Tonight, everyone will be counting down the seconds until 2024 officially ends and 2025 officially begins. But for the Sun Devils, it will mark the program's debut in the College Football Playoff, as they get ready to take on No. 3 Texas in the Peach Bowl.
No. 12 Arizona State has enjoyed a remarkable season, going from 3-9 each of the past two seasons to 11-2, winning the Big 12 in their first season in the new conference, and now a playoff berth. Kenny Dillingham, in just his second season as the head coach, has his Sun Devils peaking at the right time.
Despite that, Arizona State comes into the new year as underdogs. Currently, the Longhorns are 12.5-point favorites, according to FanDuel sportsbook. That's the largest spread of any game in the CFP quarterfinals.
Of course, it doesn't bother the Sun Devils one bit. They've relished the underdog role all season long, a year that saw them picked to finish dead last in the Big 12 before the start of the year. Receiver Xavier Guillory touched on that mindset earlier this week, too:
Xavier Guillory on how Arizona State has used its disrespect as fuel:
— Justin LaCertosa (@LaCertosaSports) December 29, 2024
"We didn't come this far just to come this far ... They've got us ranked as the worst [CFP] team of all time, they're calling us the Arizona State Wildcats ... We actually welcome it."@DevilsDigest pic.twitter.com/gb1XaBeh07
"We still remember being on the bottom, where they had us, all that disrespect. And it's still coming. They got us ranked as, like, the worst [CFP] team of all time. They're calling us the Arizona State Wildcats. They're putting the Arizona logo on ESPN. Desmond Howard always saying something about Arizona State. It's just the constant disrespect that we always get, and we're used to it now and we actually welcome it. "
Guillory is one of several players who the Sun Devils relied on to step up in the absence of Jordyn Tyson for the Big 12 title game, and the senior receiver responded with both of his receptions going for touchdowns. His comments here reflect the overall mindset of the team, too.
Arizona State's star players, Cam Skattebo and Sam Leavitt, have both made comments this week showing just how confident they are in their team and themselves. Hearing the players talk ahead of this playoff game, it's clear that the Sun Devils are not lacking one bit for confidence.
They relish the role of the underdog, so being the biggest underdog of the CFP quarterfinals is perfect for Arizona State. Let's see if that translates to an upset win to start the new year.