Sure, sure Oklahoma's season has kicked off but until we go 'Under the Hood', does it really feel like it's even happened? Of course not, so without further ado we'll get started with our breakdown of Iowa State as they get set to host No. 5 Oklahoma on Saturday morning. Inside we'll be using last weekend's Cyclones loss to Iowa as our game video as we look to find how Oklahoma might get some revenge after last year's stunning defeat.

Against Iowa, the Cyclones rushed for 19-yards on 25 attempts (0.8 yards per carry) and completed 19-of-31 passes for 169-yards (5.5 yards per attempt).

This story has been delayed a bit hoping for some sort of final verdict on Iowa State's quarterback situation and it's not done just for the sake of talking about who the starter might be.

The bottom line is that the gap between Kyle Kempt and back-up Zeb Noland is distinct. Kempt makes his living being an accurate passer in the short passing game. He gets the ball out quickly, makes good decisions and avoids putting his defense in peril with risky attempts.

The thing that really stood out though? All game long Iowa State's offensive line struggled to cope with Iowa's talented, experienced, and disruptive defensive line but never once did he look rattled or disturbed. He moved around the pocket well and bought himself time while keeping his eyes down field.

On the flip side Noland is a guy with a live arm who attacked more vertically than Kempt had though it must be acknowledged he came in at a late point in the game with Iowa State in search of a late comeback.

While Noland has a bit more arm than does Kempt, he didn't show the same kind of accuracy as Iowa State's starter.

Whether Noland or Kempt, there is no question that the straw that stirs the drink for Iowa State offensively is running back David Montgomery. But, much as Kempt was fighting his way through a line still getting it's feet under it, Montgomery also struggled to get going on the ground with 17 carries for 44-yards.

Montgomery earned every yard he had and with his speed and agility it's clear that few backs in the country would have gotten even the 44-yards that he was able to accumulate.

For those that don't remember Montgomery is a highly-skilled running back who can hurt defenses both through the air or simply on the ground.

Catching passes Iowa State, again, has a lot of size at receiver and tight end but the two who stood out were receiver Hakeem Butler and tight end Chase Allen.

Butler is a long and gangly receiver in the mold of former Sooner Jeff Mead. Butler struggled a bit with clean catches but when he did his size and ability after the catch make him a player Oklahoma will have to keep an eye on.

Meanwhile Allen is a quality tight end who does a nice job finding spots in the zone to sit down and wait for his quarterback to find him.

Along the offensive line Iowa gave left tackle Sean Foster absolute fits as he struggled a bit both with power and with speed - though one would have to think he'll feel better in his second key college game.

The rest of the offensive line struggled on the day but one player who, at times, showed some signs for belief is right tackle Bryce Meeker. He showed nice athleticism getting out to the second level and sealed the edges on several occasions.

Against the Cyclones, Iowa rushed for 105-yards on 36 attempts (2.9 yards per carry) and completed 16-of-28 passes for 166-yards (5.9 yards per attempt).

While the Iowa State offense struggled the defensive unit gave Nathan Stanley and Iowa absolute fits and it's largely born of a collection of good athletes who played sound assignment football and, largely, cover the ground very well. As they showed last year against the Sooners, and in numerous other games, Iowa State tackles quite well as a defense.

When looking at the defensive unit the group that really caught the eye was their group of defensive ends. Leading the group, particularly when Iowa chose to throw the ball was junior JaQuan Bailey. Bailey at 6-foot-2 and 251-pounds excels at splitting double teams and attacking the outside shoulder of offensive tackles. Bailey had seven sacks in 2017 and can do real damage in the passing game but at times got bullied in the run game and it will be interesting to see how often Oklahoma chooses to run at him and negate some of his ability from the backside.

Joining him at defensive end are a pair of defensive ends who are more built to stop the run due to their skillsets and overall size. Those are sophomore Eyioma Uwazurike and former Oklahoma recruit Matt Leo. The two average 6-foot-6 and 280-pounds and are, unsurprisingly stout against the run and do a nice job using their length to fight off blocks and slow down runners.

In the case of Uwzurike he flashes some elite potential and could emerge as a pass rusher with more experience.

At linebacker the Cyclones have a nice duo in Mike Rose and Willie Harvey. Rose is a true freshman that shows great instincts and repeatedly could be found making plays outside the tackle with his athleticism. He is long and lean at this point but has the sign of being a future star for Iowa State.

Harvey, a redshirt senior, showed some issues in pass coverage but is a physical guy who plays the run well, particularly when he has to chase laterally.

In the secondary Iowa State has several standouts including cornerback D'Andre Payne, a natural cover corner who may not have explosive athletic ability but makes up for it with sound technique and a great understanding of positioning. His potential matchup with Ceedee Lamb will be one to keep an eye on.

At safety Greg Eisworth may not be the cover player that Payne is but is more than capable of coming and being a hitter in run defense.

In short there are some things to be found against Iowa State through the air but the running game will be hard earned by the Sooners.

Kenneth Murray vs. David Montgomery

Murray and Montgomery may be the premier matchup in the game, especially considering the Sooners missed so many tackles, many in pursuit of Montgomery, in their 2017 upset loss. Murray's speed, agility, and closing speed should help Oklahoma bottle up Montgomery (at least as much as any really can), if their defensive line can continue it's recent play.

D'Andre Payne vs. Ceedee Lamb

As mentioned above Lamb and Payne are both technicians who excel in the subtle nuances of the game. Payne may have his issues to cover Marquise Brown vertically but watching him battle with Lamb's quickness and physicality could make for a really enjoyable head to head battle. It's also going to be key for Oklahoma to force Iowa State to back off the run game somewhat.

Grant Calcaterra vs. Willie Harvey

As mentioned above, again, Harvey had some issues in coverage against Iowa, particularly against tight end Noah Fant. Fant is one of the best in the country, a title Calcaterra hopes to add to his resume before he is done in Norman, so there has to be some understanding of Harvey's issues. However, it will be interesting to see if Calcaterra becomes a bigger part of the plan with Oklahoma continuing to evolve with it's offensive weapons.

Defensively this one looks pretty straight forward, even with the quarterback situation somewhat in question. Iowa dominated the Cyclones up front with a four man front and I'd expect to see Oklahoma get plenty aggressive up front and mix up the looks they are giving to an offensive line that has more experience than one might expect but one that really struggled with Iowa's athleticism last week.

Expect some blitz looks and some movement in regard to who is coming and where they are coming from.

In the secondary, Oklahoma shouldn't be asking too much of their defensive backs with Iowa State not looking overly dynamic in the passing game though the size of both Chase Allen and Hakeem Butler could cause issues for Oklahoma's smallish secondary.

Offensively it'll be interesting to see if Iowa State attacks the run with the same vigor they did against Iowa. With the loss of Rodney Anderson is there a chance the Cyclones choose to focus on Kyler Murray and Oklahoma's passing attack?

My guess is no, they'll continue to try and shut down the run game and with that in mind Oklahoma is going to have to challenge a secondary that, especially at cornerback, is strong in coverage.

If I'm Oklahoma I'm trying to set the tone early on the ground and open up some passing lanes to forget simply making sure they are clear about being physical up front and reestablishing things after something of a shaky performance along the offensive line in 2018.