CFP predictions: ASU in line for bye, but will Arizona State play in the Fiesta Bowl?
Dec 8, 2024, 7:10 AM | Updated: 7:12 am
ASU football defeating Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship was the first step to making the College Football Playoff bracket. Getting greedy with their CFP status and earning a first-round bye meant Arizona State would need help late Saturday from Clemson against SMU to shake up the mix of the four best conference winners.
Clemson obliged with a 56-yard field goal to win in the final seconds late Saturday, and now the Sun Devils are eyeing a bye to play as a No. 4 seed. Will it be in the Fiesta Bowl?
Of course, nothing is certain with the CFP committee.
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ASU entered conference championship week as a No. 15 seed. There was an argument that the Sun Devils deserved a bye over Mountain West favorite Boise State, but the Broncos were already in position to get a top-four seed and moved to 12-1 by getting past UNLV in the MWC title game Friday night.
Three-loss Clemson, which began the week at No. 17 and behind ASU in the CFP rankings, went ahead big early on Saturday but held off a furious rally from No. 8 SMU to eek into an automatic playoff berth as ACC winner. That moved SMU from receiving a bye to potentially dropping out altogether with three-loss SEC power Alabama hopeful to make the bracket.
With all that madness, how likely is it ASU gets a bye with a top-four seed? And do the Sun Devils play that game in Arizona?
The Sun Devils have a good chance of earning a bye, but it’s less certain they play in the nearby Fiesta Bowl with the Peach Bowl also on the table, according to expert predictions.
Will Arizona State get a playoff bye? And who could ASU football play next in the College Football Playoff bracket?
ESPN’s Heather Dinich: No. 4 seed (Fiesta Bowl)
The Sun Devils soundly beat No. 16 Iowa State while SMU couldn’t handle the committee’s No. 17 team, Clemson. The committee is likely to compare those two results given the similar ranking of both opponents. ASU has two top 20 wins in the past three weeks, against BYU and now the Cyclones, pushing them high enough to earn the fourth and final bye as the fourth highest-ranked conference champion.
ASU would face the winner of No. 12 Clemson against No. 5 Penn State.
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm: No. 4 seed (Peach Bowl)
Palm believes the Sun Devils would travel for their bowl and get the winner of No. 12 Texas, which lost the SEC title game to Georgia after entering as the No. 2 squad in the CFP, or No. 12 Clemson.
Clemson’s win is a boon for Arizona State, which will now get the fourth bye and seed as the fourth highest-ranked conference champion. The Tigers now assume that fifth automatic qualifying place and will be the 12-seed in the CFP. I am projecting the Sun Devils to finish in the top 12, but all that matters is that they finish ahead of Clemson.
Yahoo Sports staff: No. 4 seed (Peach Bowl)
ASU is in with a bye in this prediction as well but does not get a home-state advantage and is headed to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta instead.
In this prediction, ASU gets the winner of No. 12 SMU and No. 5 Notre Dame.
Our @YahooSports projection of the CFP bracket. pic.twitter.com/ORxmQeBVW9
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 8, 2024
On3’s Thomas Goldkamp: No. 4 seed (Peach Bowl)
The Sun Devils have left little doubt in the second half of the season, proving to be a formidable opponent with a whole lot of weapons. That was evident in a Big 12 Championship Game drubbing of Iowa State. But how far up the rankings the Sun Devils can climb will be interesting to watch. We have them stopping just short of leaping in front of Alabama, but remaining in front of Clemson, which earns them a first-round bye as a top-four seed.
Goldkamp has Arizona State sizing up the winner of No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 12 Clemson.
