2014 Prediction on Devils Record

[Iceman]

Here is my prediction of the Devils and their win/loss:

Weber St- W
New Mexico- W
Colorado- W
UCLA- L
USC- L
Stanford- W(only because they are home)
Washington- W
Utah- W
Notre Dame- W (I sure hope so on this one)
Oregon St- W
Washington St- W
Arizona- W (better be a W!)

So 10-2

I know it is kind of a homer prediction, but if Graham can get the defense to step up, Devils have a chance. My only fear is that we are going to have to score 35+ points every game, just to outscore our opponents

 

[Shaggy]

This is a huge year for asu football. I think if they don't win most of their homes games at least, they will lose more fans and less ticket sales.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Weber St- W
New Mexico- W
Colorado- W
UCLA- W
USC- L
Stanford- L
Washington- W
Utah- W
Notre Dame- W
Oregon St- W
Washington St- W
Arizona-W

Another koolaid drinking 10-2 prediction. They could easily go 8-4 if the defense doesn't come together.

 

[Jay Cardinal]

Weber St- W
New Mexico- W
Colorado- W
UCLA- L (I can't stand them, but they have the better team on paper.)
USC- L (I don't have a ton of faith in Sark, but he brought in an incredible recruiting class. We should be able to hang with their defense as they lost a few players. I am worried about their offense. Their line really pushed our d-line around and they only added to the talent there.)
Stanford- L (I think this will be another shootout, but Stanford lost 4 starters on the offensive line and a ton on defense. Could go either way)
Washington- W
Utah- W
Notre Dame- L (If offense clicks in the first half, we could win this one. Their O-line was very good last year, will really test our new guys up front.)
Oregon St- W
Washington St- W
Arizona- W

Tough stretch in the middle of the season with UCLA, USC, and Stanford in a row. I think we can compete with each of them and possible win one or all. I am predicting 8-4 but think 9-3 is a strong possibility and 10-2 an outlying possibility.

I just hope we can beat UCLA. Those guys are so full of excuses it is unbelievable. They always seem to have the talent, but aren't able to put it together on the field each year. I don't know if they are overrated or undercoached, but they always seem to disappoint.

 

[Gee!]

Weber St- W
New Mexico- W
Colorado- W
UCLA- L
USC- L
Stanford- L
Washington- W
Utah- W
Notre Dame- L
Oregon St- W
Washington St- W
Arizona- L

7-5

 

[FArting]

Weber St- W
New Mexico- W
Colorado- W
UCLA- W
USC- W
Stanford- L
Washington- W
Utah- W
Notre Dame- W
Oregon St- W
Washington St- W
Arizona- L

10-2

We get the tough teams at home
X Factor is me. Every time I've gone to SDS ASU has lost less than 3 times at home.

 

[Gaddabout]

Weber State: The worst of the Big Sky. Easy W.

New Mexico: The worst of the Mountain West and getting worse with suspensions. Another easy win, even on their turf. Someone needs to explain to me why we did a home-and-home with these guys.

Colorado: Improving, but still awful. Easy win in Boulder.

I suspect it's possible to lose the next 3 at home, but I think they beat UCLA in Tempe. Even though ASU has traditionally struggled against UCLA regardless of location. ASU's defense won't be better, but the defense took the day off against the Bruins for much of last year's game. I think the o-line will be much better and ready for this first real game of the season.

I think they lose to USC on the road, even though USC's defensive line is falling apart before the season begins -- and they have no depth. I have no logic. It's just USC in the ghetto. Their head coach is a dipstick. This is a game ASU will lose that they should win.

I think they lose to Stanford because, let's be real, it hasn't been close between these two teams since ASU started playing big-boy football. Maybe it's closer, but Stanford beat ASU in two games last year, 80-42. I don't think of there's been that much roster turnover or possible improvement.

I think Washington is a loss because it's in Seattle and they no longer have a dipstick for a head coach. UW has plenty of talent. They should win games at home, even against good teams.

