ASU has had a lot of trouble winning against quality competition in the recent past. In fact, it has been considerably difficult for the Sun Devils to win games that count. All of that will change tonight, as the Stanford Cardinal will fall in Tempe tonight.
Why will Stanford lose? It's simple. The Sun Devils have a chip on their shoulders after that rough loss against USC last weekend. Trevor Hankins will return and show the world why he should be considered an All-American punter. Thomas Weber will finally prove to Sun Devil faithful that his Lou Groza award in 2007 was not a fluke.
Andrew Luck has had an excellent season, but he hasn't faced a defense like this one yet. Vontaze Burfict will make it his mission to make Luck's life difficult tonight. Omar Bolden and the seasoned secondary will force Stanford into a one-dimensional running game, and that's when the defensive line will shine, plugging holes and bringing the Cardinal offense to a halt.
Steven Threet came to Arizona State to play in big games, and this is going to be his signature victory in 2010. Moving forward, the Sun Devils will carry a swagger, looking forward to their tough schedule in 2011.