ASU’s Graham: Pac-12 champ should get playoff berth
Jun 15, 2016, 7:00 AM
Arizona State head coach Todd Graham yells during the second half of the Cactus Bowl NCAA college football game against West Virginia, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona State and head coach Todd Graham have caught some flack for their weaker-than-normal nonconference schedule in 2016.
According to FoxSports.com’s Bruce Feldman, Arizona State will have the fifth-softest nonconference schedule among Power 5 teams.
The Sun Devils will play Northern Arizona and Texas Tech at home before heading to Texas to play University of Texas-San Antonio in week three.
Graham spoke with Bickley and Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Tuesday and discussed one of his major frustrations with the NCAA’s scheduling.
“If you win the Pac-12 Conference Championship then you should be in the playoff. Then it (nonconference) wouldn’t matter. Then you could play whoever you wanted to. There’s such a different disparity between conferences,” Graham said.
“The Big-12 doesn’t have a championship game, the SEC only plays eight (conference) games. The SEC plays four ‘no-games.’ Then if you go 2-6 in league, you’re in a bowl game. We’re playing nine (conference) opponents and the reason we play nine opponents is to ensure us another quality game.”
Over the past five seasons, Arizona State has gone 11-4 in nonconference games with losses to Texas A&M (2015), Notre Dame (2013), Missouri (2012) and Illinois (2011).
With one nonconference loss in four of the past five seasons, Arizona State’s quest for a national championship rests on the idea of the team going 9-0 in Pac-12 play in those years. Only the 2008 LSU Tigers have won the national championship with two losses on their record.
This year’s nonconference schedule allows Arizona State to enter conference play with an unblemished record, if they take care of business.
Compared to last year’s week one bout against Texas A&M, the Sun Devils’ week one tune-up game against NAU should be just what the doctor ordered with fresh legs under center.
“With a new QB you’d like to have a couple warm-up games. NAU and Texas Tech, we can’t underestimate anybody,” Graham said. “Those are games we are expected to win, but with Texas Tech in week two, that will be a handful. They got one of the best quarterbacks out of the Big-12 (juniorPatrick Mahomes). They’ll be pretty special.”
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