Arizona State defensive back Keith Abney makes snow angels in the confetti after ASU won the Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, Texas – Arizona State, long known as college football’s “sleeping giant,” changed its identity in 2024.
The giant woke up.
The Sun Devils continued their tear through the back half of their schedule and dominated Iowa State 45-19 Saturday to secure the Big 12 Conference title. The College Football Playoff selection committee rewarded them Sunday with a No. 4 seed, which translates to an opening-round bye and a spot in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
“Hopefully, this stage shows we can be one of the newer brands in college football,” coach Kenny Dillingham said. “The pitchfork, Arizona State, has a brand that can compete on a national stage.”
Proving people wrong has been the Sun Devils’ calling card all year. They were picked last out of 16 Big 12 teams in a preseason poll, only to turn around and win the conference.
“We’ve been impressed. … They are one of the hottest teams playing right now,” said Warde Manuel, the CFP committee chair. “We felt that what they showed yesterday elevated them to 12 in our rankings.”
The Sun Devils’ only complaint with the results is missing out on the Fiesta Bowl, which is played in nearby Glendale. That bowl went to Boise State, which landed the No. 3 seed among conference champions.
If the Sun Devils wanted to make a statement Saturday, they certainly did. Fan favorite Cam Skattebo had his third consecutive three-touchdown game and it thrust him into the Heisman conversation.
The Sun Devils will have to wait to find out whom they will face on New Year’s Day. Texas will take on ACC champion Clemson in Austin, Texas, Dec. 21 for the right to meet ASU in Atlanta.
The main point of contention that was left over from championship Saturday was the one everyone expected: If SMU were to lose, would it stay above Alabama?
The question was answered Sunday. The Mustangs fell two spots in the rankings after a heartbreaking loss to Clemson, which made a last-second field goal, but SMU stayed above Alabama by one spot, landing the final at-large bid and the right to play Penn State on the road. T
The Crimson Tide had plenty of positives but ultimately, the multiple losses to unranked Oklahoma and Vanderbilt – both teams finished with a 6-6 record – cost them in the committee’s eyes.
“We looked at the difference in how we saw SMU was going into their championship game: undefeated in conference,” Manuel said. “They lost to two ranked teams, BYU and Clemson … it was their total body of work, and that’s why we had SMU slightly ahead of Alabama.”
The top two seeds came in as expected, with No. 1 Oregon capping off a perfect 12-0 regular season with a win over Penn State, and No. 2 Georgia beating Texas for the second time this year, this time to win the SEC championship. They will play in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, respectively, on New Year’s Day.
The other campus site games include some of the most recognizable stadiums in the sport. No. 7 Norte Dame will host an in-state competitor, No. 10 Indiana, in Notre Dame Stadium. That will be the first game played of the four, in a special Friday night time slot on Dec. 20.
With the bracket set, the first-ever 12-team playoff will commence in just a few weeks, when Arizona State hopes to show just how awake it is.