Arizona State and BYU: Big 12 Championship Game in the Balance for the Sun Devils
Arizona State and BYU meet on Saturday in a game that has big time Big 12 Football Championship Game ramifications.
With conference leading Colorado waiting in the wings for either one of these teams, it goes without saying the pressure inside Mountain America Stadium on Saturday afternoon will be able to be cut with a knife.
Can the Sun Devils come out of this game victorious?
Let’s take a look.
When the pre-season rankings came out for the Big 12 Conference BYU was picked to finish 13th and Arizona State was picked to finish dead last in the 16th spot.
2024 Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll
| 1. Utah (20) | 906 | |
| 2. Kansas State (19) | 889 | |
| 3. Oklahoma State (14) | 829 | |
| 4. Kansas (5) | 772 | |
| 5. Arizona (3) | 762 | |
| 6. Iowa State | 661 | |
| 7. West Virginia | 581 | |
| 8. UCF | 551 | |
| 9. Texas Tech | 532 | |
| 10. TCU | 436 | |
| 11. Colorado | 400 | |
| 12. Baylor | 268 | |
| 13. BYU | 215 | |
| 14. Cincinnati | 196 | |
| 15. Houston | 157 | |
| 16. Arizona State | 141 | |
This is why you have to put the pads on, lace up the shoes, and go compete. Early season rankings are basically based on what the teams did the previous season. Media take a look at what the records were, players who have transferred in and the players who have left the programs. Has there been a coaching change or have other assistant coaches left the program? Plus, if there has been a coaching change, what coach was hired and who is part of his staff.
With the Sun Devils and the Cougars it was not a matter of coaching changes, but a matter of talent and the perception of how good that talent is coming into the season.
Collectively, the media got these pre-season rankings wrong in a major way. We underestimated both of these programs, the talent, the coaches, and competitiveness that each team possess.
On Saturday, the Sun Devils and BYU get to prove once again how wrong everyone was about these two programs.
For Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham, it’s about making life as difficult as his team can on the BYU Cougars.
Coach Dillingham has his team in the hunt for the Big 12 Football Championship Game and even a spot in the College Football Playoff. To even mention that with the Sun Devil program is a miracle unto itself. Nobody expected this type of season out of the Sun Devils.
Absolutely nobody. Yet, here we are with the Sun Devils.
Arizona State has won three straight games, but the amazing part of this win streak is that the Sun Devils have done this without their best player, Cam Skattebo, for most of it. Skattebo is easily the most unknown college football star in a long time and it’s not even close. He is the straw that stirs the drink for the Sun Devils.
For success to happen for Coach Dillingham and his players on Saturday they’ll need Skattebo to be a major part of that success. The Sun Devils play a physical style of football and Skattebo runs angry and physical. Cam Skattebo has made many defenses look subpar this season. He’s hoping to do the same to the Cougars this weekend.
Skattebo has been injured in recent weeks, so getting him to 100% for a physical BYU defense is important. If Skat, as Sun Devil fans call him, is completely healthy, then the chances of the Sun Devils winning this big game rise just like summer temperatures in Phoenix in the summertime.
The other player that’ll help the Sun Devils get this win will certainly be Sam Leavitt, the transfer from Michigan State. Leavitt is getting better and better with every snap in practice and the games.
“Sam is going to play on Sundays. There’s zero doubt in my mind. Sam’s an NFL player. People need to get behind him, put billboards up about him, and we have him for two or three more years. Start doing everything about Sam Leavitt because a coach is useless without a quarterback, and that’s one of the leaders of our football team, and he’s a big reason we’re having this success.” Coach Dillingham said.
There are many things that Coach Dillingham asks of his quarterback. Dillingham wants his quarterback to run the offense, make good decisions, and to not turn the ball over. Leavitt is one of those players, quarterbacks, that do not turn the ball over. Over the span of the this season Leavitt has only thrown four interceptions to go with 17 touchdown passes.
Leavitt’s ability to get the ball redshirt sophomore wide receiver, Jordyn Tyson has created a quarterback-receiver combination that is one of the better ones in the country.
Against Kansas State, the Leavitt-Tyson combo was lethal. Leavitt was 21-34, 275 yards, 3 touchdowns, and once again, no interceptions. Jordyn Tyson had a career high 12 receptions for 176 yards, two touchdowns that helped the Sun Devils beat the Wildcats on the road.
“Sam is a dog.” Tyson said when describing Leavitt’s work ethic and playing ability.
This upcoming game with BYU will have to be much of the same for Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson. The pressure of this game is a pressure that these two players welcome wholeheartedly. This type of season was not expected out of team that only won three times in 2023.
The Sun Devils are playing with house money right now. On Saturday, the Devils are looking to grow the pot of money at the end of this rainbow in 2024. Forks Up Sun Devils!
Michael J. Wilson-The Daily Waiver