ASU rebounds against Utah, even though I foresee a lot of cheapshots coming ASU's way from that team. They have developed a real hatred, and they play a rougher, less disciplined style. ASU continues to take advantage of a Utah defense that likes to gamble but doesn't have the athletes in the secondary to play it against ASU.

Notre Dame. This is a real season-definer. ASU escapes here because it's at home and the offensive line continues to improve. Notre Dame D won't enjoy dealing with the relative heat and uptempo pace. It's just enough to give ASU a 3 to 7 point win.

Oregon State. ASU figures out a way to escape Corvallis with a W against a team whose lack of talent finally catches up to them. ASU never fairs well in Corvallis. Since the turn of the century, ASU is 1-5 in that town, the only win coming in 2005.

Wazzu. ASU blows this team out, but it will be like 85 to 45 or something like that. Bet the over. Way over.

Arizona. ASU wins, because UA is going to fall apart without a QB. Maybe they discover one by midseason. That would change things. But right now, ASU is >>>>> at the most important position in college football.

 

[HooverDam]

Weber State: Win.
Weber State is awful, if ASU doesn't put up at least 50, it'll be a huge disappointment. It'd be nice to see all the offensive starters sitting by the end of the 1st half.

@ New Mexico: Win.
UNM isn't great either, ASU should win this one by 21+.

@ Colorado: Win.
This game makes me weirdly nervous. ASU has way more talent, but Colorado has got to start pulling a few surprises at some point...right? This is the home home opener for the Buffs and they should be coming in 2-0. But ASU should still win 21+.

UCLA: Win.
ASU is coming in off a bye week, which is nice, though so is UCLA. ASU should have beaten UCLA at home 2 years ago, and dominated most of the game last year. This is likely to be a shoot out.

@ USC: Win.
I have been unimpressed with Sark, and there's always adjustments for a first year coach. SC should be 3-1 coming into this game and should be ranked. A win on the road versus an (over) ranked SC team would be great. I think this game will be close.

Stanford: Loss
ASU's first home Saturday doesn't come until mid October. Sadly I don't think ASU has caught up with Stanford just yet. I think ASU's versatility on offense will help them a bit closer this year. However with the inexperience on ASU's defense, I worry Stanford will run and bootleg all over the Devils.

@ Washington: Loss
In past years this feels like the kind of game ASU would lose. On the road, against a reasonably talented team, coming off a big loss, the old ASU teams would go into a bit of a slide. It'll be interesting to see if Graham can combat that or not, but I'm still somewhat superstitious and think ASU drops this one.

Utah: Win.
ASU gets back on track with a relatively easy win over a Utah team that is still playing catch up in the depth and talent department.

Notre Dame: Win
ASU should have won last year in Texas, this year they get revenge in Tempe.

@ Oregon St: Loss
ASU always loses in Corvallis, and by the end of the year Mike Reilly always has his teams rolling. If this were earlier in the schedule I'd say ASU in a win, but I imagine Sean Mannion shreds ASU's young defense.

Washington St: Win
I think Wazzu could sneak into a bowl game this year at 6-6, but they're still far behind ASU in talent. If ASU can rock them in Pullman, in the cold, on a blackout Halloween game...I think the Devils should do just fine at home.

@ UofA: Win
In the words of Keith Poole, "we're #1 and they're garbage." UofA will be bowl bound this year, and by this point in the year they should have settled on a QB, but they are still significantly less talented than the Devils. That being said, this is a crazy rivalry game and anything can happen.

Final Regular Season Record: 9-3

I have ASU with 3 conference losses, but all of them to North teams. Depending on what UCLA and USC do, that could be good enough for ASU to win the South and go take a beating from Stanford or Oregon.

Pac 12 Bowls:

College Football Playoff (Rose Bowl):
Oregon

Fiesta Bowl:
Stanford

Alamo Bowl:
ASU

Holiday Bowl:
UCLA

Fight Hunger:
Washington

Sun:
USC

Las Vegas:
Oregon St

Cactus:
Washington St

New Mexico/other bowl (P12 is no longer officially affiliated w/ NM Bowl, but Mountain West may not fill its allotment):
Arizona

Other bowl:
Utah, possibly.

