The big question this weekend is whether Iowa State can rediscover the magic it displayed for one half of last season’s Kansas University victory at Ames, Iowa. As has been written about and discussed at length, KU fell into a 20-0 hole at halftime only to rally and pull out a 35-33 victory.

KU’s then-junior running back Jake Sharp had a hand in that comeback, piling up 186 all-purpose yards and two second half touchdowns.

That leads to our first question:

1. Will Jake Sharp contribute?

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Kansas senior running back Jake Sharp/Nick Krug

Sharp sat out the better part of KU’s victory against Duke and all of the victory against Southern Mississippi because of a leg injury. Earlier in the week, Kansas coach Mark Mangino indicated Sharp’s injury had not made the progress the coaching staff had hoped and that the senior might not play Saturday.

KU does have a reliable reserve in freshman running back Toben Opurum, but it’s clear Opurum isn’t yet on the same level as Sharp. When healthy, Sharp is a great runner. The Salina native has excellent instincts and vision along with impressive speed and agility. With all the talk of Sharp’s body and size holding him back, it’s possible he has become one of the more underrated players in the Big 12 Conference.

Opurum is solid and better than most reserves. But Sharp is averaging more than one yard per carry more than Opurum is for a reason: He’s a better all-around back at this point.

2. Will Alexander Robinson contribute?

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Iowa State junior running back Alexander Robinson/AP Photo

Iowa State is in the same boat as Kansas at the running back position. The Cyclones’ top rusher, junior Alexander Robinson, has played most of the past two games while hobbled by a sore groin.

Earlier this week, Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads told the Ames Tribune Robinson would most likely play Saturday, but might be at less than 100 percent.

You could defend the claim that Robinson is the Cyclones’ most valuable offensive player. Before missing the final two-plus quarters of Iowa State’s loss against Kansas State, Robinson had gained 100 or more yards in three consecutive contests.

He and Sharp are very similar runners, from their production (Robinson: 6 yards per carry, 16 carries per game; Sharp: 5.7, 14) to their size (Robinson: 5-foot-9, 187 pounds; Sharp ; 5-10, 190).

Even the teams’ backup plans are similar. With Robinson out for the second half of Iowa State’s 24-23 loss against Kansas State, the Cyclones turned to freshman Jeremiah Schwartz, who tallied 76 yards on 21 carries. Schwartz is a bruising 232-pounder averaging 4.3 yards per carry on the season. Compare that to KU’s Opurum: A 235-pound runner picking up 4.6 per rush.

Which Austen Arnaud will KU see?

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Iowa State junior quarterback Austen Arnaud/AP Photo

Iowa State fans must get pretty frustrated watching Austen Arnaud, the Cyclones’ junior quarterback. Arnaud has the requisite size (6-foot-2, 224 pounds) and athleticism (322 rushing yards, 4.7 yards per carry in 2009) to be a dynamic force behind center.

But for some reason, Arnaud seems to have never put it all together.

After playing sparingly in 2007, Arnaud inherited the starting job in 2008. The hometown product didn’t struggle, but he didn’t shine. He finished with the 55th-best passer rating in the nation, putting him near the middle of the pack. Arnaud ranked 11th of 12 in the Big 12, but the conference’s quarterbacking pool in 2008 was among the best imaginable.

So far this season, Arnaud has provided more of the same. His stats aren’t disastrous, but he dropped a few points from his ’08 passer rating to end up at 80th nationally and 10th in the conference.

Arnaud’s performance in 2009 has been a fairly decent indicator of whether Iowa State will succeed.

The second week of the season against Iowa, Arnaud threw four interceptions and gained less than three yards per pass attempt. Last week against Kansas State, the quarterback completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes. Iowa State lost both of those contests. Arnaud has been anywhere from good (13-for-20 at Kent State) to stellar (8.8 yards per attempt, 2 TDs) in the team’s three victories.

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Feel free to chime in with possible answers for these questions in the comments section. Also, feel free to throw out a few questions you feel might decide the outcome of Saturday’s game.