Iowa State is playing like the team Texas wants to be
After losing their opener in ugly fashion, Iowa State and Matt Campbell adjusted their gameplan. They featured a young running back in Breece Hall. The nation’s top back took the pressure off of Brock Purdy and they ran through the Big 12 Conference. They clinched the No. 1 seed by going 8-1, their only loss coming by three against Oklahoma State. They also defeated the Oklahoma Sooners.
The Longhorns started off fast with a victory over UTEP and could have lost three-straight games had it not been for Sam Ehlinger‘s heroics against Texas Tech. Then they lost to TCU and Oklahoma to drop them down to 1-2 to start Big 12 play. After rattling off three-straight wins, they built a lead against the Cyclones, only to watch them lose a game late. Again losing a game they couldn’t afford to lose.
Looking at similar opponents the last two seasons, the Longhorns are 0-6 against Iowa State, TCU, and Oklahoma the last two seasons. Not exactly something to hang your hat on. Campbell against Texas, TCU, and Oklahoma the last two years? Well, he is 5-1 in those instances. Matt Campbell is winning the games that Tom Herman wishes he was.