It's a new era of college football.
This is the first year that the 12-team bracket will be introduced. The five conference champions will get an automatic bid into the dance, and with No. 12 ASU's Big 12 Championship victory, the Sun Devils are officially in.
There has been a lot of conservation about where the Sun Devils will reside in the bracket over the past couple of weeks. Should they be over Boise State? Would they get the 12-seed? With the bracket officially out, it's time to find out where and who the Sun Devils will play.
ASU was ranked as the No. 4 seed and will await the 5/12 seed matchup in No. 3 Texas and No. 16 Clemson on Dec. 21. Whoever wins, ASU will take on the quarterfinals in Atlanta at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.
The Longhorns have been regarded as a top team for most of the season but have struggled against the No. 2 seed, Georgia. They lost at home to the Bulldogs and just lost to them again in the SEC Championship, but the defense is stout, and head coach Steve Sarkisian will have his offensive unit ready regardless of the offensive struggles.
Similar to the Longhorns, the Tigers were also humbled by the Bulldogs in their season opener. Head coach Dabo Swinney rallied his team, and they bounced back to get into the ACC championship against No. 11 seed SMU. They won that game 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal to solidify an automatic bid into the playoffs, propelling the Sun Devils into a first-round bye.
READ MORE: ASU punches ticket to College Football Playoff, but where do they stand?
It's been a long journey this season for the Sun Devils, and they keep surprising the fans in the Valley with stellar play. Now the road is closing on this magical season, and the Sun Devils will have time to prepare for whoever they face in the Peach Bowl.
From being picked last to finish in its conference to winning its conference and now being guaranteed as one of the last eight teams in the country, it's been a ride for this Sun Devils team, no matter what happens in this College Football Playoff bracket and Bowl game.
The Sun Devils, as Dillingham says, have activated the Valley for years to come.
Edited by Henry Smardo, Abigail Beck and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at danielr1102@gmail.com and follow @daniel_rios72 on X.
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Daniel is a senior studying sports journalism. This is his first semester with The State Press. He has also worked at WCSN, OC Riptide, 1550 Sports and AZPreps365.
