2014-15 Football Previews – (Pac-12) – Sun Devils
The Arizona State Sun Devils are the reigning champions of the Pac-12 South Division, and while they’ll compete for those honors again in 2014, the Pac-12 is becoming an increasingly difficult conference to play in.
Arizona State
Pac-12 Conference 2014-15 College Football Previews:
Head Coach: Todd Graham
2013 Record: 10-4
Arizona State Gambling Odds to win BCS Championship: 75/1
Arizona State Gambling Odds to win Pac-12 North Division: 3/1
Arizona State Gambling Odds to win Pac-12 Conference: 12/1
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Including ASU, the Pac-12 has six teams in the first USA TODAY Coaches Poll. It goes without saying, but that’s half of the conference in the nation’s top 25, and as it would happen, the Sun Devils play all four of those five opponents in consecutive weeks during the first half of the season.
Team Strengths:
The Arizona State Sun Devils could very well have the Pac-12’s top offense behind the Oregon Ducks in 2014. Last season saw them average 39.7 points per contest, which was good enough for 11th in the country, and they did it with a balanced attack, as they were the 33rd-best passing team and 40th-best rushing team in the nation.
Although the offensive scheme was balanced in terms of stats, Taylor Kelly was the nucleus on that side of the ball. Last season he threw for 28 touchdowns and 3,365 yards, and this time around he’ll have an improved target in Jaleen Strong at wide receiver.
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He’s also a threat on the ground, as he racked up nine scores and 608 yards rushing.
Team Weaknesses:
As good as Jaleen Strong is going to be this season, the truth is that ASU’s receiving corps isn’t as deep as the team would like. Strong must become one of the best receivers in the country in order to take the load off the lesser-experienced players, or else the team will need someone unexpected to step up as another go-to target.
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While receiver could be an issue, defense is where to look if you’re concerned about the Sun Devils. This team has multiple holes to fill on that side of the ball, including replacing Will Sutton. Depth is a concern across most of the positions, but that concern rings especially true on the line.
Rebuilding will be the name of the game for defense in 2014, and if we’re being frank, the team will have to score just as many points as it did last year if it’s going to compete with USC and UCLA for a shot at a Pac-12 title.
2014-15 Washington State Gambling Prediction: 9-3
The Sun Devils went an impressive 8-1 in conference play last season, but pulling off that kind of Pac-12 record is unlikely this time around. The team starts conference competition on Sept. 13 against the Colorado Buffaloes, but then it has four straight weeks where it faces UCLA, USC, Stanford and Washington, respectively. ASU does have the luxury of avoiding Oregon this season, but that stretch is brutal for any team trying to gain momentum.
Conversely, the team will have the second half of the season to gain back any momentum it potentially loses during the aforementioned stretch. The schedule becomes much more favorable during the latter half of the year, giving it a chance to rack up wins before bowl season.
2014 ASU Schedule
- Thu, Aug 28 vs Weber State
- Sat, Sept 6 @ New Mexico
- Sat, Sept 13 @ Colorado
- Thu, Sept 25 vs UCLA
- Sat, Oct 4 @ USC
- Sat, Oct 18 vs Stanford
- Sat, Oct 25 @ Washington
- Sat, Nov 1 vs Utah
- Sat, Nov 8 vs Notre Dame
- Sat, Nov 15 @ Oregon State
- Sat, Nov 22 vs Washington St
- Fri, Nov 28 @ Arizona
