Iowa State: Finding offensive rhythm

Iowa State comes into the weekend 1-1 after a four turnover home loss to Iowa. The Cyclones looked unprepared, which is reminiscent of their week 1 performance. “I have failed this team to be prepared for this moment,” said head coach Matt Campbell. “I think the lack of execution really falls on my shoulders.”

On paper, being 1-1 with a loss to a top 10 opponent shouldn’t sound any alarms. But if not for the Cyclones’ defense, this team could easily be 0-2. Iowa State came into this season with championship expectations, an experienced roster and a hot-commodity coach. The offense just has not been able to find any rhythm early in the season.

Four-year starting quarterback Brock Purdy has yet to throw a touchdown pass and preseason All-American running back Breece Hall has not recorded 70 yards rushing in a single game. There is no question the talent is there, but Campbell and company just need to find the spark that got them within a touchdown of winning the Big 12 in 2020.

Iowa State will travel to Las Vegas to play UNLV this weekend, then head to Waco where they will open up Big 12 play against Baylor. The Cyclones are heavy favorites this weekend. Campbell will no doubt be looking for his offense to find some of that 2020 magic.

Texas: Quarterback and Offensive Line

Coming into the season, Texas had two big question marks. Who would start at quarterback and how can it protect that quarterback? After a 19-point loss in Fayetteville to Arkansas, the Longhorns still don’t have an answer to either question.

Freshman Hudson Card originally won the starting job at quarterback, but it will now be Casey Thompson who starts under center against Rice this weekend. Card struggled with his deep ball accuracy against the Razorbacks, but his line didn’t give him much help either. Card was sacked three times, and the offensive line struggled to create holes for Bijan Robinson all night.

“Could we have blocked better? No question,” said first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian. “Could Hudson have maybe played better? Sure, he could have. Everybody takes a part in this thing, coaches included.”

A quarterback controversy is the last thing a first-year head coach wants to deal with. Both Card and Thompson are expected to play against Rice. Thompson being more of a natural runner could be the answer to both of the Longhorns’ problems. Ideally, Sarkisian will want to have both sorted out before they host Texas Tech. 

Oklahoma: Consistency & Defense

The Sooners face an old rival and their toughest opponent yet this weekend: the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Oklahoma is coming off of a 76-0 victory over Western Carolina, but there is still some concern about the defense and consistency. 

The Sooners are still the most complete team in the Big 12 and are the favorites to lift the trophy at the end of the regular season. But this team has its eyes set on a national championship. To reach that level the Sooners have some issues that need to be addressed. 

Under Lincoln Riley, the Sooners have always had a prolific offense. With Spencer Rattler under center, everything seems business as usual. On the other side of the ball, the defense has been improving every year. Under year three with defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, many are expecting them to make a huge leap forward, making Oklahoma a title contender. 

Against Tulane, the Sooners were able to get key stops when they needed them. But they still allowed the Green Wave to score 35 points with almost 400 yards and a chance to win the game late.

The Sooners led 37-14 at halftime, so it could be a case of them taking their foot off the gas, but this has been an ongoing problem for Lincoln Riley’s teams. Last year, they suffered a similar loss to Kansas State where they were outscored 17-0 in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma fans will be looking for their team to play a full 60 minutes of championship football on Saturday against a familiar foe in Nebraska led by the very talented QB Adrian Martinez.