Three burning questions for Iowa State football after first loss of the season

AMES — Nothing brings out questions like a loss.

After a 2 3-22 defeat to Texas Tech , ISU (7-1 overall, 4-1 Big 12) faces the adversity of bouncing back from a defeat for the first time this season.

Here are three burning questions for the Cyclones:

Where will Iowa State debut in the initial College Football Playoff Rankings? Iowa State picked a bad week to lose its first game. Tuesday, a selection committee will reveal its initial College Football Playoff rankings.

Momentum in the AP Poll hadn't been moving Iowa State's way prior to Saturday. After a c omeback 38-35 win against UCF and a bye week, voters dropped ISU from No. 9 to No. 11.

So where will the Cyclones debut in the all-important CFP Rankings? They got some help as six other ranked teams lost this week . They will likely be ranked in the low teens or high 20s.

To reach the College Football Playoff, the Cyclones will either have to win the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington or earn one of seven at-large bids. To earn a bid, a team will likely have to be ranked in the top 11.

Why do opponents keep scoring first? Baylor did it. West Virginia did it. UCF did it. And Saturday, Texas Tech did it.

Iowa State's last four opponents have scored a touchdown on their opening drives. It's an undeniable trend that appears to be the biggest flaw in ISU's top-ranked Big 12 scoring defense.

The Cyclones allow just 15.5 points per game, best in the Big 12. So it made sense when ISU won the coin toss Saturday and elected to play defense first. What doesn't make sense is the defense can't seem to stop anybody on the first drive.

"I would just say our mentality," senior defensive back Myles Purchase said. "We need to be better getting onto the field starting the game and starting fast. I honestly think it's unacceptable for me. I take ownership in that."

After Texas Tech's first drive, seven plays for 72 yards and a touchdown, and second drive, 10 plays for 49 yards and a touchdown, the Cyclones forced six straight stops.

"We've started slow the last five weeks," Campbell said. "Offensively, defensively, they've taken the ball right down the field and scored a touchdown ...I feel like not getting ourselves in a rhythm early in a football game is something we still have to be better at. It's something that we've not been at our best and probably caught us a little bit tonight for sure."

Which running back should be on the field when the game is on the line? Iowa State doesn't have "the guy" at running back.

Sophomores Abu Sama and Carson Hansen and senior Jaylon Jackson continue to share the backfield rather evenly. Hansen has carried the ball 81 times this season, Sama 73 times and Jackson 74 times. All are averaging more than 4.6 yards per carry.

Campbell views the timeshare as a good thing.

"To have the multiplicity at the running back, it's huge," Campbell said.

Saturday, Sama led ISU in rushing for the first time since the Houston game. He carried the ball 13 times for 74 yards. It was Sama's best game in more than a month, partly because of opportunity. Campbell said practice factors into which backs will get carries.

Against West Virginia, Sama received just two carries, which is the downside of sharing game time with two other backs.

"I thought Abu really got into a good rhythm, maybe the best I've seen him in a rhythm this season, which was great to see," Campbell said.

Hansen led Cyclones in yardage against West Virginia and UCF and got off to a hot start against Texas Tech. A lingering injury limited his usage Saturday.

"Carson, he's been fighting through a lot of stuff," Campbell said. "And Carson is as tough as they come so those two are a great one-two punch and then obviously Jaylon getting going at times will be critical for us as we continue to move forward."