Music to listen to: Hey Jealousy and Found Out About You by the Gin Blossoms
Last Season: The Sun Devils finished last year with a record of 6-6 but didn’t participate in a bowl game. In fact, the last time that Arizona State made a bowl game was back in 2007, current head coach Dennis Erickson’s first season with the Sun Devils. While ASU got a hard earned victory over Arizona to get a win over its main rival, close losses against Wisconsin, Stanford, USC and Oregon State cost the Sun Devils a chance to play in a bowl.
Offense: The offense was hit with two major injuries that will hurt the entire unit in 2011. Incumbent starting quarterback Steven Threet had to retire this offseason due to post-concussion syndrome, leaving the position open for junior Brock Osweiler. He has seen playing time in the past but has only started a handful of games.
The other major injury was to starting wide receiver T.J. Simpson who tore his ACL during the spring.
The good news is that four offensive linemen return this year along with the majority of the running backs.
Defense: Another knee injury, this one to All Pac-10 performer Omar Bolden, also hinders the ASU defensive unit. However, the entire front seven, led by potential All-America linebacker Vontaze Burfict, returns. This unit has the chance to be the best in the Pac-12.
Coaching: Anyone who has followed Dennis Erickson’s career knows that the first year or two at a new job for him shows team improvement but over time, he either plateaus or leaves for another position. It happened at Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami, Oregon State and has happened at Arizona State. After leading the Sun Devils to a 10-3 record in 2007, Erickson hasn’t won more than six games in a season for ASU. This may be the most talented squad he’s had at ASU since 2007 so if the Sun Devils can’t break through and make a good bowl game, it may be time for Erickson to move on.
Schedule:
9/1 vs. UC Davis
9/9 vs. Missouri
9/17 at Illinois
9/24 vs. USC
10/1 vs. Oregon State
10/8 at Utah
10/15 at Oregon
10/29 vs. Colorado
11/5 at UCLA
11/12 at Washington State
11/19 vs. Arizona
11/25 vs. California
The two straight road games at Utah and Oregon are going to be tough but the Sun Devils get Missouri, USC and Arizona at home. The road game at Illinois could be a trap game if the Sun Devils look ahead to the USC contest the next week.
Best Case: The Sun Devils’ experience shows throughout the season as the returning starters emerge assisting the transition at quarterback to Brock Osweiler and the squad makes the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game representing the South.
Worst Case: The Sun Devils underachieve once again. They lose at home to Missouri, have negative momentum after losing at Illinois in an upset and than suffer another home defeat, this time to USC and pushing the team’s record to 1-4 before September is even over.
Alumna Crush: The school has enough “talent” to fill an entire stadium so this choice was difficult. I’m going to take Jules Asner because I was a bog fan of her’s particularly her time as the original host of E! Wild On! from 1997-99. I learned a lot about travel and nature from that show. It needs to come back. Anyway, ever since she married Steven Soderbergh, we haven’t heard anything major from her. She needs to make a comeback.
Favorite Football Alum and Crush for the Ladies and Non-Traditional Sports Fans: There have been some great players that have come through the program but how can you go against Jake “The Snake” Plummer? Look at that beard!
Uniform Grade: The Sun Devils have made some tweaks to the uniforms this year.
First, I like the maroon and gold color scheme, so that’s a good start. I think the pitchfork logo is solid as well because I can understand the athletic department wanting to move away from the Sparky image for logo usage.
I DON’T like the black color scheme, especially the all-black, including the helmet, look that they’re going to use for the Missouri contest. I don’t understand why teams that don’t have black in the official team colors feel that its necessary to put it into their uniforms. If you’re Vanderbilt, Georgia, South Carolina, Northwestern, Texas Tech, Iowa and a handful of others, you can wear black uniforms because it’s part of your school’s image. When you’re Arizona State and you already have beautiful colors as options, why would you mess with that?
Maroon and Gold Grade: B
Black Grade: C-
Final Analysis: If Arizona State is going to have a break through and make a BCS bowl appearance, this would be the time to do it. The problem is that you don’t know what to expect from ASU. The team may win at Utah but drop a contest at home to Oregon State. In the end, I think you’re going to see some highs and lows with the Sun Devils, which would be typical for ASU.
Prediction: 8-4
Those are my thoughts, what are yours?
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