The Cardinals and ASU football are at 2 different crossroads

Football is extremely difficult. It shouldn’t be this hard.

We have an NFL team circling the drain, led by a coaching staff that can’t stop losing games. We have a college football coach so good that we live in constant fear of his departure.

In the greater Phoenix metropolitan area – a region fast approaching 6 million people – we have a shortage of good options.

There’s not much to say following the Cardinals’ 40-20 loss to the Texans on Sunday. They have lost 16 of their past 21 games and have regressed in almost every category.

Their high-priced defense has allowed 40 or more points in four of the past six games and their special teams are a nightmare. If Jacoby Brissett isn’t throwing the ball to Trey McBride or Michael Wilson, then nothing good is happening. The embarrassments are stacking up, and at this rate, Jonathan Gannon cannot possibly return.

To the contrary, there’s much to chew on with Kenny Dillingham. He is an obvious candidate to fill the head coaching vacancy at the University of Michigan, even with the popular media narrative that emerged on Saturday following his show of passion and loyalty to ASU.

“I think that’s cool, I guess,” Dillingham said of Michigan’s reported interest. “I mean, that’s one of the best programs in the country, one of the best logos in the country. I think everybody can agree there. In today’s era, it’s one of the best jobs in the country. And I think everyone can attest to that.

“That doesn’t change how I feel about here. That doesn’t change that my sister is my neighbor. That doesn’t change that my parents live three doors down. That doesn’t change that son’s best friend is my sister’s daughter. So none of that changes. But it is one of the best jobs in America, it’s an unbelievable brand, an iconic brand, so (it’s) a great opportunity for somebody.”

Dillingham became emotional when he called ASU a “special place,” and we all want to believe he will be just like Larry Fitzgerald, Shane Doan and Lute Olson, forever loyal to Arizona despite the allure of greener pastures. But until Dillingham and ASU agree and announce amended contract terms, I will be holding my breath.

Alas, the Michigan job is too enticing; the sport of college football is spinning out of control; and the poachers will never stop coming for Dillingham. That puts a lot of stress on a fan base at a perilous time, when universities need heroes and rallying points to keep students enrolling and buying into the on-campus experience.

Which means it’s time for Dr. Michael Crow to put his thumb on the scale and firmly and financially align himself with Dillingham. In bold headlines.

Crow is a prodigious fundraiser. He has transformed ASU into a decorated school of innovation. He has never wanted a top-heavy university where the tail is wagging the dog, where the football program requires and commands absurd funding.

But a moment of reckoning is fast approaching, and Crow is eventually going to have to make a choice. He’s going to have go all-in on Dillingham and, more importantly, the resources allocated to the football program. The latter is a much bigger deal and a much bigger expense. And it’s time to pay up.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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