Reading @Joe Healey 's post here, got me to thinking...."what was ASU's most disappointing season?" I know it's not something we like to think about but it's a good conversation topic, especially in a year like this one where there are so few expectations for us anyway.
I've posted a poll and granted I only go back to the mid-90's since that's about how long I've been following ASU. I'm certain there are more than the ones I've mentioned here but I am not aware of them. Maybe some of our more seasoned ASU fans could assist me if there are but these are my choices:
1998
EXPECTATION: ASU is coming off a very surprising 9-3 record the year before, one which almost lead to a Fiesta Bowl berth, and a share of the Pac title. With almost the entire team returning, expectations are very high in Tempe. ASU starts out the season ranked #8 and some are predicting we'd be one of the teams to play in one of the inaugural BCS matches.
REALITY: ASU loses a heart breaker in its season opener to Washington where on a 4th and 17 play, a dump off pass to a tight-end in the closing seconds turns out to be a game winning touchdown. A very deflated ASU squad then loses badly to BYU in Provo the following week. The Sun Devils don't even make it to a bowl game and go 5-6 that year culminating with a gritty loss to au in Sucton.
2001
EXPECTATION: Dirk Koetter's first season in the Valley. He returns some good talent on defense, a second year starting QB in Jeff Krohn, and a playbook from Boise State that would run up the scoreboard.
REALITY: ASU scores points against weak opponents but their defense is horrendous (something that would be a trademark of the Dirk Koetter years). Throw in there a game against UCLA being delayed due to 9/11 and it makes for just an all around weird year as ASU goes 4-7.
2003
EXPECTATION: ASU returns gun slinging junior Andrew Walter fresh off his record breaking sophomore campaign and a decent stable of receivers including Derek Hagan. Once more all the buzz is about Dirk Koetter's offensive tendencies and with the right QB the ability to put up points. ASU starts the season #15 in the pre-season polls.
REALITY: ASU's passing game is still decent but its running game is still practically non-existent. (Another Dirk Koetter trademark) ASU struggles with NAU and Utah State at home, gets waxed on the road against Iowa and then Oregon State. ASU fails to secure a bowl bid going 5-7 but does manage to beat up a rotten 2-10 rat squad in Tempe.
2006
EXPECTATION: ASU returns not just one but two excellent QBs in Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter. While expectations aren't riding super high, ASU is expected to have a decent year after picking up an 8-5 record the year before including a win in the Insight Bowl over Rutgers.
REALITY: We all remember the Keller-Carp debacle and it set into motion a series of bad events. Like 2003, ASU starts the year off struggling to put away NAU. Unlike 2003, ASU manages to make it to a bowl game only to lose it pretty bad. The 7-6 final tally on the season is enough to make the restless fan base send Dirk packing and paves the way for Erickson to come in. (One bad season lead to many bad seasons to come)
2008
EXPECTATION: Coming off a 10-3 season with a share of the conference title, ASU returns senior QB Rudy Carpenter and many of his favorite targets. Erickson also puts together a decent recruiting class which has everyone buzzing thinking ASU might have a shot at repeating a share of the Pac title.
REALITY: ASU's offensive line was ranked dead last in pass protection giving up what seemed like at least one sack per drive. Rudy played banged up for much of the season and his locker-room antics lead to a lot of resentment and splintering within the team. (Having Erickson at the helm didn't help any with this either) ASU failed to make a bowl game for the first time in five years going 5-7 capped off by a loss to the rats in Sucton by three scores, the worst in 20+ years. This was also the year of the infamous blocked FG against UNLV
2011
EXPECTATION: Junior Brock Osweiler (who was 6'8" and recruited by Gonzaga to play hoops by the way) takes an explosive offense under his wing and has a vicious defense full of talent on the other side of the ball, including Vontaze Burfict, Shelly Lyons, and Brandon Magee. Many believe that ASU had a very realistic shot of being the first representative in the Pac-12 championship game with USC on probation for violations.
REALITY: Despite a 6-2 start (with a pathetic loss to an anemic Illinois team) ASU was rolling through the difficult part of the season until it met UCLA in the Rose Bowl. 4th and 32 later.....ASU would go on a five game losing streak against what many believed would be the easiest part of the schedule. ASU ended up firing Dennis Erickson as a result of the 6-7 finish.
2015
EXPECTATION: Todd Graham brings in a highly touted veteran team lead by senior Michael Bercovici following a surprising 10 win campaign the year before. ASU starts the season #15 and is picked by Kirk Herbstreit to be the Dark Horse of the Pac to make the playoffs.
REALITY: ASU gives up nine sacks in its first outing against Texas A&M on a "neutral field" in Houston. The season just starts off bizarre with coaches leaving the program a couple of weeks before the first game, players contracting mono, and for what was made of the closeness of this team, there seemed to be a growing rift between Graham and some of the other coaches. Despite the pre-season hype of the "no-fly zone" ASU's pass defense goes on to be the worst ever being ranked dead last in the NCAA. ASU's offense would put up good numbers but would never be able to get a TD when it needed to the most. ASU would go on to a 6-7 record losing their bowl game to a mediocre West Virginia squad that, like all others before it that season, burned them through the air.
