Arizona State plays host to Washington State for an early start on Saturday, and the Sun Devils will try to pull themselves off the mat after a deflating loss to Oregon State the week before.
How to watch Washington State vs. Arizona State: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
The Sun Devils need to pick up a win to stay in contention for the Pac-12 South.
The Sun Devils were in a great spot. Ranked sixth in the College Football Playoff and alone in first in the Pac-12 South, they had a reasonably clear path to the Playoff: Win out, upset Oregon in the Pac-12 title game, and they’d have as decent an argument as any that they belong.
Well, they didn’t win out, losing to Oregon State just a week after their huge win over Notre Dame. Their chances at a Playoff spot are gone, but their Pac-12 title game showdown with Oregon is still possible with some help. First thing’s first, though: They need to beat Washington State.
The Cougars have had a disappointing season, and will not be going to a bowl game this year. Quarterback Connor Halliday’s career as a Coug ended with a broken leg on Nov. 1st against USC, but freshman Luke Falk has taken the reigns and looked promising in his short time on the field. He’s thrown eight touchdowns to only one interception, and is completing 70% of his passes. If this progress can continue, Washington State fans can at least build on something positive for 2015.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: Pac-12 Network (Kevin Calabro/Yogi Roth/Lewis Johnson)
Radio: Washington State | Arizona State
Online streaming: pac-12.com
The numbers
Rankings and records: Arizona State enters this game ranked 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings, and is 8-2 (5-2 Pac-12). Washington State is 3-7 (2-5 Pac-12). The Sun Devils lead the all-time series 26-13-2, and have won two in a row against the Cougars.
Vegas: Arizona State opened as a 17-point favorite, but that line has shifted down to -15 at most books. The over/under for this game is 71.5, per OddsShark.
Weather forecast: Sunny with a high of 73.
Two things at stake
Arizona State’s Pac-12 title game chances. The Sun Devils were in the driver’s seat in the Pac-12 South until they became the latest victim of the Corvallis Upset Vortex and lost to Oregon State. The pack has caught back up with them as a result, and they now sit in a four way tie with USC, UCLA, and Arizona. The Trojans and Bruins play each other on Saturday and the Wildcats will face the Sun Devils next weekend, but Arizona State has zero margin for error at this point. They must take care of business against Washington State if they want to win the division.
Washington State can play spoiler. At this point in the season, Washington State is looking towards the future. They will not be going to a bowl game, and other than building for next season, they can try to play spoiler against the Sun Devils. A loss on their part would be crippling for their chances in the Pac-12 South, so while they’re out there getting Luke Falk some extra snaps, why not try to ruin someone’s season while you’re at it?
One big matchup
Luke Falk vs. the ASU pass rush. The Sun Devils are pretty good at rushing the passer. They rank in the top 20 nationally in sacks, accruing a hair under three per game, and Marcus Hardison has eight sacks through 10 games this year. Washington State, meanwhile, isn't very good at protecting the quarterback, giving up 2.6 sacks a game, good for 98th in the country. Luke Falk has looked pretty good since coming in for the injured Connor Halliday, but this will be the toughest test he's seen so far.
Further reading
For more on Washington State, check out CougCenter. For more on Arizona State, head over to House of Sparky.
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