After opening Big 12 play with a loss at ninth ranked Oklahoma the Iowa State Cyclones will try to hold serve at home on Tuesday night. It won’t be easy. The Cyclones play host to second ranked and conference newcomer Houston.

That’s ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger who says the Big 12 race will be a grind.

Houston is 14-0 and opened the conference race with a 34-point win over West Virginia. Like the Cyclones, the Cougars pride themselves on defense.

Otzelberger says another strength of Houston is depth.

Otzelberger says the key in surviving a tough Big 12 Conference is handling adversity.