On Friday, the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats will compete in the 91st Territorial Cup.
But unlike many years, this rivalry matchup has no meaning other than piddly in-state bragging rights.
Let's face it: These are two terrible teams, and if the game did not have the billing as the Territorial Cup, then no reasonable person would force their eyes to watch this game.
One could make the argument that, right now, these are the two worst teams in the Pac-12.
Arizona State (5-6) rides in on a five-game losing streak, the worst passing defense in college football and a cacophony of injuries.
Arizona on the other hand, boasts its paltry 2-9 record and is still searching for its first win in the Pac-12.
And let's be clear, it's not going to be fun to watch, folks. Both defenses are putrid and both offenses are struggling. Expect plenty of stupid penalties, blown coverages, dropped passes and just overall poor play.
Why? These are bad teams, and that is what bad teams do.
On paper, ASU should roll through Arizona. Objectively, the Sun Devils have better players — that's why they are favored by three points on the road.
But I still think UA has a chance to win. One, it's a rivalry game and anything can happen. Moreover, while ASU may be a better team, I am skeptical as to whether they can fully take advantage of the many shortcomings of the Wildcats.
What's crazy is that just two short years ago this game had national implications. It was a winner-take-all for the Pac-12 South.
Both teams came in at 9-2 with a chance to play the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The only things separating Arizona and ASU were two spots in the rankings at No. 11 and No. 13, respectively.
And even though the Sun Devils lost, it was a very entertaining game.
Oh, how things have changed for these teams and not for the better.
There will be no reason for anyone without an affiliation to these teams to watch this game. They'll be watching higher quality games like the Washington-Washington State game, otherwise known as the Apple Cup, which coincidentally is a winner-take-all game for the Pac-12 North.
If this game was 5-6 Team X versus 2-9 Team Y, then there would be no reason to hype it up.
So if you like watching cruddy football masqueraded as a meaningful game because its a "rivalry matchup," then watch the Territorial Cup.
If you want to spend your Thanksgiving weekend enjoying quality football, I suggest another game.
Reach the reporter at mpharri7@asu.edu or follow @Harris_Mark7 on Twitter.
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