ASU Football: Devils Ranked #9 in CFP
By Mike Slifer
If you are a college football fan, team rankings can be a bit confusing nowadays. First, there’s the AP Poll. Then the Amway Coaches Poll. Now, enter the selection committee’s College Football Playoff Poll. This is the one that really counts, as the CFP will determine who is in the Final Four for a National Championship Playoff.
Yesterday’s release of the committee’s CFP rankings had ASU at #9. This is a huge development. And it’s got to be thrilling for the ASU football program and their fans. Their upcoming opponent for this Saturday, Notre Dame, was ranked #10 in that same poll, making the weekend’s match up as big as it gets in college football. This game with Notre Dame is essentially an “elimination game” from the national conversation.
In truth, every game from here on out is an elimination game. It is unlikely that any two-loss team will be in the Final Four. There may be some exceptions, depending on what happens in the last month of the season, but it isn’t likely.
Here’s what it means for ASU: If the Devils are able to prevail Saturday against the Irish, they would most likely move up at least two spots in the CFP poll to #7. After that, as ASU takes on Washington State, Oregon State and finally, UofA, if they were to win all of those games, they would probably move up one spot per victory. This of course depends on how they win and how the other nationally ranked teams perform.
But it’s a safe bet that if ASU runs the table and captures the PAC-12 South title with a record of 11-1, they’ll be #4 or #5 in the CFP going into the PAC-12 Championship game. (most likely against Oregon). Without a doubt, it ASU were to beat Oregon in that game, they’d be in the Final Four.
There is an alternative scenario, as well. If ASU were to lose to Notre Dame (yet still be competitive), but still run the table with the rest of the conference games, finishing with a 10-2 record, and still capture the PAC-12 South title, then find a way to beat Oregon in the PAC-12 Championship game, they could still conceivably be considered for the Final Four. (Keep in mind that either scenario requires ASU to beat Oregon, which is a tall order)
That may be a longshot, but it’s not so far-fetched. There is a lot of speculation that the committee members will, in essence, give an “automatic bid” to the PAC-12 Champion. It’s going to be interesting. But as of today, the reality is that the Sun Devils are in position to shock the world. It won’t be easy. But their destiny is in their own hands. The voters on the committee have set it up so that this Sun Devil team, if they can take care of business, can make history.