ASU Football punches its ticket to the College Football Playoff

ASU Football punches its ticket to the College Football Playoff

No. 15 ASU Football will be in the College Football Playoff round on Sunday after dominating No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday.

While the Sun Devils can rest easy knowing they’re in, they won’t know their opponent — or whether they get a first-round bye — until Sunday’s selection show at 10 a.m. MST on ESPN.

“I think we should be treated as an 11-1 team,” head coach Kenny Dillingham told ESPN reporter Katie George after the game, referring to ASU’s loss in Cincinnati without quarterback Sam Leavitt.

“In my opinion, you’ve punched your ticket to (Glendale for the Fiesta Bowl),” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said before presenting Dillingham with the championship trophy.

According to the committee’s rankings, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be awarded free weeks.

Saturday night’s ACC Championship game between No. 8 SMU and No. 17 Clemson will likely be the indicator, as SMU would almost certainly retain its bye spot with a win.

No. 10 Boise State defeated No. 20 UNLV at home in the Mountain West title game on Saturday, likely claiming its bye.

However, the point difference between ASU’s dominant win could also play a role in seeding, as the committee favored Boise State’s 14-point win over a No. 20 team at home versus ASU’s 26-point win over a No. 20 team No. 16 weighs up on a neutral field.

The first two bye slots will likely go to the SEC and Big Ten champions, as No. 2 Texas and No. 5 Georgia face off at 2 p.m. and No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State at 18 :00 play

What could ASU’s first playoff game look like?

The Sun Devils could potentially set themselves up for a Fiesta Bowl appearance in the quarterfinals with a bye week or a first-round win.

Barring the bye week, ASU would likely be one of the final teams, even if the blowout win allows the Sun Devils to move past No. 11 Alabama.

No bye week would likely mean facing the loser of the SEC or Big Ten title game on their campus in the first round. Notre Dame could also host the first-round game.

The first round will be played on December 21st, with a game starting at 6:00 p.m. MST the previous Friday evening. The Fiesta Bowl on December 31st is the first quarterfinal before the rest are played on January 1st.

Follow Sunday on the Arizona Sports app or online to learn more about ASU’s CFP prospects.

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