The Arizona State Sun Devils were picked to finish dead last in this year’s Big 12 media poll, and they took it personally.
Saturday, 34-year-old head coach Kenny Dillingham led his alma mater to a dominant 45-19 win over No. 16 Iowa State for the Big 12 Championship.
At 11-2, No. 15 ASU has clinched an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff and will await Selection Sunday to see where in the 12-team field it will be seeded.
Some, including Dillingham, argue strongly that ASU deserves a first-round bye — something No. 10 Boise State owned in the projected bracket entering the weekend.
On top of that, running back Cam Skattebo, who put up 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Iowa State, is receiving last-minute Heisman Trophy attention with discussions surrounding whether he should be named one of the three finalists heading to New York City this month.
He also broke the school record for most rushing touchdowns in a season (20) and tied the 74-year-old program record for most total touchdowns in a year (22), among other historical markers.
