The Sun Devils are back in the Top 25, this time the ranking that actually matters, and they've got one more business trip to make before competing to keep the Territorial Cup. A road trip to Boulder to face a Colorado team that hasn't won in over a month feels like an easy win.
Nevertheless, Arizona State needs to lock in and ensure the victory, as they can't afford to lose any more games in their quest to repeat as Big 12 champions. Is there any concern of this being a trap game? Let's see what our writers think.
Austen Bundy (6-4):
Arizona State escaped a scrappy West Virginia team that on paper was supposed to be a manageable win. Well, they "managed" it. Now they face a Colorado team that, again, on paper should be a likely win. The catch? Traveling to Boulder in November. The weather should cooperate on a precipitation front but the cold could certainly still be a factor.
The Sun Devils have embraced the next man up mentality and found ways to win. They'll have to do that again against the Buffs, especially in a hostile environment. The trap game vibes will be at an all-time high but head coach Kenny Dillingham should have his boys fully alert and pedal to the metal for 60 minutes.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 34-21
Aya Abdeen:
The last time Colorado won a game was on Oct. 11 over Iowa State. Both the Sun Devils and Buffaloes have high expectations of winning this game on Saturday for various reasons. Expect Arizona State to rely on Jeff Sims' masterclass and performance he has on the offensive end. I could see the team having a fast start on the offense as wellwith the return of Jordyn Tyson.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 38-10
Andrew Hayslett (5-5):
Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream” opening line is: It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down. Although the game will be at night in the colder weather, the Arizona State offense will still be running down a dream with the run game being explosive.
Running back Raleek Brown will have a dominant performance on the ground stampeding the Buffaloes. The defense will have a game to remember shutting down the Colorado offense.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 41-13
Tom Hardon (6-4):
Arizona State escaped with a win last week over West Virginia to keep the dream of a second consecutive Big 12 championship appearance alive for another week. Don’t expect as narrow an escape. This game may have trap written all over it, but where the Mountaineers were trending up, Colorado is trending down. The hopeful return of Jordyn Tyson gives hope of a potent offensive attack. Look for the Sun Devils to stay on the gas all game long in the final tune up before the Territorial Cup.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 44-7
David Howman (7-3):
Two words: revenge game.
Jordyn Tyson is chomping at the bit to play against his former team and make them foolish for ever letting him go. So, too, is Chamon Metayer, who was very briefly a Buffalo under Deion Sanders before transferring out. But also Kenny Dillingham is hoping for revenge after losing to Colorado on a last second field goal back in 2023.
There will be plenty of motivation, on top of still contending for a shot at the Big 12 title. But I don't expect this to be a runaway, if only due to the weather. It'll be cold this weekend, and I expect that'll change the offensive game plan. More running and more intent on grinding out the clock from the onset will result in a lower scoring, yet still dominant, win.
Prediction: Sun Devils win 20-10.