Iowa State's Jake Knott: 'I think we're not just going to sneak into a bowl game'

“Just a new challenge, I guess. Golf, every shot is a challenge. It's fun to go out there (where) it's just you and the open, just being outside and relaxed. It's something not so strenuous to do that's not going to affect your training or anything like that. You can do it outside and have a good time.”

What's it like going up against explosive Big 12 offenses week after week?

“Every team does something different. You go from a team like Oklahoma, who plays pretty much anything — they can run it in the I formation or they can throw it from the spread, all that — to a team that's just strictly pass and they do different variations. It's a lot of different things you have to be ready for. You need a very dynamic defense to be able to offset all the differences in the way they play.”

Iowa State was picked to finish eighth in the Big 12. Is that too low?

“Oh, yeah. But any team that's ranked low is going to tell you that. But I really believe we have people and we have the pieces in place to win a lot more games than people think we can. I think we're not just going to sneak into a bowl game, but win a little bit more than that and hopefully, start to get a lot more respect around the nation, not just the league.”

What does this team need to do to take the next step and become a contender in the Big 12, rather than just a team that pulls off a big upset every season?

“We have to be consistent. We can't beat Oklahoma State and lose three games in a row. That's the type of thing if we want respect nationwide, we can't lose, especially after we had started to get more respect. We've got to continue winning, and that's the only way that we're going to get respect. That's the only way that it's ever earned is if you start winning, and you win a lot. That's the way you've got to do it.”