Iowa State will head to Texas in what may be one of, if not the most important game in Iowa State Football history.

If Iowa State beats Texas, the Cyclones still have a chance to reach Dallas and play for the Big 12 Championship with some extra help along the way. Put that in perspective for a minute. Iowa State has never played for the Big 12 Championship. The Cyclones haven’t won a league championship since 1912 when they were in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The last time Iowa State was anywhere close to this was November of 2005, when it played Kansas for a chance to win the Big 12 North and earn a trip the Big 12 Championship. Iowa State lost to Kansas that day, keeping them from the title game.

Iowa State’s last six-game winning streak came in 2002 with Seneca Wallace at quarterback. Iowa State has never won six conference games in a row.

So yes, this is the biggest game in program history to date. Don’t make any mistake about it.

Iowa State will head into Austin to take on the Longhorns in a hostile environment in front of 100,000 people. Texas is playing for all the same reasons Iowa State is. The loser will almost certainly be eliminated from contention of the Big 12 title game, so the stakes have never been higher for a Cyclone team.

Texas is coming off a tough stretch. Defensively, they have a allowed over 1,500 yards of total offense coupled with 114 points in their last three games. All have been hard fought. The chances will be there for Iowa State offensively. Defensively, they will have to find a way to limit Sam Ehlinger, who has been almost mistake free since the first game. Texas also has some big time playmakers on the perimeter that will test the Cyclone defense.

Iowa State became bowl eligible with their win against Baylor, but the team is looking for more. You don’t have to look back very far for a quote from Matt Campbell last season; “They’re going to talk about 6 wins, don’t give a shit. This isn’t about 6-6, bullshit programs care about 6-6.” The same mantra has been tossed over into this season.

This coming Saturday is the type of game that can continue the ascension of Iowa State Football on to the national map. This is much more than a routine game on a Saturday night. It’s the biggest game in program history, and a beautiful thing to be a part of.