Welcome to the College Football Playoff Sun Devils. Here’s a look into all possible opponents for the Big 12 champs, as well as each teams' seed:
No. 1 Oregon, 13-0 — could meet ASU in the semifinal
Former Pac-12 member, the Oregon Ducks, locked the No. 1 spot thanks to a Big Ten Championship win to keep their undefeated season alive. Led by Heisman finalist senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the Ducks have won multiple games in blowout fashion, and they now have the highest odds of winning it all. The Heisman winner will be announced later this evening.
No. 2 Georgia, 11-2 — could meet ASU in the final
Even though their season is not going as smoothly as most thought, the Bulldogs have still managed an 11-2 record and a Southeastern Conference title. The team's inconsistent offense has been its biggest issue, as senior quarterback Carson Beck hasn’t necessarily lived up to his first-round draft-pick status. Beck also suffered an elbow injury in the SEC Championship game, knocking him out for an unknown period of time. While he’s been impressive in moments, the defense has kept them in their high position.
No. 3 Boise State, 12-1 — could meet ASU in the final
Boise State has been one of the bigger surprises this year. Coming off a Mountain West Championship, the Broncos’ success is largely due to junior running back Ashton Jeanty and his single-season rushing performance. The second-leading rusher this year has 1,660 rushing yards. Jeanty, a Heisman finalist, has 2,497. In the all-time single-season rushing yard leaderboard, Jeanty sits at four and has a real shot at breaking Barry Sanders’ record of 2,628.
No. 5 Texas, 11-2 — could meet ASU in the quarterfinal
It’s hard to pin down how good Texas is. On one hand, the talent level is there, and they’ve beaten 11 teams in the regular season, losing to Georgia twice. On the other hand, the Longhorns have zero wins against current top 25 teams. If they match up with ASU, the Longhorns’ defensive line will likely give the Sun Devils a run for their money, looking at how well the teams' secondary has performed this season in comparison to some of the defenses in the Big 12 Conference. It will be interesting to see if ASU's senior running back Cam Skattebo and the offensive line can continue their dominance.
READ MORE: ASU officially into College Football Playoff as 4-seed: Where and who they will play
No. 6 Penn State, 11-2 — could meet ASU in the final
James Franklin is building a reputation as a coach that can never win the big games. That trend continued last week when Penn State lost in the Big Ten Championship to Oregon. However, junior quarterback Drew Allar’s recent string of quality games and spirited effort in last week’s championship does provide some hope for the Nittany Lions.
No. 7 Notre Dame, 11-1 — could meet ASU in the final
The Fighting Irish have been in the background of conversation this season, but that could play to their benefit. Their 11-1 record is stunted by only Northern Illinois, who pulled off the miraculous upset in week two. Since then, Notre Dame has been on a tear. They've outscored opponents by 30.7 points per game in the last 10 weeks thanks to a balanced run game and a spectacular secondary led by likely first-round pick junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison.
No. 8 Ohio State, 10-2 — could meet ASU in the semifinal
Coming into rivalry week with just one loss to No. 1 Oregon, the Buckeyes looked like a lock to make the Big Ten Championship game. The Michigan Wolverines had other ideas. They went into Ohio Stadium, shocked the country and beat Ohio State at home. Now receiving a spot in the playoffs, head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes have an opportunity to rebuild their reputation.
No. 9 Tennessee, 10-2 — could meet ASU in the semifinal
Matching up with Ohio State is Tennessee. Freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava and junior running back Dylan Sampson headline the Tennessee offense. Sampson has rushed for 1,485 yards and scored 22 rushing touchdowns, putting him in the top 10 in both categories, and one of the best running backs in college football. On the defensive side, junior defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. has played as advertised: a first-round pick.
No. 10 Indiana, 11-1 — could meet ASU in the final
In terms of the most surprising team in college football, the Hoosiers sit right next to ASU. Indiana was picked to finish 17/18 in the Big 10. Head coach Curt Cignetti has revived the program, and the city of Bloomington has been thriving. The team will travel 200 miles to face in-state foe Notre Dame in the first round.
No. 11 SMU, 11-2 — could meet ASU in the final
With just 16 seconds left in regulation, sophomore quarterback Kevin Jennings found senior wide receiver Roderick Daniels Jr. in the end zone, tying the game at 31-31 with little time left in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game against Clemson. However, Clemson got the ball back to make a sizable kick return and complete a 17-yard pass that would set up a 56-yard field goal for freshman kicker Nolan Hauser. Hauser gave a wink to the sideline and drilled it. The Mustangs' playoff hopes were at risk, but the playoff committee valued them more than Alabama.
No. 12 Clemson, 10-3 — could meet ASU in the quarterfinal
Thanks to Hauser’s massive kick leading to the win, Clemson was given an automatic bid to the playoffs. Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik has taken a big leap this year throwing for 3,303 yards (11th in the country), 33 touchdowns (3rd in the country), and only 5 interceptions.
Edited by Henry Smardo, Sophia Ramirez and Alexis Heichman.
Reach the reporter at jkmccar2@asu.edu and follow @jackmccarthyasu on X.
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Jack is a junior studying sports journalism with a minor in business. This is his first semester with The State Press. He has also worked at his high school paper.
