Is the “mirage” over for Arizona State football?

Three Dot Thoughts…

Remember the four game losing streak by the Sun Devil football team a year ago? How about the five game swoon that sealed the fate of Dennis Erickson in 2011? Maybe you forgot about the stretch of four losses in five games in 2010.
The “sleeping giant” narrative has been around the ASU football program since I got to town in 1993. I’ve seen quite a bit of the “sleeping” part…
With five games left in the regular season and a 5-2 record, anything short of 8 wins would be a disappointment. The three that they HAVE to win are the Pac-12 South matchups with Utah, UCLA, and UofA…
If you want to shed a negative label you have to play New Years Day in Pasadena, or at a minimum get to the Pac-12 Title game in December…

So the Diamondbacks coaching staff has had three departures, with a fourth one likely coming(Matt Williams to Washington). I wonder how Gibbys time in a tree stand will go this offseason? Anyone who thinks he isn’t on the hot seat to start next season is fooling themselves…

Down on Jefferson Street Russ Pennell won’t be back to coach the Mercury. Russ is too good of a basketball man to not have his hand in the Arizona basketball scene…