NFL Tickets
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with the Arizona State Sun Devils.
While a victory over the Duke Blue Devils in the Sun Bowl isn’t necessarily what the Sun Devils expected going into the late part of the season, this was a statement win. For the second straight year, Arizona State has recorded 10 wins, and might just be the new “it” team out West. Years ago, Oregon was able to capture that designation and is now a national power. While State certainly doesn’t have the resources that Oregon does, their brand is instantly recognizable and Tempe is a very desirable place to play, so if head coach Todd Graham can use the momentum that a bowl victory provides and build for the future, Arizona State will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with on the national stage moving forward.
Today’s win, spurred by a four touchdown performance by freshman running back Demario Richard, proves that the early fruits of Graham’s labor on the recruiting trail is already paying dividends. Arizona State is in prime position to start occupying a spot in the recruiting hotbed that is the Southwest, and give the top regional recruits a viable alternative to the USC‘s of the world.
To be sure, the Sun Bowl is not the Rose Bowl, and a win over Duke is not the same as a win over a top-tier team like Alabama or Florida State, but it is the kind of stepping stone that a developing program needs to become relevant. Time will tell whether or not Arizona State becomes the new Oregon, but the Sun Devils are certainly on the right path.
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