Game 11 at Iowa State
Sure, we could list game ten against Kansas in Lubbock as one that Tech can’t afford to lose but that goes without saying. However, the next week presents Tech with an important opportunity to pick up a nice road win.
What’s more, when Tech travels to Iowa State on November 19, it could be a make-or-break game for the 2022 season. Let’s say that up to that point, the Red Raiders have picked up wins over Murray State, Houston, West Virginia, Kansas, and one team that they aren’t currently favored to beat.
That would put Tech at five wins heading to Ames. And given that the final game of the season is against Oklahoma, that would make beating the Cyclones a must.
Winning in Ames isn’t easy. That’s why I almost didn’t put this game down as a must-win.
Tech hasn’t been victorious at Jack Trice Stadium since 2014 and what’s more, the closest the Red Raiders have come to winning there since was a nine-point loss in 2018. But this needs to be the year that changes.
Iowa State is a complete mystery team heading into 2022. Having lost tons of talent from last year, including QB Brock Purdy, RB Breece Hall, and TE Charlie Kohlar, some believe the Cyclones could be in a rebuilding situation.
But by the time game eleven rolls around, it is conceivable that the Cyclones could have found their stride. Of course, the same could be said for the Red Raiders who enter the season with just as many questions as the Cyclones do.
Tech will catch Iowa State at a good time in terms of the schedule as the Cyclones will be coming off of a four-game stretch that sees them play Texas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State. Three of those games will be incredibly difficult for ISU to pull off.
But will that make the Cyclones just as desperate as the Red Raiders? There’s no way of knowing but it is certainly a possibility to consider.
It is also important to consider that the weather could play a factor in Ames that late in the season. In recent years, Tech has failed to perform well, or even be competitive in late-season cold-weather games at Kansas State in 2018 and at Iowa State in 2016. Another cold snap could slap the Red Raiders in the face this year in Ames but Tech will have to find a way to fight through that and pull out a win.
Jack Trice Stadium is one of the toughest places in the Big 12 to earn a win. The fans pack that place and are loud and engaged every week, regardless of how the Cyclones’ season is going. But Tech has to put an end to their losing ways in the conference’s northernmost port of call this year. If they don’t, they may find that they will have to stun Oklahoma on the Saturday after Thanksgiving if they want to get to a bowl game.