College football鈥檚 top 5 matchups of Week 12
5. No. 7 Texas vs. Iowa State – Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET, FOX
Texas and Iowa State have played some good games in recent years, including a 24-21 thriller that the Longhorns won in Austin last year. Since 1979, the Longhorns and Cyclones have faced off 20 times, with Texas winning 15 of those games. However, Iowa State has made a comeback in the series as of late, winning three consecutive matchups prior to last year鈥檚 loss.
Texas will be looking to continue on the winning path in this series, and a victory is a must considering what the Longhorns have in front of them. Currently, they sit atop the Big 12 at 6-1, and being ranked No. 7, they could have a shot at the College Football Playoff should they win out and get help during conference championship week. Texas鈥� only loss of the year came in the final seconds against Oklahoma, but there have been some close calls lately against Houston, Kansas State and TCU. Perhaps the biggest factor for the Longhorns right now, though, is health. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is back to lead what is still the No. 14-ranked total offense in the country, but the team suffered a big loss when running back Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL last week.
The Brooks loss could be critical in a must-win matchup in Ames on Saturday, a game which is also a must-win for the Cyclones. Quietly, Iowa State has gone 6-4 on the year with three losses coming against currently ranked teams in Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas. Impressively, the Cyclones have gone 5-2 in the Big 12, and a win over Texas would have them in position to seal a Big 12 Championship game berth next week at Kansas State. Quarterback Rocco Becht and the Iowa State offense are coming off their best scoring output of the year, and alongside what has been a top-25 defensive unit in the country, the Cyclones should have confidence to pull off an upset on Saturday.
