Round of 16
Region 1: Territorial Cup
No. 3 "Keelan Johnson's Forced Fumble" vs. No. 7 "Oso In The Crowd"
The Case for "Keelan Johnson's Forced Fumble": In terms of timing, this Keelan Johnson's forced fumble might be Arizona State's greatest defensive play in the 21st century. The Sun Devils desperately needed a turnover with the clock in the final nine minutes and the Wildcats threatening to build their lead to two touchdown just inside the redzone. And no sooner than ESPN's shoddy play-by-play man said that Arizona State needs "to make a play and take the ball away," that's exactly what Johnson did.
Even factoring in Matt Scott's sheer stupidity, Johnson's strip tackle in itself was a thing of beauty. Johnson engaged Scott while the quarterback was leaping in the air but still had the piece of mind to keep him upright in order to go for the strip. And just before Scott's knee was set to hit the ground, Johnson yanked with all his weight and forced the ball loose.
The rest, well, is history. The momentum was firmly in the Sun Devils corner thanks to Johnson's turnover and they never relinquished it, scoring three unanswered touchdowns before the Wildcats could put up a garbage time score. Although most will remember Marion Grice being the MVP of this game, he's not in the position to do what he did if it wasn't for Johnson's heroics. -Cody Ulm
Previous Results
Round 1: Defeated No. 6 Kevin Ayers Blocked Punt 73% (57 votes received) to 27%
The Case for "Oso in the Crowd": His name is Obamfemi Babatunde Oso. His game? Inspiring Sun Devil fans around the world. Over the past year, it's hard to argue that Arizona State has had a more devoted superfan. From football to basketball and everywhere in between, Oso comes ready to scream, dance, and watch Arizona State seize victory.
Oso's "Gangnam Style" dance helped put him on the map, but his story became the stuff of legend in November. With the Sun Devils heading into Tucson for the annual Duel in the Desert, the most passionate of fans knew he couldn't miss the game. Oso parked himself in the middle of the Zona Zoo, took his shirt off, and threw up the fork.
Several Sun Devil players confessed their confusion at seeing their No. 1 fan hanging in the Wildcat student section. But once he ripped off his shirt to reveal a black "ASU" written across his chest, they knew it was time to bring home the Cup. Oso's demonstration of commitment is a moment that many fans will remember forever, and hopefully we can take a page out of his book and continue to prove that every part of Arizona belongs to the Sun Devils. -Kerry Crowley
Previous Results
Round 1: Defeated No. 2 "The Victory Formation" 79% (89 votes received) to 21%