 

[Absolute Zero]

LB Mendoza is now out for several weeks with another injury. That guy just can not catch a break. That makes true freshman DJ Calhoun, who is very talented but still very green and a bit undersized at this point, a probable starter. And Jaxon Hood just showed up for his first practice today at Camp T. This defense was a question mark to begin with, and this stuff isn't making it better.

 

[Iceman]

Defense is going to be the X factor for this year. Offensively loads of talent that any offensive coordinator would love to have. There is no true leader on defense (yet) and hopefully someone steps up. Not sure Hood is ready for that role, but would love for him to step up and have that defense surprise us all this season. The PAC is remind me of the NFC west now- a feared conference!

 

[TJ]

@ UofA: Win
In the words of Keith Poole, "we're #1 and they're garbage." UofA will be bowl bound this year, and by this point in the year they should have settled on a QB, but they are still significantly less talented than the Devils. That being said, this is a crazy rivalry game and anything can happen.

Wishful thinking on your part. You pretty much lost your entire defense from last season and a couple of guys who would've come and contributed this season, and you think you're "significantly" more talented? From a pure talent standpoint, UofA wins that matchup.

The truth of the matter is ASU is taking a temporary step back this season until the 2014 class is ready to take over in 2015. Taylor Kelly and Jaelen Strong keep this team from irrelevance.

Sorry to sour your guys' Kool-Aid, but I can't see anyway ASU replicates last season. ASU is a 7-8 win team this season, and you all should be happy with that during a transition year.

 

[Iceman]

Wishful thinking on your part. You pretty much lost your entire defense from last season and a couple of guys who would've come and contributed this season, and you think you're "significantly" more talented? From a pure talent standpoint, UofA wins that matchup.

The truth of the matter is ASU is taking a temporary step back this season until the 2014 class is ready to take over in 2015. Taylor Kelly and Jaelen Strong keep this team from irrelevance.

Sorry to sour your guys' Kool-Aid, but I can't see anyway ASU replicates last season. ASU is a 7-8 win team this season, and you all should be happy with that during a transition year.

Interesting 7-8 prediction. It could be that way, depending on how the D does. Who does ASU lose to?

 

[Absolute Zero]

Wishful thinking on your part. You pretty much lost your entire defense from last season and a couple of guys who would've come and contributed this season, and you think you're "significantly" more talented? From a pure talent standpoint, UofA wins that matchup.

The truth of the matter is ASU is taking a temporary step back this season until the 2014 class is ready to take over in 2015. Taylor Kelly and Jaelen Strong keep this team from irrelevance.

Sorry to sour your guys' Kool-Aid, but I can't see anyway ASU replicates last season. ASU is a 7-8 win team this season, and you all should be happy with that during a transition year.

So what is your prediction for the Territorial Cup this year?

 

[HooverDam]

Wishful thinking on your part. You pretty much lost your entire defense from last season and a couple of guys who would've come and contributed this season, and you think you're "significantly" more talented? From a pure talent standpoint, UofA wins that matchup.

The truth of the matter is ASU is taking a temporary step back this season until the 2014 class is ready to take over in 2015. Taylor Kelly and Jaelen Strong keep this team from irrelevance.

Sorry to sour your guys' Kool-Aid, but I can't see anyway ASU replicates last season. ASU is a 7-8 win team this season, and you all should be happy with that during a transition year.

Offense:
QB: ASU > UA
RB: ASU > UA
WR/TE: Draw, maybe slight edge to UofA
O Line: ASU > UA

Special Teams:
Kicker: ASU > UA
Punter: UA > ASU
Return: Draw

Defense:
D-Line: UA > ASU
Linebackers: UA > ASU
Secondary: ASU > UA

SO UA has a clear edge in punting (punt flag!) only because ASU has been so woeful, and in the front 7 on defense but thats more because ASU is a mystery than known to be bad, we don't know yet.

