By LUKE MEREDITH
AP Sports Writer

AMES, Iowa(AP) -- In the last few years, Iowa State was often the
cure for whatever ailed the rest of the Big 12.

No. 18 Oklahoma State could sure use a pick-me-up after getting
blasted by No. 2 Texas 41-14 in Stillwater last week. But the
Cyclones don't appear to be quite the pushovers they once were
and the Cowboys (6-2, 3-1 Big 12) know that just because they
throttled Iowa State 59-17 last season doesn't necessarily mean
they can do it again.

The Cyclones (5-4, 2-3), who host Oklahoma State on Saturday,
are in the thick of the muddled mess that is the Big 12 North
title chase just a year after finishing 2-10.

"You really can't look past anyone. There's a lot of upsets that
happen in football and you don't ever want to be that guy or
that team that gets upset," Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin
Blackmon said.

To avoid that, the Cowboys will need to get senior quarterback
Zac Robinson on track after a terrible outing against the
Longhorns.

Robinson threw a career-high four interceptions in the loss to
Texas, one more than he had all season. Robinson finished with
just 143 yards passing against the Longhorns - who raced out to
an 34-7 lead by taking two of Robinson's picks back for
touchdowns - and he didn't complete a pass of at least 25 yards
for the first time this season.

Robinson is still the Big 12's highest-rated passer and is just
74 yards shy of passing his coach, Mike Gundy, for the most in
Cowboys history.

Iowa State had its hands full with Texas A&M's Jerrod Johnson,
who completed 23 of 28 passes for 234 yards and three TDs in a
35-10 win.

Iowa State expects even to see an even more dangerous
quarterback in Robinson, who sliced them up for 395 yards last
season.

That's not a good sign for the Cyclones, who rank 94th
nationally in passing defense. Oklahoma State is also hoping
that star running back Kendall Hunter, who's been hobbled since
a loss to Houston on Sept. 12, will play.

"Robinson is dangerous is all aspects," Iowa State coach Paul
Rhoads said. "Running the football as a part of the offense,
running the football in a scramble situation and throwing the
ball down the field."

The Cyclones are expecting more out of their quarterback as well
this weekend, now that junior Austen Arnaud is back in the
lineup.

Arnaud whacked his throwing hand on a defender's helmet early in
a win over Baylor on Oct. 17.

Iowa State gutted out a win at Nebraska behind backup QB Jerome
Tiller on Oct. 24, forcing eight turnovers in a 9-7 victory. But
Arnaud's absence became more glaring in last week's loss at
College Station and the Cyclones have scored just 19 points in
the two games he missed.

Arnaud has thrown for 1,246 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed
for 434 yards and seven TDs. He leads the offense along with
Alexander Robinson, the Big 12's leading rusher at 101.6 yards
per game despite a persistent groin injury.

"Austen is the starter for a reason. He's got a better grasp of
everything that's associated with what we do. Having that back
and the command that goes with that will be important to us,"
Rhoads said.

Despite the early loss to Houston, the Cowboys knew that a win
over the Longhorns would have given them the inside track to a
Big 12 South title and perhaps a BCS berth.

Those hopes are now in serious jeopardy.

"We didn't lose to horrible team," Oklahoma State offensive
lineman Shane Jarka said. "But we lost to them horribly because
of a bunch of mistakes and mental mistakes and turnovers.
Bouncing back is going to be hard, but we can do it because we
have done it before."