Ah, the finest time of year. College football is back! September is well known as the month of delusion: fans around the country will beat themselves into a joyful state of mind when their team starts out 3-0 against Akron, San Jose State and Western Michigan.
As for Sun Devils fans? We know the situation is tense down on Frank Kush Field. The football team is not expected to do very well, being a consensus ninth place finisher in the Pac-10 this season.
ASU supporters need only point to the 2009-2010 Sun Devil mens basketball team if they want a sense of hope for the football season. Herb Sendek and the team were looked down upon before the year, but they came out, won 22 games and earned a lot of respect for their work ethic.
Can the football team pull a similar feat? It's not unheard of, as USC will not dominate the Pac and Oregon lost their star QB in the offseason. It would surely take a gargantuan effort to go from the stale team of 2009 to an exciting, winning team in 2010.
I'll be breaking down Portland State sometime this week, although no one expects them to put up much of a fight on Saturday.
Here are some links for your perusal:
Sun Devils report (8.26.10): Quality at quarterback
ASU Sun Devils football season breakdown
What's to like and not like about the Sun Devils and other keys for 2010.
ASU mock football game report
Haller: ASU worked on its kicking game and ran 11-on-11 (no tackling) in certain game situations.
ASU football's William Sutton, Anthony Jones ruled ineligible
ASU's defensive depth took a hit Friday when it learned that William Sutton and Anthony Jones were ruled ineligible for the season due to academics.
ASU's Karin Volpe displays knack for game-winning goals
Karin Volpe comes up big for Arizona State soccer with 10 game-winners out of 20 total goals.