I'd say being significantly more talented at most position groups does indeed make them significantly more talented.

QB is the most important position in college football, especially in the P-12, and ASU is so far beyond UofA in that regard its not even close. ASU's back up QB would be in his 3rd year starting for UofA this year.

I could easily see ASU "only" winning 8 games because of youth on defense, but that's far from a bad season. Graham has got ASU ahead of schedule that is for sure.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

UA is returning four starters on the offensive line, I'd say we're better there. After Strong there's a lot of unproven receivers for you as well. I think ASU will end up being better on the defensive line but we'll be better in the secondary. From an overall standpoint the talent isn't that far off but your proven Taylor Kelly definitely gives you the overall advantage vs our question mark.

That being said I'm not really worried about UA's quarterback situation. RichRod has found a way to score points with guys who can't even throw the ball like Denker and Denard Robinson so I think he'll figure it out with one of four former 4* QB's.

 

[ozzfloyd]

Offense:
QB: ASU > UA
RB: ASU > UA
WR/TE: Draw, maybe slight edge to UofA
O Line: ASU > UA

Special Teams:
Kicker: ASU > UA
Punter: UA > ASU
Return: Draw

Defense:
D-Line: UA > ASU
Linebackers: UA > ASU
Secondary: ASU > UA

SO UA has a clear edge in punting (punt flag!) only because ASU has been so woeful, and in the front 7 on defense but thats more because ASU is a mystery than known to be bad, we don't know yet.

I'd say being significantly more talented at most position groups does indeed make them significantly more talented.

QB is the most important position in college football, especially in the P-12, and ASU is so far beyond UofA in that regard its not even close. ASU's back up QB would be in his 3rd year starting for UofA this year.

I could easily see ASU "only" winning 8 games because of youth on defense, but that's far from a bad season. Graham has got ASU ahead of schedule that is for sure.

To the bolded: Really? Draw or slight UA edge? Numerous publications and pundits are calling UAs WRs as potentially the best in CFB.

 

[Jay Cardinal]

To the bolded: Really? Draw or slight UA edge? Numerous publications and pundits FROM TUCSON TO NOGALES are calling UAs WRs as potentially the best in CFB.

FTFY

I am a little surprised people are worried about Washington this much. They lost Sefarian-Jenkins and Sankey to the draft. They kicked their best WR off of the team, suspended their starting QB in the same incident. Washington didn't have a great defense last year and they have not beaten ASU in 13 years. I think we are much more likely to lose to UCLA at home, than Washington.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Weber State: The worst of the Big Sky. Easy W.

New Mexico: The worst of the Mountain West and getting worse with suspensions. Another easy win, even on their turf. Someone needs to explain to me why we did a home-and-home with these guys.

Colorado: Improving, but still awful. Easy win in Boulder.

I suspect it's possible to lose the next 3 at home, but I think they beat UCLA in Tempe. Even though ASU has traditionally struggled against UCLA regardless of location. ASU's defense won't be better, but the defense took the day off against the Bruins for much of last year's game. I think the o-line will be much better and ready for this first real game of the season.

I think they lose to USC on the road, even though USC's defensive line is falling apart before the season begins -- and they have no depth. I have no logic. It's just USC in the ghetto. Their head coach is a dipstick. This is a game ASU will lose that they should win.

I think they lose to Stanford because, let's be real, it hasn't been close between these two teams since ASU started playing big-boy football. Maybe it's closer, but Stanford beat ASU in two games last year, 80-42. I don't think of there's been that much roster turnover or possible improvement.

I think Washington is a loss because it's in Seattle and they no longer have a dipstick for a head coach. UW has plenty of talent. They should win games at home, even against good teams.

ASU rebounds against Utah, even though I foresee a lot of cheapshots coming ASU's way from that team. They have developed a real hatred, and they play a rougher, less disciplined style. ASU continues to take advantage of a Utah defense that likes to gamble but doesn't have the athletes in the secondary to play it against ASU.

