TUCSON – The fate of ASU football is sealed. After a stunning win in the Territorial Cup on Saturday, the Sun Devils are headed to the Big 12 title game.

It took a win for TCU over Cincinnati after ASU finished its game to punch its ticket to Arlington.

“It’s pretty incredible. “I don’t know if I can really understand it now,” quarterback Sam Leavitt said after the game about what it will mean to play for a Big 12 title as a first-year starter. “I’ll probably really understand what it means when I get into that situation, but it’s crazy. That was my plan all along.

“I would tell my teammates, but to actually see it come to fruition is pretty special.”

“It’s remarkable what a turnaround these guys, this leadership and this group have made in one year,” coach Kenny Dillingham said. “It’s a special group and we should all appreciate them.”

ASU won three games in each of the previous two seasons before winning 10 this year, including a revenge win in the Territorial Cup after the Wildcats won 59-23 last year.

Meanwhile, the head coach said he finally learned the Big 12 title scenarios and told his team, but they knew they had already won at least one postseason game.

“I’m excited to see what’s next and what this program can become,” Dillingham said. “Like I said, this is Year 2. We are designed to keep getting better and hopefully that continues to happen and we continue to get better.

“Are we better than I expected?” Yes, but hopefully we can keep building… and create something sustainable.”

However, if you listen to Leavitt and his star teammates Xavion Alford and Cam Skattebo, that’s exactly what you’d expect.

“‘Damn right,'” Alford said he would have responded if the Sun Devils had been told they would have a season like that.

“100%. We knew me and X were coming out of the summer,” Skattebo added.

“Everyone sees this, but they don’t see the hard work we put in, the uncomfortable conversations we have with each other,” Alford said.

The safety alluded to sprints in the valley’s summer heat, which brought the group together and highlighted the group’s level of care for each other and for victory.

“It’s crazy to see where we come from,” Alford added. “Having these conversations about where exactly we are. We never looked ahead. We never allow ourselves to be influenced by outsiders. We never let them enter our minds.

“We knew what we could do in the building and it was just up to us to just believe in the building.”

Now the Sun Devils are aiming for an appearance in the Big 12 title game in their first season in the conference.

“Everyone is already looking ahead to next week,” Leavitt said. “Now celebrate a little bit and just get back to work and see what we can do.”