Arizona State continued its preparations for their home game versus UCF. Here are our observations from today’s session

"It’s a big accomplishment compared to last year, but that’s not our main goal. Hopefully, we can put something special together for the rest of the season.” The genuine excitement that comes with bowl eligibility has fueled the ASU players to reach for loftier goals

7 pm hosting Idaho State, and we'll be there to cover it. The game airs on ESPN+.

This will be the earliest season opener in ASU history. Arizona State looks to extend their win streak in home openers to nine games.

Obviously, the team got dealt a huge blow in that blowout loss to Duke. Heard that the wake-up call led to better practices since then, BUT the proof will be on the floor. And, of course, we won't learn much from tonight's game, which *should* be a very comfortable ASU win.

Friday's game in Las Vegas versus Herb Sendek's Santa Clara is a huge test. Even though they had a NET ranking of 104 on last Selection Sunday, Santa Clara is a dangerous team, and they are more than eager to play ASU this week.

And then you have a road game this Sunday at Gonzaga, a team that demolished Big 12 heavyweight Baylor last night by 38 points...

And not to look too ahead, but a week from Thursday, a tough neutral site game in the Suns arena versus Grand Canyon awaits, a game that ironically could present a hostile environment for ASU.

As someone told me, and I agree, 2-2 would be honestly a good start for ASU in these four games, and 3-1 (loss probably coming to Gonzaga) would be ASU overachieving.

From Jon Wilner's Hotline (and I paraphrase)

2) BYU - Cougars win even in their BYE week as both Iowa St and K-State lost this past weekend that makes their path to championship game that much easier

4) Colorado - a win at Texas Tech this weekend will put them in a realistic hunt for championship game since their remaining foes (Utes, Jayhawks and Cowboys) are a combined 2-14 in conference play

6) ASU - Devils are playing with house money that reminds Wilner of Cats season last year where even a 2.5 hour weather delay in Stillwater hasn't stopped their momentum

13) Utah - who would have guessed what has happened with Utes this season although the Big-12 bingo card is filled with signs and symbols that mere mortals cannot understand

14) AU - rarely have so many things gone wrong so quickly even though there were structural issues lurking below the surface before the season began but goodness gracious, the Mild Cats collapse has been stunning

Former PAC foes are ranked this way...

1) Oregon - Ducks are looking good although they might have faced just four bowl eligible teams this season that include Boise St, Ohio St and Illinois, plus possible opponent in B1G championship game

5) Wazzu - has a chance to make playoffs if it can finish 11-1, that is a big if

8) Wash - Huskies face Penn St this weekend who might have a hangover from their loss to Ohio St this past weekend, at least the Huskies, who just beat USC, hope so

9) USC - poorly coached team that doesn't have enough elite players on its roster

10) Cal - only winless team in ACC that has lost four games by total of nine points and now faces Wake Forest that has won three ACC games by total of 10 points

11) UCLA - Bruins have ground out some recent wins but now face Iowa in Rose Bowl where there will be more Hawkeye fans in attendance than Bruins fans

15) Oregon St - Beavers are 4-4 so made the cut-off in his rankings

If you ask me, life is good in the Big-12, and I'm glad we are where we are and where opportunity abounds, if we take advantage of it...

Go Devils!!!

Vote for one of our own. A good dude and apparently a great coach. Turned around a Pacifica program and won a Conference Title.

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Now bowl eligible, what are the bowl options for ASU?

I think we still have to honor the prior PAC-12 affiliations for this year right?

Alamo Bowl- vs Big 12
Holiday- vs ACC
Las Vegas- vs. Big 10
LA bowl- vs MWC
Sun Bowl- vs ACC
Independence-

And crazy I can’t believe this is an option but if we win out, with help, college playoff bid.

Am I right on these?

ASU, Washington, WSU, Oregon, Colorado, are all bowl eligible. Cal, Oregon State, Utah, USC, U of A, and UCLA all could be bowl eligible, all in contention to take former PAC-12 slots. Stanford is out of bowl contention at 2-7.

(29 minutes)



The program’s turnaround in Kenny Dillingham’s second year may have been quicker than expected, as the Sun Devils doubled its win total from last season and guaranteed that they will be part of postseason play. So how much more can Arizona State improve its record, while it may not have the services of their star running back Cam Skattebo this weekend? I’m joined by Speak of the Devils co-host Brad Denny to review the convincing 42-21 road win at Oklahoma State, discuss the effective turnaround by Dillingham, and how ASU will have to deal with potentially doesn’t having Skattebo in the lineup as they host UCF on Saturday.



