Brad Cesmat
Will both Arizona and Arizona State be shut out of a bowl game this season?
Getting to six wins for both teams isn’t going to be a picnic, though I think the Wildcats have the more difficult path. ASU needs to win two of their final four. Nothing is certain with either team. Let’s explore the possibilities.
Arizona State has a road game this Saturday at Washington State, home to Washington and UofA, then finishing the regular season at California. When the schedule first came out I thought this would be an easy couple of weeks for the Sun Devils before their rivalry game with the Wildcats. I was wrong.
The Cougars may throw the ball 70 times against the Sun Devils(not exaggerating). Their quarterback Luke Falk has a cannon for an arm and enough skill talent to put up lots of points on the board. This team beat Oregon on the Ducks home turf earlier this season. Tough, touch matchup for Todd Graham.
I think the Sun Devils best chance to get to the bowl eligible six-win mark is victories over Washington and Arizona to finish out the home schedule. Neither one is a given.
Arizona has fallen apart. Whether it’s the lack of a bye or Rich Rod’s name all over the place for jobs better than the one he currently has in Tucson. The Wildcats look like they are done physically and mentally. This is the wrong time to get on a plane to go to LA and play USC. Saturday could get really ugly.
Home to Utah and at ASU are the final games of their regular season. Even the most optimistic Wildcat fan would have to admit that it’s a very real possibility that the team will be home for the holidays.
Add to that, the rampant speculation of Rich Rod being linked to jobs at Virginia Tech and South Carolina. Injuries to star players like Nick Wilson and Scooby Wright, erratic play at quarterback, and the unbelievable game time schedule being thrown at them each week by the Pac-12. Nothing has gone right since the blowout loss to UCLA.