Notre Dame. This is a real season-definer. ASU escapes here because it's at home and the offensive line continues to improve. Notre Dame D won't enjoy dealing with the relative heat and uptempo pace. It's just enough to give ASU a 3 to 7 point win.

Oregon State. ASU figures out a way to escape Corvallis with a W against a team whose lack of talent finally catches up to them. ASU never fairs well in Corvallis. Since the turn of the century, ASU is 1-5 in that town, the only win coming in 2005.

Wazzu. ASU blows this team out, but it will be like 85 to 45 or something like that. Bet the over. Way over.

Arizona. ASU wins, because UA is going to fall apart without a QB. Maybe they discover one by midseason. That would change things. But right now, ASU is >>>>> at the most important position in college football.

That's a fairly positive prediction from someone who is very parsimonious in his ASU optimism. This is encouraging!

 

[HooverDam]

To the bolded: Really? Draw or slight UA edge? Numerous publications and pundits are calling UAs WRs as potentially the best in CFB.

and ASU has the what some are calling the best single WR in the country, J. Strong, and someone who can actually get him the ball.

UAs wide outs can be open all day, who's going to toss it to them? ASU also has a lot of very highly touted guys coming in at WR, and DJ Foster will play in the slot a lot as well.

Or, if you'd prefer a TL, DR version:

You must be registered for see images attach

When you get this back we can talk about talent levels, deal?

 

[TJ]

Wow. One UofA alum posts on this thread and the post count doubles in 12 hours.

Interesting 7-8 prediction. It could be that way, depending on how the D does. Who does ASU lose to?

You have ASU winning against ND, @ntOSU, @UofA, @Washington, and Stanford. All five of those games are toss-ups, IMO. ASU would be very fortunate to go 5-0 in this group. A more realistic prediction is 3-2, and in your shoes, I would be thrilled with that outcome.

So what is your prediction for the Territorial Cup this year?

Are you new to the rivalry?

One does not simply predict the outcome of the TC game. The past four years, the clear-cut favorite lost 3 out of 4 times (last year, ASU was hands-down the favorite).

Offense:
QB: ASU > UA
RB: ASU > UA
WR/TE: Draw, maybe slight edge to UofA
O Line: ASU > UA

Special Teams:
Kicker: ASU > UA
Punter: UA > ASU
Return: Draw

Defense:
D-Line: UA > ASU
Linebackers: UA > ASU
Secondary: ASU > UA

SO UA has a clear edge in punting (punt flag!) only because ASU has been so woeful, and in the front 7 on defense but thats more because ASU is a mystery than known to be bad, we don't know yet.

I'd say being significantly more talented at most position groups does indeed make them significantly more talented.

QB is the most important position in college football, especially in the P-12, and ASU is so far beyond UofA in that regard its not even close. ASU's back up QB would be in his 3rd year starting for UofA this year.

I could easily see ASU "only" winning 8 games because of youth on defense, but that's far from a bad season. Graham has got ASU ahead of schedule that is for sure.

See Mao's post below, which echoes my sentiments:

UA is returning four starters on the offensive line, I'd say we're better there. After Strong there's a lot of unproven receivers for you as well. I think ASU will end up being better on the defensive line but we'll be better in the secondary. From an overall standpoint the talent isn't that far off but your proven Taylor Kelly definitely gives you the overall advantage vs our question mark.

That being said I'm not really worried about UA's quarterback situation. RichRod has found a way to score points with guys who can't even throw the ball like Denker and Denard Robinson so I think he'll figure it out with one of four former 4* QB's.

You're only clearly better at RB (and I don't like DJ Foster).

Defense, it's a toss-up in the front 7 (6), but UofA has crazy depth in the secondary, which is paramount when playing a 3-3-5 scheme.

