The Arizona State Sun Devils have been flat and adrift in recent years. They need a big season because the locals in Tempe are restless. Coach Todd Graham has to find answers – not necessarily to the point of winning the Pac-12 South Division title, but certainly to the extent that he can finish closer to the top than to the bottom. He is coaching for his job this year.
How Did They End 2016
The Sun Devils’ defense completely fell apart in losses to Utah and Arizona in the final month of the season. Injuries were part of the picture, but the inability of backups to be reasonably competent must call into question the caliber of Graham’s recruiting. The Sun Devils’ offense wasn’t at full strength, but the defense needed to offer some help, and it could never do so.
Offseason Changes
Both coordinators are new. Chip Lindsey moved to Auburn to become the Tigers’ offensive coordinator. A member of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama, Billy Napier, came to Tempe to be coach Todd Graham’s new offensive coordinator. He came to the Arizona State Sun Devils because former Alabama quarterback Blake Barnett transferred to ASU. The two will try to form a great partnership.
Graham demoted Keith Patterson to linebacker coach, hiring defensive coordinator Phil Bennett from Baylor. First things first: The hire of Bennett raised eyebrows for non-football reasons, simply because Bennett was part of Art Briles’ staff at Baylor and – by association – was shrouded by questions regarding his own behavior in relationship to the parade of alleged sexual assaults by BU football players during his tenure in Waco.
Bennett was never nailed to the wall with iron-clad proof of Briles-level wrongdoing, but the mere persistence of uncertainty surrounding the level of his involvement should have scared other coaches away from him, in the eyes of many. Graham ignored that and – right or wrong – invited fresh scrutiny in the event that any new story breaks regarding the Briles years at Baylor.
Team X-Factor
Blake Barnett is the man in the spotlight for the Arizona State Sun Devils. ASU had to go four-deep on its depth chart at quarterback last season. Three injuries – two of them season-ending – and constant bumps and bruises for opening-day starter Manny Wilkins contributed to ASU’s 5-7 record. Naturally, Graham is hoping his No. 1 quarterback will start a full slate of games in 2017, and there’s no secret which QB Graham hopes that man will be: Blake Barnett, who transferred from mighty Alabama once it became clear Jalen Hurts would be the Tide’s signal-caller of the present… and the future. Wilkins will challenge him, but Barnett should be the player who leads this team into and through the 2017 season.
What To Expect From The Arizona State Sun Devils This Year
The team was so weak last year that injury luck should correct itself to a certain extent, but the Pac-12 is a stronger league. This team can expect to make modest progress, enough to get to a bowl game, but it will be hard to win anything more than seven games.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 4-8
2015: 8-5
2014: 10-3
2013: 10-3
2012: 9-5
Schedule & Outlook
The Sun Devils first four games aren’t terribly challenging, but the problem is that this isn’t a very good team. They’ll beat New Mexico State at home to start the season and they should also top San Diego State at home in Week 2, but that will also be a challenge. Then they’ll be at Texas Tech and Oregon. Those are both coin flips. From there, it’s at Stanford and home to Washington, which is probably two losses. It’s hard to see this team being anything better than 3-3 after the first six weeks of the season. If they only have one or two wins, that could be enough to send Graham packing.
The Sun Devils will gain a 7-5 record. That record will put Graham right on the fence in terms of whether he is retained or not. If he beats arch rival Arizona, that would probably be enough, but the course of events will shape his fate.
Regular Season Win Total Prediction: Over 5
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