5 ranked college basketball teams on upset alert this week, Feb. 5-11

No. 14 Iowa State (at Texas 2/6)

The Big 12 gauntlet is great for teams looking to get ready for the NCAA Tournament since league play provides a team worthy of playing in March Madness nearly every night. The downside is that the conference's depth makes it brutally tough for teams to stack wins, particularly on the road.

A lot of Big 12 teams have cycled through the AP Top 25 this year and one of the latest risers is Iowa State, which checks into this week's poll at No. 14. Home court has been a tremendous advantage for the Cyclones, who have upset both Kansas and Houston in Ames, but road games haven't been as kind to T.J. Otzelberger's team.

A potential buzzer-beating three at Baylor on Saturday was too late and things won't get easier for the Cyclones on Tuesday as they travel to Austin to take on Texas. Things haven't gone smoothly for the Longhorns this season as they have struggled with consistency but the talent base on the roster is as good as any in the league at this point.

Texas is trending back in the right direction, having won three of their past five games, and they know a win over the Cyclones can only help push them further away from the potential cut line. Iowa State will need a strong effort on the road to pick up an important victory to maintain their positioning in the Big 12 standings.