Arizona State Falls Flat in Territorial Cup, Playoff Hopes Crushed as Big 12 Eyes Two CFP Spots
Arizona State’s regular season ended not with a bang, but with a gut punch. The Sun Devils walked into the Territorial Cup with momentum and a shot at the Big 12 Championship Game. They walked out with a 23-7 loss to rival Arizona and a bitter taste that will linger well into bowl season.
That loss didn’t just sting - it slammed the door shut on ASU’s hopes of getting back to the conference title game. It also put a serious dent in their national standing.
Heading into the weekend, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee had given the Sun Devils a nod at No. 20, while the Associated Press kept them out of the Top 25 entirely. After Saturday’s showing, it’s clear the AP voters were ahead of the curve.
The final AP poll of the regular season saw Arizona leap to No. 22, while ASU managed just three votes - a steep fall for a team that had rattled off three straight wins before the rivalry loss. Now, the question becomes whether the CFP committee will be just as unforgiving when it releases its updated rankings on Tuesday. For a team that once looked like a dark horse for a New Year’s Six bowl, just keeping a number next to their name would be a small consolation.
Big 12’s CFP Picture Brightens Amid Chaos
While ASU’s postseason ceiling just got a lot lower, the Big 12’s overall playoff outlook may have actually improved.
The biggest shakeup of the weekend came in Austin, where Texas handed previously undefeated Texas A&M its first loss of the season. That result sent the Aggies tumbling from No. 3 to No. 7 in the AP poll, though they’re still very much in the playoff mix. But the ripple effects of that upset could open the door for a second Big 12 team to sneak into the 12-team CFP field.
Keep an eye on BYU. The Cougars sit at No. 11 and have just one blemish on their resume - a loss to Texas Tech.
If they can flip the script and beat the Red Raiders in the Big 12 title game, they’d lock up the conference’s automatic bid. And here’s where it gets interesting: even with a loss, it’s hard to imagine the committee leaving out a Texas Tech team that would finish with only two losses - one of them to Arizona State, which, despite its recent stumble, still counts as a respectable defeat.
ACC and Group of Five Still Sorting It Out
Over in the ACC, things are a little murkier. Miami may be ranked No. 12, but the Hurricanes won’t be playing for the conference championship.
That honor will go to the winner of No. 16 Virginia vs.
Duke - and with the expanded CFP format, that matchup suddenly carries major postseason implications.
As for the Group of Five, the race is down to a few key contenders. James Madison, sitting at No. 19, remains in the mix, but the American Athletic Conference title game could be the deciding factor. North Texas (No. 20) and Tulane (No. 21) will battle it out for the AAC crown, and the winner could very well grab the lone Group of Five spot in the playoff.
What’s Next
All eyes now turn to Tuesday night. That’s when the CFP Selection Committee will unveil its latest rankings, giving us a clearer picture of how they’re weighing rivalry losses, conference chaos, and late-season surges.
For Arizona State, it’s about salvaging pride and positioning for a bowl. For the rest of the Big 12, the path to the playoff just got a little more interesting.