Arizona State Faces Two Way-Too-Early Top 25 Teams in 2022

The Pac-12 made a strong showing in PFF’s projections for the Top 25 college football teams of 2022.

The highest on the list at No. 7 is Arizona State’s Pac-12 South rival, Utah. Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash believes quarterback Cameron Rising will only continue to improve and has high hopes for the tight end combo of Brant Kuithe and Dalton Kincaid.

Another Pac-12 squad cracked the Top 10. At No. 8 is the University of Southern California, another Pac-12 South rival for Arizona State. With Lincoln Riley now at the helm and transfer quarterback Caleb Williams in the building, there are high hopes for the Trojans in 2022.

Barely squeaking in, is Oregon at No. 25. The Ducks have been a consistent contender for the conference over the past few years and that does not look to change this season.

Arizona State is scheduled to play both the No.7 and No. 8 teams on this list. They will meet Utah at home on September 24 and travel to Los Angeles to take on USC on October 1. They will not be playing Oregon this year.

Where is Arizona State in this mix?

Well, across the college football world there does not seem to be a great deal of hope out there for the success of the Arizona State football program in 2022.

Many writers have the Sun Devils projected for a dead-last finish in the Pac-12 with some projecting as few as two wins on the season.

If that were to happen, Herm Edwards would almost certainly be on the hot seat after managing to get his previous teams to be consistent second to third-place finishers in the South. Seasons of 7 to 8 wins have been the norm under Edwards and a drastic departure from that pattern would spell a dark period for Arizona State football.

The goal is also to end the season by playing in the Rose Bowl, a feat ASU has not accomplished since 1997.

The Pac-12 is fielding some strong teams in 2022 and it will take a combined coach-player effort to remain competitive in the conference.

How do you see the Arizona State season panning out? Let us know in the comments. For more discussion, make sure to follow us on Twitter @Devils_Detail and on Facebook.