ASU Football: Checking in on the Sun Devils’ bowl outlook

For the second year in a row, ASU football is bowl eligible, but it’s still unknown which game the Sun Devils will play in.

With Arizona State’s most recent win over Arizona, the Sun Devils are now 7-5 and second in the Pac-12 South. Because of the winning record, ASU will make a bowl appearance for the fifth time in six seasons.

Now just a few days until the full bowl schedule is unveiled, the Sun Devils’ bowl projections remain scattered. Some have ASU headed to El Paso for the Sun Bowl, while others have the Sun Devils in the Vegas Bowl.

Here is an outlook of ASU’s bowl possibilities:

Vegas Bowl

Dec. 15 (Pac-12 No. 6 vs. Mountain West)

This seems to be the most likely scenario with the Sun Devils sitting sixth overall in the Pac-12 at the moment. But if Cal defeats Stanford in the “Big Game,” things could change.

If the Sun Devils were to be placed in this game, they would face an opponent from the Mountain West Conference. Among the potential adversaries are Fresno State, Boise State and Utah State.

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The last time Arizona State made the Vegas Bowl (2011), it didn’t go too well. The Dennis Erickson-led Sun Devils were obliterated by Boise State 56-24.

A few of the major publications that project Arizona State to play in Vegas include Sports Illustrated, the Athletic, Athlon Sports and USA Today.

Sun Bowl

Dec. 29 (Pac-12 No. 5 vs. ACC)

No, El Paso isn’t the glamorous, shiny hub that is Las Vegas, but ASU slipping into the Sun Bowl could benefit the program. Though typically reserved for the Pac-12’s No. 5 team, there’s a chance Arizona State could reach the Sun Bowl if Stanford falls to Cal.

But there are some questions about whether or not the game would select the Sun Devils two years in a row. A year ago, ASU was upended by North Carolina State in the Sun Bowl 52-31.

Paired with the Pac-12, the Atlantic Coast Conference is the other tie for the game. Possible opponents for the Sun Devils include Boston College, Miami (FL) and Virginia. Perhaps the most notable of those potential foes is Virginia, which is led by former ASU quarterback Bryce Perkins.

Kyle Bonagura and Mitch Sherman of ESPN, Sporting News, and CBSSports’ Jerry Palm all projected ASU in the Sun Bowl.

Redbox Bowl

Dec. 31 (Pac-12 No. 4 vs. Big Ten)

Any projections with ASU in the Redbox Bowl could be a stretch. But they’re intriguing, nonetheless.

Only one major outlet — SB Nation — has the Sun Devils playing in the Santa Clara-based bowl game. Previously known as the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, the game featured the Sun Devils in 2012 when they routed Navy 62-28.

If, somehow, Arizona State was picked for the Redbox Bowl, it would face a Big Ten opponent. SB Nation projected the Sun Devils to face a middling Wisconsin squad in this game, but other projections for this game have Minnesota or Northwestern representing the Big Ten.

Odds are the Sun Devils won’t end up in Santa Clara (what’s new?), but it’s certainly an interesting possibility. A Redbox Bowl appearance would be the most prolific bowl game for the Sun Devils since they made the Holiday Bowl in 2013.