FOX Sports NCAA writer: Sun Devils have one of softest non-conference schedules
Jun 14, 2016, 5:25 AM | Updated: Jun 15, 2016, 11:24 am
Arizona State head coach Todd Graham, right, talks with associated head coach Shawn Slocum, left, during a spring NCAA college football game Saturday, April 16, 2016, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona State Sun Devils have played some pretty tough non-conference schedules over the last few years.
That just won’t be the case in 2016.
Todd Graham’s team is set to take on Northern Arizona and Texas Tech at home as well as UTSA on the road, and that trio combines to form, in FOX Sports.com’s Bruce Feldman’s opinion, a non-conference slate that is tied for the fifth softest among Power 5 conference teams.
Feldman uses a sliding scale that awards five points for a top-5 caliber team, 4.5 for a top-15, four for a top-25, 3.5 for a top-40, three for a top-60, 2.5 for a top-80, two for a top-100, 1.5 for a fringe FBS program or strong FCS team and then one for a complete cupcake — with bonus points awarded for a road game or neutral site matchup. And with that, the Sun Devils did not fare too well.
5. (tie) Arizona State – Index: 2.00: Northern Arizona from the Big Sky is the Sun Devils’ opener, followed by an explosive Texas Tech team that has been atrocious on D and does have to replace most of its O-line. The one road trip is to a UTSA program that just went 3-9.
While there is no opponent of the stature of Notre Dame or Texas A&M, two schools the Sun Devils faced off with over the last couple of seasons, a softer schedule may not be a bad thing for the Sun Devils.
After posting back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2013 and 2014, the Sun Devils slipped to six wins in 2015. Since then the coaching staff has undergone a makeover, with the most notable change being at offensive coordinator as Mike Norvell left to become the head coach at Memphis.
Besides the coaching changes, the Sun Devils will be breaking in a new quarterback as well as a revamped secondary in 2016. So, while the schedule may not be particularly daunting or the type to write home about, having a lighter slate early on may prove to be beneficial down the road.
Along with the non-conference opponents, this season ASU will have home games against California, UCLA, Washington State and Utah along with road dates against USC, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Arizona.
The only Power 5 teams with softer non-conference schedules, at least according to Feldman, are Wake Forest, Washington, Rutgers, Kansas and Boston College. Washington has three home non-conference games against Rutgers and Idaho — two FBS teams that went a combined 8-16 last season — and FCS opponent Portland State.
