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Perhaps no other team this season experienced a U-turn as big as that of Arizona State football's. Coming off a 3-9 campaign last year, the Sun Devils just won their first Big 12 title to finish with an 11-2 record. Moreover, they earned a College Football Playoff spot due to their status as champions in one of the five highest-ranked conferences. Oh, and it's important to note that they're seeded at number four, meaning a first-round bye is in the books.
The turnaround can be attributed to many factors, such as Kenny Dillingham's coaching, Sam Leavitt's sudden emergence, Cam Skattebo's huge senior season, and the like. All in all, Arizona State is no doubt looking to silence the doubters once more. They were slept on before the season by way of a last-place prediction during the Big 12 preseason poll. And just recently, Skattebo — who tallied 1,568 rushing yards and 506 receiving yards this season — wasn't named a Heisman finalist (He finished fifth in the voting).
While the team has more than enough motivation to keep doing well in the postseason, Sun Devils fans are surely hoping that their drive can make up for the dents in their armor. As impressive as Arizona State has been, their squad still has lingering concerns heading into the CFP. They have one particular flaw that might just hurt them once the December games begin — their pass rush.
Arizona State's defense has to step up near the line of scrimmage
Look, by no means is Arizona State a bad defensive team overall. For one, they've already compiled 15 interceptions, mainly due to the Keith Abney-led secondary. That puts them in the top 20 among all FBS teams in terms of total interceptions. Additionally, the Sun Devils are competitive in stopping the run, allowing opponents 117.5 rushing yards per game — second-best in the Big 12.
However, the concerns start to appear when opponents run passing plays. Arizona State's 21 sacks give them an 87th overall ranking among FBS teams, per ESPN. This indicates that the team's defensive front struggles to get past the line of scrimmage. More proof of this is how, in the tackles for loss department, the Sun Devils have a total of 57 for 103rd place.
While they've already defeated their fair share of pass-happy opponents — such as Oklahoma State and Iowa State — questions can be raised about the sustainability of a defense that relies heavily on forcing turnovers with minimal frontline disruption.
Just take a look at the Big 12 finals. Abney was able to pick off Rocco Becht, but no one in the team managed to sack him. While Arizona State dominated in terms of points, Iowa State still managed a 214-receiving yard, two-passing touchdown performance. What happens in the CFP once the Sun Devils face either Texas or Clemson, who are both better-passing teams than Iowa State? Exactly.
In addition, Arizona State sits in the middle of the pack among Big 12 teams in terms of pass defense. For all the interceptions they force, the Sun Devils still allow opponents 219.4 passing yards per game. And one thing that would surely lessen this is a more dominant pass rush.
There's no doubt that Arizona State football's high-powered offense will do its thing. But in the CFP, where all the country's best gather for the ultimate prize, teams who can control the game on both ends usually take the cake.
