"What if Arizona is this year's Arizona State? What if the Wildcats are the team with no expectations and (supposedly) no hope that appears from nowhere and wins the conference? It's a few weeks too early for serious contemplation, of course. But the Wildcats took a major step forward Friday night when they overcame a series of gaffes and held off Kansas State 23-17 to remain undefeated."
"If that team is Arizona, the twist would come with an added turn. After all, Arizona State was the 2024 version of Arizona. Recall the fall of 2023, final year of the former Pac-12, when Arizona was picked eighth in the preseason media poll under third-year coach Jedd Fisch. The Wildcats stumbled early but got hot in October, won 10 games, beat Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl and were one of the biggest surprises in the country."
"With a No. 14 ranking, they would have been in the conversation for a berth in the College Football Playoff had the event expanded that season. Then came realignment, the creation of the 16-team Big 12 and ASU's rise from nowhere. Expectations for the Sun Devils in 2024, the second season of Kenny Dillingham's tenure, were admittedly lower than they were for Arizona in '23. But there was more upside room available in the Big 12 given the absence of powerhouse teams at the top."
Arizona overcame mistakes to beat Kansas State 23-17 and remained undefeated, suggesting a potential breakout in the Big 12. The conference displays deep parity, with multiple teams such as Houston, TCU and UCF capable of surprising. Arizona's rise would mirror Arizona State's 2024 ascent, which itself followed Arizona's unexpected 2023 surge under Jedd Fisch. Arizona was underappreciated in preseason assessments but found momentum late in 2023, while ASU capitalized on Big 12 realignment and lower expectations to reach the College Football Playoff in 2024. Arizona's season still holds many possible trajectories.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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