How Arizona State defied a last-place projection to win the Big 12 championship
In short: Entering the 2024 season, Arizona State football was widely dismissed, with media polls ranking the team dead last in the Big 12. Instead of folding, head coach Kenny Dillingham used the slight as fuel. The Sun Devils responded with a historic turnaround, securing their first conference title since 2007.
The 2024 season marked a significant transition for the Arizona State Sun Devils as they officially joined the Big 12 Conference. Coming off a difficult 3–9 campaign the previous year, expectations were remarkably low. When the preseason media poll was released on July 2, 2024, the Sun Devils were projected to finish 16th, placing them at the very bottom of the conference standings. Coach Kenny Dillingham famously turned this skepticism into a rallying cry, pinning the poll results to the team bulletin board to motivate his players throughout the year.
The team defied these projections in spectacular fashion, ultimately winning the Big 12 championship by defeating the Iowa State Cyclones. This victory not only secured the program's first conference title since 2007 but also earned Arizona State its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. The season's success was built on a foundation that included a 2024 recruiting class of 20 players, which was ranked 51st by On3.com, 43rd by Rivals.com, and 53rd by 247Sports.com, with one signee appearing in the ESPN 300 top prospect list.
Beyond the conference title, the team's performance propelled them into the national spotlight, culminating in a Peach Bowl appearance against Texas. This rapid ascent from a projected last-place finish to a conference championship and playoff berth stands as a testament to the team's internal culture under Dillingham's leadership. By silencing the preseason critics, the Sun Devils transformed their inaugural year in the Big 12 into a defining chapter for the university's football history, proving that preseason rankings often fail to capture the potential for rapid, transformative growth within a college program.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2024 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
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