I think people are taking the QB battle out of context. One of four healthy 4-star QBs will be throwing to arguably the best WR corp in NCAAFB. All four are a significant upgrade over Denker. There are few offensive-minded coaches in football I don't question; RichRod is one of them. I trust he'll pick the right QB. Additionally, QB battles aren't a death sentence like they are in the NFL (see - ASU 2012)

Take into consideration that even with guys like Sutton and Bradford in the fold, ASU gave up 27 ppg last season. Now, ASU is faced with the challenge of replacing 9 starters on defense. Yowsers.

I am a little surprised people are worried about Washington this much. They lost Sefarian-Jenkins and Sankey to the draft. They kicked their best WR off of the team, suspended their starting QB in the same incident. Washington didn't have a great defense last year and they have not beaten ASU in 13 years. I think we are much more likely to lose to UCLA at home, than Washington.

Agree regarding Washington. They're getting crazy love because of Chris Peterson. I don't buy all of the hype, but playing Washington in Seattle especially on a rainy day is never fun.

and ASU has the what some are calling the best single WR in the country, J. Strong, and someone who can actually get him the ball.

UAs wide outs can be open all day, who's going to toss it to them? ASU also has a lot of very highly touted guys coming in at WR, and DJ Foster will play in the slot a lot as well.

RichRod is an offensive genius with four healthy 4-star recruits battling it out for the position. You'll be a very disappointed sun devil if you think UofA's offense will be inefficient. Even with Carey off to the NFL, this team will score more points than last season.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Wow. One UofA alum posts on this thread and the post count doubles in 12 hours.



You have ASU winning against ND, @ntOSU, @UofA, @Washington, and Stanford. All five of those games are toss-ups, IMO. ASU would be very fortunate to go 5-0 in this group. A more realistic prediction is 3-2, and in your shoes, I would be thrilled with that outcome.



Are you new to the rivalry?

One does not simply predict the outcome of the TC game. The past four years, the clear-cut favorite lost 3 out of 4 times (last year, ASU was hands-down the favorite).

Are you seriously going to avoid a prediction on the ASU game? Wow. This thread is about predicting ASU's record. I have ASU beating UofA. Come on, "bear down", you can do it.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I think UA will beat ASU this year. Should have won in '12 if not for a complete Matt Scott 4th quarter meltdown. My guess is the game will feature both teams in the 40's again.

I also think ASU ends up winning 8 games because I can't see how their defense will be able to compete. The Devils defense wasn't that good last year and they lost a bunch off it and couldn't get some key JC guys into school. You should be able to score in bunches though and that gets you a punchers chance in any game.

 

[devilalum]

New Mexico: The worst of the Mountain West and getting worse with suspensions. Another easy win, even on their turf. Someone needs to explain to me why we did a home-and-home with these guys.

Devils have to be the only team in a Power conference doing a home and home with what is basically a Division II school. I think this game is going to be a challenge. They are really bad but this is their Super Bowl. Back in the 70s ASU was the New Mexico and knocked off several good teams at SDS that had no idea what they were walking into.

I say the DEvils go 9-3

 

[HooverDam]

Devils have to be the only team in a Power conference doing a home and home with what is basically a Division II school. I think this game is going to be a challenge. They are really bad but this is their Super Bowl. Back in the 70s ASU was the New Mexico and knocked off several good teams at SDS that had no idea what they were walking into.

I say the DEvils go 9-3

Actually more and more schools seem to be doing home and homes with lower league teams. Or at least 2 for 1 swaps. I don't mind it so much really, though I'd rather do it with teams like North Texas, UTSA, SDSU, etc. where it could be more of a benefit in recruiting.

 

[Iceman]

Not to be a homer, but what dictates that UA will beat ASU this year? Have they upgraded enough from last year to establish any reasoning that they will beat ASU? Last years game was so lopsided and ASU's offense really has not changed. The defense obviously is new, but seeing that ASU put up 58 last year, having no defense isn't really going to matter this year. In defense to UA, I haven't really followed any of their recruits, returners, etc.... so they may have upgraded on offense or defense, but will it be enough to take back the TC?