Thanks to the fine compilation at FBSchedules.com, we can see the future out of conference football schedules for the Arizona St. Sun Devils.
Based on the table below, we have some very difficult games in the future, including games against BCS foes in Notre Dame (x3), Wisconsin, LSU (x2) and San Diego State (x2).
The real question to ponder is, why should we even bother? Virginia Tech and Alabama prove that all you need to do is win, baby, win. Al Davis would be so proud.
| 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|
| 09/01 - UC Davis (Win) | 09/01 - Northern Arizona |
| 09/09 - Missouri (Win) | 09/08 - Illinois |
| 09/17 - at Illinois (Loss) | 09/15 - at Missouri |
| 2013 | 2014 |
| 10/05 - Notre Dame (at Arlington, TX) | 09/06 - Weber State |
| TBA - Sacramento State | 09/13 - at New Mexico |
| TBA - Wisconsin | 10/25 - Notre Dame |
| 2015 | 2016 |
| 09/12 - at LSU | 09/10 - LSU |
| 09/19 - Cal Poly | 09/17 - at UTSA |
| TBA - New Mexico | TBA - Northern Arizona |
| 2017 | 2018 |
| 09/07 - San Diego State | 09/01 - UTSA |
| 09/16 - at Notre Dame | 09/08 - at San Diego State |
End result, ASU might want to reconsider these tough matchups. Dropping LSU in favor of, say, Idaho would not draw a huge crowd, but it would draw something even more important -- a checkmark in the win column. That could be the difference between a 10-2 season and a 9-3 season, and, more importantly, a possible berth in the Fiesta Bowl.
The fan in me loves good out of conference games, but why play them if we will just be penalized (like Oregon was for playing LSU)? It just doesn't matter anymore, and it is a real shame.