As we gear up for the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, we’ll provide an in-depth breakdown of each contender, recapping their journey to this point and highlighting what makes them tick.
From their biggest strengths and glaring weaknesses to the path they’ll need to navigate to claim a national championship, we’ll give you everything you need to know to get ready for this new format.
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Arizona State Sun Devils
Record: 11-2 (Big 12 Champion)
First Playoff Opponent: Texas or Clemson
Season Summary
Perhaps the biggest surprise in college football, head coach Kenny Dillingham led his Sun Devils to a Big 12 title after being picked to finish last in the conference and winning just three games last season. Led by redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt and star running back Cam Skattebo, ASU caught fire down the stretch by winning its final six games, including a blowout victory over Iowa State in the Big 12 title game.
Top five players (min. 300 snaps)
- RB Cam Skattebo, 91.4 PFF Grade
- QB Sam Leavitt, 88.6 PFF Grade
- WR Jordyn Tyson, 83.8 PFF Grade
- S Xavion Alford, 82.5 PFF Grade
- LB Caleb McCullough, 78.5 PFF Grade