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ASU's first Big 12 road victory and its largest margin of victory to date in conference play produced key contributions for several Sun Devil first-year players. Here is the rundown of those performances:

"He was the only guy who didn’t celebrate after the game because he let the ball go for a quarter of a second on a goal-line play. That’s what you want your football team to be filled with, and I’m excited for him.” ASU RB Kyson Brown may have to fill the possible void of Cam Skattebo's absence

Nick Saban
Chris Petersen
Sitaki
Cignetti
Gronk

I'm taking my 10 year old son to his first game this Saturday against UCF. I haven't been to a game myself in probably 7-8. What's the best place to park and any sure fire things to not miss prior to the game?

Thanks in advance!

Fish sticks record improvements vs CKD

Year 1 wins
JF = 1
CKD = 3

Year 2 wins
JF = 5 (a 4 win improvement)
CKD 6+? (3 to 7 win improvement)?

Year 3
JF = 10 wins (a 5 win improvement)
CKD = ??? No improvement or undefeated?

The thought brings a smile (kind of laugh) at the thought but crazy stuff happens. No one thought Fischsticks could get to 10. Where can CKD get ASU in year 3?

Mornin Mates...

Today's Topic = Juxtaposition

As it turns out, Oklahoma St is not a very good team this year, while ASU is starting to look like a pretty good team under second year coach Dilly and his staff...

The Cowboys have joined the Utes, Mild Cats, and Jayhawks as bottom dwellers in the Big-12, despite all of them thought to be title contenders at the beginning of the season...

Only K-State, that lost to Houston yesterday, is still somewhat in title contention, so what the heck happened in the conference where a team like BYU and/or Colorado and also ASU have exceeded preseason expectations, while the favorites have faded in such a remarkable fashion...

Utah had built its hopes on having a healthy Cam Rising returning at QB but since he was hurt, in their second game, they have not been able to recover from that circumstance, having to rely on a true FR QB as a replacement...

Kansas hasn't lost their QB but he's been very inconsistent this year as has their defense in so many close losses this season...

The Mild Cats also have not lost their QB this season but many of the players that contributed to their great season last year are no longer with the program for various reasons, and they have also had a lot of injuries to key players that have hindered their efforts this season...

Meanwhile, ASU, Colorado and BYU have exceeded expectations, although the Buffs have two standout players in QB Shedeur Sanders and WR/DB Travis Hunter, both of whom are in Heisman Trophy consideration...

BYU doesn't have a QB like Shedeur Sanders or a star like Travis Hunter but they are a junior and senior laden team that had a lot of experience returning on both sides of the ball and have had a favorable schedule, where they got K-State, AU and Oklahoma St at home and now, after a BYE week, travel to SLC to face the downtrodden Utes this week, before entertaining Kansas at home, before going to Tempe to face our Sun Devils, before returning home to take on Houston...

Colorado still has to travel to Texas Tech next weekend and Kansas on 11-23, with home games left against Utah and Oklahoma St...

That leaves us with our ASU Sun Devils who play UCF next weekend in Tempe before traveling to Manhattan, KS to face K-State before facing BYU at home and AU on the road to end the season...

The Golden Knights destroyed the Mild Cats in a home game yesterday, as we all know, and are coached by Gus Malzhan who has a career record of 105 wins vs 59 losses over his 13 years of being a head coach primarily at Auburn before going to UCF four years ago...

He is a proponent of a no-huddle, hurry-up offense that scores a lot of points when it is clicking...

ASU has gotten off to a good start with their "daunting" November schedule, although November certainly seems more manageable these days given what has happened with them and with the rest of the Big-12, as we look toward the end of the season...

We are bowl eligible but could even end-up in a better post-season bowl situation, if they can find a way to win some more games this month...

I hope that we have capacity crowds for our remaining home games against UCF this next weekend and against BYU on 11-23, which I expect to be a sell-out, with a lot of BYU fans in attendance for obvious reasons...

Whoever would have expected that the conference would be so very Topsy-Turvy at this point in the season, right..??

G'day Mates and Go Devils!!!

With 4 games left, how many do the Devils win? I think 3 of the next 4

Oklahoma State, UofA, and Utah have now lost a combined 15 games in a row.

OkSt is definitely struggling, but this wasn't Utah without Risen, or a bad MSU, TxST or Wyoming team.

Arroyo finally called a good game overall. Where has this been the first 7 weeks?

Skattebo continues to dominate. Guy is a beast and becoming my all time favorite Sun Devil.

Leavitt is coming into his own. Very solid tonight.

Defense drives me crazy every first half...then Ward adjusts. I wish he could either do better to prepare for teams early, or adjust faster though.

We still can't kick FGs. Kick coverage also is mediocre. If Ragel is retained after the season we have problems.