The Arizona State football team was picked to finish last (16th) in the Big 12 Conference at the beginning of the season.
After a 49-7 win over Arizona on Saturday, the Sun Devils now find themselves in the Big 12 championship game Saturday, with the chance to make the College Football Playoff as one of the top 12 teams in the country.
And some bowl projections even have ASU football earning the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff, and the bye that comes with it into the quarterfinals.
You couldn’t have seen that coming at the beginning of the season.
Kenny Dillingham’s team was 3-9 overall last season. This season? It is 10-2 overall and 7-2 in the Big 12, with the Big 12 title game against Iowa State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas looming.
Here are the latest college football bowl projections for the Sun Devils, who would likely have to win the Big 12 championship to make the playoff:
Who wins Big 12 title game?Arizona State vs. Iowa State picks, predictions, odds
USA TODAY Sports: ASU football predicted to play Notre Dame in College Football Playoff quarterfinals
How’s this scenario? ASU lands the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff and gets a bye in the first round. Then, it faces Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.
That’s what USA TODAY Sports predicts, with it picking a Notre Dame win over Alabama in the first round of the playoff.
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CBS Sports: Arizona State faces Notre Dame in first round of College Football Playoff
Brad Crawford has ASU as the No. 12 seed, facing No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana on Dec. 21 or Dec. 22, with the winner taking on No. 4 Boise State.
He wrote: “Arizona State is a win over Iowa State away from winning the Big 12 in its first season as one the league’s newcomers. And that would mean an auto-berth in the playoff as one of five highest-ranked conference champions.”
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ESPN: All 13 writers predict Sun Devils will make College Football Playoff
Three of them have ASU as the No. 4 seed, while five put ASU at No. 11. The other five have ASU as the last seed, No. 12.
If ASU were to land the No. 11 seed, the writers project them facing either Penn State or Notre Dame in the first round.
Read more:ASU football routs Arizona in Territorial Cup, makes Big 12 championship game
Action Network: Arizona State gets in College Football Playoff field as No. 4 seed
Interestingly, Brett McMurphy has ASU getting the No. 4 seed as the Big 12 champion, beating out the Mountain West champion.
But his Mountain West champion is not Boise State. It’s UNLV, which plays Boise State in the Mountain West championship game Friday.
When is Big 12 championship game?Date, time, venue, teams, TV, how to watch
NCAA.com: ASU football lands No. 12 seed in College Football Playoff bracket
Stan Becton has the Sun Devils visiting Penn State in a first-round playoff game, which would certainly be an interesting matchup.
What changed?Previous ASU football bowl projections
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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