Season Preview: Arizona State Sun Devils Football

Nov 22, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back D.J. Foster (8) celebrates his third quarter touchdown against the Washington State Cougars at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils defeats the Cougars 52-31. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

HW: Is Arizona State appropriately ranked at No. 15 to begin this season? Too high/too low?

CS: I think their ranking at 15 is perfect. After losing Strong and Kelley they could go anywhere on offense. Bercovici will really have to step up if they want to crack the top 4 for the playoff. The defensive end will have to hold up these stocked offensive Pac 12 teams.

KA: Considering the way ASU played for a majority of the season, a No. 15 rank isfair to start the season. It’s complimentary for this team as it’s the highest they have been ranked to start a season since 2008.

But still, it’s surprise to see a team like Notre Dame (No. 11) ranked higher than the Sun Devils to start the season. Notre Dame went 8-5 last season and lost their last four games in row. Their skid started, coincidently, with a 55-31 loss to the Sun Devils in Tempe.

Again, it’s the AP. It’s not perfect. A lot of people don’t like it. It definitely does not define the 2015 Sun Devils. Expect that number to rise a little during the first few weeks of the season.

JM: Some say it’s too low for the Sun Devils to be ranked No. 15 going into their opener. They’re not quite a national power yet, but it’s a sign of respect that the AP Poll is ranking them at No. 15. I also think that they might be able to sneak up on peoples radar or possibly use this as motivation going into big games against the likes of USC and others that are ranked higher than the Sun Devils.

MH: With Arizona State ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll, I believe this the correct spot for them to be in. The problem only I have with this ranking is thatboth USC and UCLA are ranked above the Sun Devils. UCLA crushed ASU in their matchup last year, so I can see why they may be ranked above the Sun Devils, but USC has tons of talent but many have yet to play at the college level. As of right now ASU is in a good spot to start the College Football season.

JF: I don’t put much into preseason rankings, especially now with the playoff system. With that said,I don’t think that ASU is a top 15 team in the country. I expect teams like Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Stanford, and Arizona to pass them during the season.

EB: Being ranked at 15 is appropriate for this team. They still has a lot to prove on both sides of the ball and I wouldn’t be surprised if ASU football does not jump up the ranks quickly for a few weeks.

Next: Who's Better: Defense or Offense?