Tempe, AZ – Entering week 11, the Sun Devils still control their own destiny in the south division, a trip to the Pac-12 Championship game and a shot at the Rose Bowl. It all starts with beating south division opponent Utah today.

This is another big week of the season for the Sun Devils, the Pac-12 and most of college football. We are now in November and it is our chance to see who the contenders and the pretenders are throughout the land. ASU has another big test today, but they aren’t the only ones, so let’s check out what is going on around the conference.

#5 Stanford 26 – #3 Oregon 20 (Thursday night)

This game had big implications for the conference and the Sun Devils, but the outcome wasn’t what many Sun Devil fans wanted or expected. What would have been best here was for Oregon to win big and solidify themselves as one of the top two teams in the country. That way, even if ASU were to lose to them in a Pac-12 championship game, the conference would still get a big payday and national credibility by having a team play in, and possibly win, the national title game.

Pac-12 Conference

Despite the final score, Stanford dominated this game for 3 ½  quarters. What this does now is set up a possible rematch between the Devils and the Cardinal if both teams win out and play in the conference championship. Looking on the positive side, an argument can be made that a rematch might be a better fit for the Devils since they met earlier in the season.

#22 Arizona State @ Utah

As most games are late in the season, this one is enormous for the Devils. Not only is it a south division matchup, but Utah has proven they are a big threat at home by being the only team to take down powerhouse Stanford this season. The Devils have played well against the Utes since they joined the conference, but Utah continues to improve each season.

Look for a tough game in the high altitude and cold weather of Utah.  Former ASU coach Dennis Erickson will also have a few tricks up his sleeve. ASU is favored by a touchdown, and since they know how much is riding on this game, look for them to come out prepared and take care of business. Personally, I think the Devils will win by about 10 points; I am going to go with a score of 37-27.

USC @ CAL

USC has been improving since parting ways with Lane Kiffin and Cal is really struggling, so I am going with the Trojans even though they are on the road. USC is already bowl eligible at 6-3 but still have slim hopes of winning the South. Vegas also listed the Trojans as 17 point favorites.  A win here by USC will help the Pac-12 South look a little tougher down the stretch and ASU really doesn’t have to worry about the Trojans since they already beat them head to head.

Colorado @ Washington

It is hard to believe that just a few short weeks ago the Huskies were seen as contenders in the Pac-12 North.  They now sit at 5-3 on the season and still are one win away from becoming eligible for a bowl game. This game is in Seattle and is against a struggling Buffalo team.  All this leads to a perfect storm and a route for the Huskies. They are favored by 28 points and will probably cover that pretty easily.  While Colorado is in the South it really doesn’t matter to the Devils who wins here because ASU has already beaten both teams.

2014 Rose Bowl

#19 UCLA @ Arizona

Outside of the ASU game, this one is the biggest of the weekend. ASU will be happy with the outcome here no matter what. If the Wildcats win, then the Bruins will get their first conference loss to a team from the Pac-12 South, helping ASU in the standings leading up to their matchup at the Rose Bowl on November 23^rd. If UCLA wins, then it pretty much eliminates Arizona from the Pac-12 South race since it will be their second loss to a division opponent (they have already lost to USC).

Looking Ahead

Even with all the action in the Pac-12 conference, the Sun Devils best interest at this point is to handle their own business and not worry too much about other games.

With four games remaining in the regular season, and three of them against south division opponents (Utah, Ucla, Arizona), the Rose Bowl mission for ASU has become crystal clear. Starting with Utah today, beat those three teams in the south and prepare for a rematch with Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship in Palo Alto. As you can see, the path to Rose Bowl for the Sun Devils still had plenty of hazards along the way, but the first stretch of the road trip starts today in Salt Lake City.

              Visit the ASU vs Utah game day page here