For both Arizona State and the University of Arizona football teams, there has been very little success in 2008. Each team is 4-4 in the PAC-10, with Arizona having one more non-conference win to be 6-5 overall versus ASU’s 5-6. Arizona is already bowl eligible, while ASU must win Saturday to become bowl eligible.
So, there’s a little at stake, but for the most part, what is most at stake is the Territorial Cup awarded each year to the winner of the ASU vs U of A football game.
U of A probably has a little more riding on the game, as a win gives them a winning record and cements their 5th place standing in the PAC-10. A loss probably moves them down to 6th place and a trip to the Hawaii Bowl, which many schools say is a trip that loses money. For ASU, a win would put them at #5 in the PAC-10, and an eventual trip to either the Las Vegas or Emerald bowl. In either case, the extra practice that a bowl game provides is what I hear most coaches admit is the biggest appeal to being in one of the lower tier bowl games.
The extra practice and bowl eligibility are nice, but this year, winning this game has to rank higher for both programs. In recent years, ASU has been the winner 7 of the last 9 meetings, but for the first time in many years, Arizona is the prohibitive favorite (I googled and found them a 10+ point favorite…wow!). A loss by Arizona could mean the end of the Mike Stoops era. A win by Arizona State will do well to vault Dennis Erickson back into the fan’s good graces, after an otherwise disastrous year that at one time had Arizona State ranked #13 in the country.
You all know where my allegiances lie, however, as gullible as I typically am, I will not be convinced to wager anything on ASU beating U of A. Every time I go down that path ASU loses, so even though I see good things happening for the Sun Devils, I’m NOT putting the jinx on them. Go Devils!
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