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The Peach Bowl trophy on display before a joint news conference with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham. Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Analyst Projection Deals Bad News for Arizona State

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Arizona State football is heading into the 2025 season with expectations to repeat as Big 12 champions - thus reaching the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive campaign.

Kenny Dillingham returns 17 starting players from last year's roster - including star QB Sam Leavitt, while every coordinator and position coach returned as well.

The expectations aren't a secret and many believe that the Sun Devils can replicate the output of 2024 - skeptics still remain, nonetheless.

CBS Sports college football analyst Brad Crawford believes the Sun Devils will miss out on the College Football Playoff this season after being the Big 12's representative in 2024.

Crawford currently projects Texas Tech to be the lone representative from the conference, with the Red Raiders coming in as the number eight-seeded team.

The Sun Devils are currently slated to face Big 12 rival Brigham Young in the Alamo Bowl, which has been considered one of the top bowl games outside of the 'New Year's Six' or CFP for some time. Past bowl tie-ins are still being utilized through the end of this season, which is why a meeting with BYU is a possibility.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The general rationale behind projecting Arizona State to fail in repeating as conference champions lies in three separate arguments.

1. The Big 12 has improved significantly from year-to-year - ASU will have to play higher level competition on a more consistent basis.

2. Arizona State's fatal flaw this season will be the inability to adapt to the loss of Cam Skattebo.

3. Variation will come into play - as the Sun Devils won a large amount of one-score games in 2024.

While this may come to fruition - all three are flawed arguments.

The Big 12 has improved as a conference - particularly at the top. Still, the Sun Devils return nearlu 80% of their starting production from a year ago - inherently gifting them the continuity and experience advantage. Arizona State is also arguably the most talented and well-coached team in the conference as well, while also having proven more than any other team currently constructed in the conference.

Secondly, sure, growing pains are bound to exist when replacing an impact player such as Skattebo, but various media members and fans are discounting two factors in the running back equation. Those factors are RB coach Shaun Aguano and the incredible versatility that the potential three-back room provides. Kyson Brown, Raleek Brown, and Kanye Udoh are all unique enough that each one could shine any given week, depending on the matchup.

Lastly, yes, the Sun Devils did secure many tight victories a season ago, but they also became a far different team as the season progressed - particularly after the 35-31 victory over UCF. Arizona State dominated Kansas State on the road, controlled BYU for upwards of 45 minutes, plastered Iowa State in the conference title game, and nearly defeated a powerhouse in Texas.

The team that was seen over the final six weeks of the season is much more congruent with the team that will be seen to start 2025.

Read ASU on SI's exclusive interview with Jordyn Tyson here, and on where Leavitt lands on the NIL merchandise sales leaderboard here.

This article first appeared on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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