Arizona State fans need to let the season play out
Nov 17, 2011, 3:25 PM | Updated: 3:32 pm
Whoa.
What a difference six weeks makes.
Dennis Erickson woke up on the morning of September 25
with a 3-1 record (1-0 in conference) after they had just
beat No. 23 ranked USC 43-22. They ran away with the game
in outscoring USC 15-0 in the final quarter.
It was the first time the Sun Devils had beaten the
Trojans in 11 tries.
Arizona State was headed back to the Top 25 after a one
week hiatus.
Things were good in Tempe. Real good.
Three wins and three losses later (not in that order) and
Erickson probably isn’t waking up in the morning because I
doubt he’s ever going to sleep.
This is where we are six weeks after things were good.
The 6-4 Sun Devils have to win their very winnable
remaining two home games and get some help to play in the
inaugural Pac-12 Championship game.
These two winnable games are coming off what everyone
thought was two should-have-been wins. Oh how those can
haunt a coach.
People are now calling for Erickson’s job. Any type of
slip up over the next 10 days and those calls are only
going to get louder. Fire alarm loud.
Two convincing wins at home over the next 10 days and
Erickson might be able to get back to a good night’s sleep
(until he realizes his squad will be headed up to Eugene
for the second time this season).
Point is, let the season play itself out. In August if
fans were told the Sun Devils were going to finish the
season 8-4 and play in the Pac-12 Championship game they
would have accepted it.
Slightly disappointed with all the pre-season hype that
surrounded this team? Sure, but it would have been
acceptable.
This team hasn’t played in a bowl game since 2007. Get
real with your 10+ wins or bust ideas.
A chance at nine wins in either the conference
championship game or a bowl game and you’re satisfied if
you’re a Sun Devils fan.
You’re upset. You should be. But take a step back and do
what Erickson and the team is doing, focus on that hated
team 90 minutes south on I-10.
—
TY’s Outtakes
What I learned this week…
I learned Gabrielle Giffords is doing better than I ever
could have imagined 10 months after being shot in the
head. I thought her story on 20/20 Monday night was
incredible and I hope to continue hearing good news about
her recovery. Her strength and fight is and should be
inspiration for all of us. She is refusing to allow this
to defeat her.
Tweet of the week…
@HuskerExtraSip: Think the season’s not a
grind?
Carl Pelini left work at 2:30 a.m. Monday. Back before 7.
#needanapbad
I don’t mind this tweet, don’t mind it at all. Big game in
Ann Arbor on Saturday. If Denard Robinson is keeping you
up at night you might as well work…
Suggestion of the week…
Is it the next big idea?
Who doesn’t want to be an ice cream tester… even if it
does taste like beer.
