At long last, it's here. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Sun Devil game day!
No. 11 Arizona State kicks off their 2025 season, where they look to repeat as Big 12 champions and get back to the College Football Playoff, tonight at home against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. Unsurprisingly, the Sun Devils are heavily favored to win.
The school hasn't lost to Northern Arizona since 1938, they've won their last 25 straight home openers, and the team - which returns more starters than any other program in college football - went undefeated at Mountain America Stadium last year.
It would be hard to find anyone who doesn't think Arizona State wins this game. But will it be a blowout, or can the Lumberjacks keep it close? Our panel of experts log their first round of predictions ahead of the game.
Austen Bundy
Sun Devil football is back. Gone are the days of fans sweating out a victory on opening weekend to a clearly inferior opponent (well, there still will be sweating with a 102-degree forecasted temperature at kickoff). ASU will need a convincing start to the year to quell any fears of a recession from last season.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt should be on the bench by the start of the second half because ASU is up by so much on NAU. But knowing our team, we'll likely still see him and the first team offense at some point in the third quarter.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 41-17
Aya Abdeen
The Sun Devils are back at it again as Arizona State will have its first sellout since 1998. I anticipate how focused and poised the team will be in their first game of the season in front of it's home crowd.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 50-7
Andrew Hayslett
The Sun Devils will establish an early ground game with its trio of running backs. That will lead to long scoring drives that set up Jordan Tyson to have a big game. In the beginning of the fourth quarter the starters will be taken out allowing NAU to score a few points late.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 35-17.
Ton Hardon
The Lumberjacks will attempt to bring the might of the North with them to Tempe, but the desert heat will be too much for them to overcome.
Look for a statement start to the game with quarterback Sam Leavitt taking a deep shot early in the first drive to set the tone. After building a comfortable lead, the backups will start to enter the game as the Devils roll to a Week 1 win.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 45-17
David Howman
The Lumberjacks have a really good coaching staff and some legitimate talent. They were genuinely good last year, but I don't think they've got enough talent to pull off the upset against a team as loaded as Arizona State.
I think the first quarter will be close, though. Maybe it even stands tied through one frame, but the Sun Devils will get up a couple scores - with at least one takeaway on defense - before Kenny Dillingham and Marcus Arroyo start running it down the defense's throat to limit offensive possessions.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 42-24.