Texas vs. Iowa State 2017 live stream: Start time and how to watch online

After a 2-1 start, the Iowa State Cyclones can match their win total from each of the past two seasons with a win in college football’s Week 5. They will have their hands full when they host a Texas Longhorns team against whom they’re 2-12 all time. The two teams will meet on Thursday night; kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN (live stream).

The Longhorns have struggled in Tom Herman’s first year in Austin, kicking off their season by giving up 51 points to Maryland. The team has improved since then, destroying San Jose State and giving No. 4 USC a battle on the road, but Iowa State will present another big challenge for Texas as the team kicks off Big 12 play.

A win in Ames on Thursday night, though, will mean much more than keeping Big 12 title aspirations alive. Not only have nearly all of the current players never won in Ames, but a win on the road will mean Texas has actually taken a step forward, even if many more steps need to follow.

If Iowa State wants to avoid heartbreak, maybe they should just stop playing Neil Diamond.

Should the Cyclones take the lead going into the fourth quarter against Tom Herman’s Texas Longhorns this week, Neil Diamond will be cued up on the scoreboard and fans will be tempted to sway their arms and join in the weekly tradition of waving a late game lead goodbye. Matt Campbell has asked that you don’t.

Texas’s troubles with Iowa State all began back when current head coach Tom Herman was with the Cyclones.

On October 23, 2010, the series between the Texas Longhorns and Iowa State Cyclones took a serious turn when Cyclones offensive coordinator Tom Herman helped orchestrate a shocking 28-21 upset of the ‘Horns.

Park has emerged as one of the conference’s biggest arms. Through three games, he’s thrown for 935 yards and eight touchdowns while completing two-thirds of his passes — all significant improvements over his middling 2016 numbers. He’ll have the opportunity to shine again against a Texas defense that allowed Sam Darnold to throw for 397 yards and gave up 51 points to an underwhelming Maryland team.

The first-team all-conference nod may as well be reserved for Baker Mayfield at this point, but if Park continues to sling for 300+ yards per game while avoiding turnovers, he could be right behind his Oklahoma counterpart.

Matt Campbell needs a signature win as his rebuild continues in Ames. A vulnerable Texas team will provide him with something to bring to recruits this winter.