Oklahoma football fans should jump on the Iowa State bandwagon on this Saturday.
And then, of course, the Sooners must go out and take care of their own business by holding home serve against in-state rival Oklahoma State in Bedlam.
Why is Farmageddon between Iowa State and Kansas State so important? Because a two-loss K-State and Iowa State is Oklahoma’s worst nightmare in terms of defending its five consecutive Big 12 titles.
Both Iowa State and Texas own the tiebreaker over the Sooners should all three teams finish the season with a 7-2 conference record.
Iowa State has just one conference loss through six games, losing 24-21 at Oklahoma State. Kansas State, though, has lost in consecutive weeks, at West Virginia and at home two weeks ago to Oklahoma State.
The only way Oklahoma will be able to slip by Kansas State in the Big 12 title chase is to have the Wildcats to end the season with more losses than the Sooners. That’s why an Iowa State win at home, where the Cyclones are a double-digit favorite over K-State, allows the Sooners to jump ahead of Kansas State in the conference title race, assuming OU continues to win.
Beyond K-State, Iowa State still has games remaining with Texas and West Virginia, and the Texas game is in Austin. Kansas State also has a game left with Texas, but that game is at K-State, where the Cats have beaten the Longhorns in two of the last three meetings.
So Oklahoma’s path to a spot in the Big 12 Championship can be largely cemented by two outcomes this Saturday: an Iowa State victory over Kansas State and an OU win against Oklahoma State.
If that happens and Oklahoma is able to win out at West Virginia next week and at home against Baylor on Dec. 5, the Sooners are in. Who would be their opponent is still very much up for grabs.