Against all odds, Arizona State wins Big 12 and makes College Football Playoff
Welcome to the Big 12, Arizona State.
After going 3-9 in the Pac-12 in 2023 — and being picked to finish last in the Big 12 in 2024 — the Sun Devils defied the odds with an improbable run to the Big 12 football championship game.
They finished the job on Saturday with a resounding 45-19 victory over No. 16 Iowa State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It's the first outright conference championship for Arizona State since 1996.
The win gives the No. 15 Sun Devils (11-2) an automatic berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The final CFP rankings will be released Sunday, and it's likely Arizona State will be the No. 12 seed and play the No. 5 seed in the first round.
After the game, Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham told ABC's sideline reporter that the Sun Devils should be treated like an 11-1 team by the CFP Committee.
"We're 11-1," Dillingham said. "We should be treated like we're 11-1, Big 12 champs."
Dillingham was referencing Arizona State's record with Sam Leavitt as the starting quarterback. Leavitt missed ASU's 24-14 road loss to Cincinnati with a rib injury.
Playing without star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson on Saturday, Leavitt spread the ball around to six different receivers and gashed Iowa State with big plays.
Leavitt finished 12-of-17 for 219 yards and 3 touchdowns before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter. He also rushed 7 times for 33 yards and a touchdown.
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo again stated his case to be a Heisman Trophy finalist, rushing 16 times for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also caught 2 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. And he did not play in the fourth quarter.
Arizona State led 24-10 at halftime, and blew the game open in the third quarter after forcing three consecutive Iowa State turnovers.
The Sun Devils finished with 467 yards of offense, compared to just 341 for Iowa State — and many of the Cyclones yards came after the game was in hand.
More Arizona State & Big 12 Analysis
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.