The ASU football team was not ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll this year.
Pundits around the country have predicted a poor season for the Sun Devils, but if history is any indicator, ASU is headed for a great season.
Over the past seven seasons, ASU was not in the AP preseason top 25 in 2002, 2004 and 2007.
In each of those seasons, ASU made a prestigious bowl game (two Holiday Bowls, one Sun Bowl) and finished with a total record of 27-12, which works out to an average of a 9-4 season.
In 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008, seasons in which the Sun Devils were ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, the Sun Devils’ combined record was 24-25, with two lower-tier bowl appearances (Insight Bowl in 2005 and Hawaii Bowl in 2006).
See the trend here?
When ASU is predicted to do poorly, it exceeds all expectations and does well. When the Sun Devils are predicted to do well, they hover around .500 or worse.
History tends to repeat itself, and it tells us the Sun Devils will finish in the top three in the conference and make a prestigious bowl game this year.
