Arizona State Football: Sun Devils edge UCLA in the desert

2. Arizona State could be atop the Pac-12 South… or at the bottom

When Arizona State upset No. 15 Michigan State in Week 2 the nation started to wonder just how high the ceiling of Herm Edward’s team was in 2018. With precious few games remaining the Sun Devils remain in the hunt for the Pac-12 South crown, but their tendency to play down to their opponents or rise to their challengers leaves the identity of this team still somewhat of a mystery.

They beat Utah by 18 points in Week 10, marking only the second time this season they’ve played in a game against a Power 5 opponent that was decided by more than seven points. They blew out Oregon State 52-24 at home but have played every other opponent to a virtual tie, with one or two big plays being the deciding factor.

With the win, Arizona State moves to 4-3 in conference play. That puts them tied for first, pending the results of the remaining conference games on Saturday evening. One more play to the positive and they stand alone atop the Pac-12 South. A few more mistakes and they’re in the cellar with UCLA. How good is Arizona State? We may never know.