I've posted a poll and granted I only go back to the mid-90's since that's about how long I've been following ASU. I'm certain there are more than the ones I've mentioned here but I am not aware of them. Maybe some of our more seasoned ASU fans could assist me if there are but these are my choices:
1998
EXPECTATION: ASU is coming off a very surprising 9-3 record the year before, one which almost lead to a Fiesta Bowl berth, and a share of the Pac title. With almost the entire team returning, expectations are very high in Tempe. ASU starts out the season ranked #8 and some are predicting we'd be one of the teams to play in one of the inaugural BCS matches.
REALITY: ASU loses a heart breaker in its season opener to Washington where on a 4th and 17 play, a dump off pass to a tight-end in the closing seconds turns out to be a game winning touchdown. A very deflated ASU squad then loses badly to BYU in Provo the following week. The Sun Devils don't even make it to a bowl game and go 5-6 that year culminating with a gritty loss to au in Sucton.
2001
EXPECTATION: Dirk Koetter's first season in the Valley. He returns some good talent on defense, a second year starting QB in Jeff Krohn, and a playbook from Boise State that would run up the scoreboard.
REALITY: ASU scores points against weak opponents but their defense is horrendous (something that would be a trademark of the Dirk Koetter years). Throw in there a game against UCLA being delayed due to 9/11 and it makes for just an all around weird year as ASU goes 4-7.
2003
EXPECTATION: ASU returns gun slinging junior Andrew Walter fresh off his record breaking sophomore campaign and a decent stable of receivers including Derek Hagan. Once more all the buzz is about Dirk Koetter's offensive tendencies and with the right QB the ability to put up points. ASU starts the season #15 in the pre-season polls.
REALITY: ASU's passing game is still decent but its running game is still practically non-existent. (Another Dirk Koetter trademark) ASU struggles with NAU and Utah State at home, gets waxed on the road against Iowa and then Oregon State. ASU fails to secure a bowl bid going 5-7 but does manage to beat up a rotten 2-10 rat squad in Tempe.
2006
EXPECTATION: ASU returns not just one but two excellent QBs in Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter. While expectations aren't riding super high, ASU is expected to have a decent year after picking up an 8-5 record the year before including a win in the Insight Bowl over Rutgers.
REALITY: We all remember the Keller-Carp debacle and it set into motion a series of bad events. Like 2003, ASU starts the year off struggling to put away NAU. Unlike 2003, ASU manages to make it to a bowl game only to lose it pretty bad. The 7-6 final tally on the season is enough to make the restless fan base send Dirk packing and paves the way for Erickson to come in. (One bad season lead to many bad seasons to come)
2008
EXPECTATION: Coming off a 10-3 season with a share of the conference title, ASU returns senior QB Rudy Carpenter and many of his favorite targets. Erickson also puts together a decent recruiting class which has everyone buzzing thinking ASU might have a shot at repeating a share of the Pac title.
REALITY: ASU's offensive line was ranked dead last in pass protection giving up what seemed like at least one sack per drive. Rudy played banged up for much of the season and his locker-room antics lead to a lot of resentment and splintering within the team. (Having Erickson at the helm didn't help any with this either) ASU failed to make a bowl game for the first time in five years going 5-7 capped off by a loss to the rats in Sucton by three scores, the worst in 20+ years. This was also the year of the infamous blocked FG against UNLV
2011
EXPECTATION: Junior Brock Osweiler (who was 6'8" and recruited by Gonzaga to play hoops by the way) takes an explosive offense under his wing and has a vicious defense full of talent on the other side of the ball, including Vontaze Burfict, Shelly Lyons, and Brandon Magee. Many believe that ASU had a very realistic shot of being the first representative in the Pac-12 championship game with USC on probation for violations.
REALITY: Despite a 6-2 start (with a pathetic loss to an anemic Illinois team) ASU was rolling through the difficult part of the season until it met UCLA in the Rose Bowl. 4th and 32 later.....ASU would go on a five game losing streak against what many believed would be the easiest part of the schedule. ASU ended up firing Dennis Erickson as a result of the 6-7 finish.
2015
EXPECTATION: Todd Graham brings in a highly touted veteran team lead by senior Michael Bercovici following a surprising 10 win campaign the year before. ASU starts the season #15 and is picked by Kirk Herbstreit to be the Dark Horse of the Pac to make the playoffs.
REALITY: ASU gives up nine sacks in its first outing against Texas A&M on a "neutral field" in Houston. The season just starts off bizarre with coaches leaving the program a couple of weeks before the first game, players contracting mono, and for what was made of the closeness of this team, there seemed to be a growing rift between Graham and some of the other coaches. Despite the pre-season hype of the "no-fly zone" ASU's pass defense goes on to be the worst ever being ranked dead last in the NCAA. ASU's offense would put up good numbers but would never be able to get a TD when it needed to the most. ASU would go on to a 6-7 record losing their bowl game to a mediocre West Virginia squad that, like all others before it that season, burned them through the air.
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