Iowa State beat OU in Ames in the regular season and then lost to the Sooners in the Big 12 Championship game.

Can the Cyclones take that next step and dethrone the Sooners?

“I think what we’ve done is we certainly understand that there’s a pathway to become the best, but right now, you know, you’re talking about an Oklahoma team, and certainly some teams in this conference that have tremendous football teams and tremendous players in an Oklahoma team that certainly had a tremendous amount of success,” said ISU coach Matt Campbell. “I think what we’re learning is how we have to do it, and that part’s been a real fun journey for us.”

ISU has quarterback Brock Purdy and OU has Spencer Rattler – maybe two of the best quarterbacks in the nation.

“I think the only thing you can say is the utmost respect,” Campbell said of Rattler. “I think you see almost some great similarities across the way. You know, watching him grow throughout last football season, and probably nobody had a greater advantage of that in the Big 12 than myself. You saw him early in a conference game, kind of working through it, and we know what kind of coach and coaching he’s getting there, it’s exceptional and maybe as good as any quarterback coaching as you’re going to find. And you just saw him gain confidence as the season went, and I think you saw the team rally around his leadership and his confidence.

“(I have the) utmost respect for Spencer. Elite athleticism, elite arm strength, and you see a young man that at the end of the season had tremendous confidence in the offense.”