ASU football proves it belongs on college football’s biggest stage

Arizona State’s football team lost a huge and gut-wrenching game on Wednesday. When it was over, we all felt like Cam Skattebo, ready to vomit profusely. 

But the Sun Devils won an even bigger battle. They won respect. They proved they belonged on the big stage, against the biggest programs in college football.

They were the Cinderella team that almost pulled it off. They will gain much from this defeat. 

A 39-31 double overtime loss to Texas hurts badly. It feels like most of the traumatic wounds suffered by Arizona sports fans over the years. The Sun Devils were one play away from arguably the most heroic comeback in college football history. And in that moment of hysteria and yearning, the Longhorns dialed up a 28-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-13, when ASU’s stellar defense failed at the worst possible time. 

Alas, that play will live on in Sun Devils history. Just like Bruce Snyder’s squib kick that led to Ohio State’s comeback in the 1997 Rose Bowl, when ASU was 100 seconds away from a national championship.  

There was also the malfeasance from an otherwise stellar officiating crew during a review late in the game, when the decision to not assign a clear targeting foul on a Texas defender likely cost the Sun Devils a very good shot at victory in regulation. 

My advice: Let’s not put this game or this team in that tired conversation. Let’s not whine or lament or act like victims of grand larceny. Let’s celebrate a team that willed itself into a 16-point comeback by scoring 23 unanswered points. A team that got off the mat in Atlanta and fought all the way to the doorstep of the most stunning triumphs we’ve ever witnessed in Arizona.   

Remember the first half? The Sun Devils looked overwhelmed and outclassed. They were fueling the narrative that the College Football Playoff needs to better serve the oligarchies, the teams in the SEC and Big Ten. It seemed to expose the folly of rewarding bye weeks and automatic quarterfinal berths to conference champions of lesser status. 

ASU trailed 14-3 before the Longhorns’ third offensive play of the game. Quarterback Sam Leavitt was running for his life on nearly every pass attempt, visibly frustrated by his receivers. Skattebo barked at his teammates who couldn’t block upfront, who were badly overwhelmed at the point of attack. It felt like the 2024 Sun Devils were going to be forever stained, a great show about to become a national embarrassment in the final chapter, just like “Game of Thrones.” 

They refused to let that happen. They would not allow their legacy to be smeared or their pride to be defeated. Their comeback brought me to tears. I bet I’m not alone.  

In truth, the Sun Devils were hurt most by extended rest, easily the most serious complication in the expanded College Football Playoff. In the first three quarterfinals of the CFP, the team that hadn’t played in three-plus weeks was outscored 42-3 in the first quarter by opponents who had played in the opening round on the playoffs. Once the Sun Devils found their footing, it was a different ballgame. 

By the end, Skattebo had become a national sporting hero, throwing up on the sidelines late in the third quarter following a day of attrition and a series of helmet-to-helmet collisions. I will not expect apologies from those who criticized my first-place Heisman Trophy vote. Meanwhile, the competitive spirit of Leavitt provides great hope for the future.  

In the end, the only thing the Sun Devils lost was house money. By then, they had already won over the Valley and much of the nation.   

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. 

Follow @danbickley