Preseason USA Today Coaches Poll tabs ASU football just outside top-25
Aug 10, 2021, 9:51 AM
Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates with Henry Hattis after scoring a touchdown against Arizona during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Arizona State Sun Devils garnered 90 points in the USA Today Coaches Poll released ahead of the 2021 season, ranking them 28th in the country.
The Alabama Crimson Tide, Clemson Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Ohio State Buckeyes and Georgia Bulldogs led off the top-25, in that order.
Alabama garnered 63 of the 65 first-place votes.
In the Pac-12, the Oregon Ducks led the way at No. 12, while the USC Trojans and Washington Huskies made the top-25 at 14th and 21st, respectively.
The Utah Utes ranked ahead of ASU at No. 26 and with 145 points.
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Other Pac-12 schools to receive top-25 consideration were the UCLA Bruins (7 points), the Stanford Cardinal (1) and the California Golden Bears (1).
As for the Sun Devils, it comes as no surprise expectations are high despite the team going 2-2 in 2020 with COVID-19 zapping nearly a month from the already-shortened season.
ASU returns junior quarterback Jayden Daniels and, in total, 20 starters from a year ago.
It’s hard to find a position group that could be considered an obvious weakness after the receivers, and even they have enough promising bodies to assume a handful of players there will rise given the opportunity.
Still, the distraction of an NCAA violation that as of early August has put three assistant coaches on administrative leave could be pumping the brakes on voters going all-in on ASU.
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