The 2025 schedule has been out for some time for the Arizona State Sun Devils - and talk surrounding it has been rampant for months.
Kickoff times and broadcast networks for four of the first five Sun Devil games were announced on Thursday morning - furthering the intrigue of the season to be.
Still, much of the schedule is only based on a date without a kickoff time announced - the Big 12 typically doesn't announce starting times of conference games until the week before games are to be played.
Nonetheless, it's still of interest of many to project which games will be the biggest of each week of conference play - essentially which games will get primetime broadcast treatment.
Josh Pate of CBS Sports took to his show earlier in the week to go over the biggest game of each week across the college football season.
His choice for the biggest game in week eight? None other than the duel in Tempe between Arizona State and Texas Tech.
"I went with Texas Tech at Arizona State because I think it's the biggest game in that conference this year... I think that both of these rosters are the two rosters that stand the best shot of having fringe national title potential in that conference."
The Sun Devils will be coming off of what could be a hard-fought battle in Salt Lake City against the Utah Utes, while Texas Tech will have faced Jalon Daniels and the Kansas Jayhawks the week prior.
The Red Raiders' schedule shakes out more favorably early in the season - as they do not face Baylor or Texas Christian like Arizona State will have, but both programs could come into this matchup undefeated despite potential challenges.
Pate makes a very compelling point that Texas Tech and Arizona State are the two most talented teams across the Big 12. Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire secured one of the very best transfer classes in the nation in the spring portal window, while Kenny Dillingham returns the bulk of last season's starting production while also adding possible impact players such as RB Kanye Udoh and WR Jaren Hamilton.
Could the results of the early stages of the season ultimately lead 'College Gameday' or 'Big Noon Kickoff' to Tempe?
It's possible, at least according to Pate - as this could be the defining game of Big 12 play in 2025.
Read more about the state of Sun Devil football - more specifically if the current direction of Dillingham's program is sustainable here.
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