defense will have to take advantage of Iowa State's penchant for turnovers. Iowa State's starting quarterback, Steele Jantz, has completed 57.5% of his passes on the season, and also has thrown six interceptions against only six touchdown passes. Jantz, though, has added a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Mack Brown needs to make sure that his team doesn't lose focus leading into this game. The Red River Shootout against Oklahoma looms large next week, and the Longhorns need to focus on the Cyclones, not the Sooners who they play next week.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT. Televised coverage can be found on FX.