Iowa State hosts Texas in Big-12 action. The Longhorns are 0-2 in the league race and have lost four straight conference games dating back to last season. ISU coach Gene Chizik expects the Longhorns to be fired up. Chizik says,”They’re going to “come in here rip snort’in and ready to roll.” He says they’ll look at the film from last week and think they can beat the Cyclones by 100 points, “I would.”

Chizik admits it will be strange to coach against Mack Brown. He spent two years on the Texas staff before moving on to Iowa State. Chizik says coach Borwn knows what he means to him and his wife, but Chizik says it will be a work day.

After three straight road games Chizik says it is nice to be back at home. He says it’ll be good to not have to travel, although he says traveling hasn’t had anything to do with their losses.

Chizik says the Cyclones need to stop some big play opportunities to have a chance, and make them drive it methodically down the field. He says his team can’t turn the ball over.

Iowa is at home against an Illinois team that at 3-0 is the surprise of the Big Ten. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says the Illnia have a lot of veteran players who are playing very well, and their record is not fluke. He says the defense will need to be fundamentally sound against the Illinois spread option.

He says everyone has to be on the same page and be sure they get their jobs done. Ferentz says the Illini spread offense is based more on the run. Ferentz says they are more of an option team than anything else, with a strong quarterback and hard running runningback.