There's a long road ahead, in more ways than one.
Arizona State makes the trek up to Ames to take on Iowa State, a rematch of last year's Big 12 title game. Neither team controls their own destiny to get back there, though. The Cyclones have lost three straight, all of them Big 12 games.
Meanwhile, the Sun Devils were upset by Houston last week - their first home loss since the 2023 season - and lost Sam Leavitt to another injury in the process. Leavitt was already ruled out for this game, but on Friday it was announced he won't return this season. That kind of hit may impact the morale of this locker room beyond just a one game absence.
As a result, we've seen Iowa State climb to 7.5 point favorites, but can Jeff Sims deliver an upset? We've assembled our panel of experts to offer their final takes before kickoff.
Austen Bundy (4-4):
Losing Sam Leavitt for the rest of the season is the final nail in the coffin for this Sun Devil team. We saw flashes of solid play from Jeff Sims against Houston last week but he hasn't proven he's a sustainable option under center. Even with Leavitt, getting a win in Ames was going to be very difficult.
That being said, Iowa State has joined ASU in being one of the most inconsistent teams in the Big 12 this season. There's an opportunity to be taken advantage of if the Cyclones are having a bad day. If the defense can keep things close, it's entirely possible Sims can eek out a huge rebound victory on the road.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 24-21
Andrew Hayslett (4-4):
With Jeff Sims as the starting quarterback, the expectations are significantly lower. The offense will not be as effective as it has and the Sun Devils will not score enough points to win.
Prediction: Sun Devils lose 27-13
Tom Hardon (4-4):
The vibes are low for Sun Devil football coming in to this matchup. Sam Leavitt is out for the rest of the year, leaving the fate of the season in the hands of Jeff Sims. Add in Jordyn Tyson's likely absence, it creates a spooky outlook for the passing game. Thankfully Iowa State has had their share of struggles this season. Inconsistencies in the passing game for the Cyclones led to a meltdown in the form of three interceptions for Rocco Becht against BYU. Where Arizona State will have success is in the running game, using Sims' ability to exploit a questionable run defense that gives up 136.8 yards per game on the ground.
Charlie Ragle's leave of absence is hopefully something that can galvanize the team to victory, ugly as it may be. Old habits die hard, and I'm sticking to my shining optimism that Arizona State achieves bowl eligibility on the road this week.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 23-19
David Howman (6-2):
I suspect we're about to see a demoralized Sun Devil team out there, much in the same way we saw them get blown out by Utah. That also happened to be the last time Arizona State played without Leavitt, and was also their last road game.
That's not a knock on Jeff Sims, who has legitimate talent, but this team was dealt several blows this week, between Leavitt's injury and Charlie Ragle's unexpected departure. Add in Jordyn Tyson's injury, and I don't expect to see a team that's been galvanized but rather succumbed to defeat.
Prediction: Sun Devils lose 41-20