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Sun Devil Sweet 16 Tournament Round 1: Jake Plummer Vs. Terrell Suggs

Can Suggs sack "The Snake"? You decide. (Photo: ASU)
Can Suggs sack "The Snake"? You decide. (Photo: ASU)

The Sun Devil Sweet 16 Tournament marches on. We're two regions in, and now we wrap up the third, with the last pairing in the Maroon region. This could be the most hotly contest match-up of the entire tournament.

Maroon Region - First Round

#2 seed Jake Plummer vs. #3 seed Terrell Suggs

The Case for Plummer

There may be no more beloved players in recent ASU history than "The Snake".

The lanky Plummer had led the Devils for three unremarkable seasons from 1993-1995. He had done well, but nothing spectacular or memorable. Then came 1996.

Plummer's inspired play was the centerpiece to the team's magical year. He threw for 2,575 yards and 24 touchdowns and led the Sun Devils to within striking distance of the national championship. Plummer also finished third in the Heisman voting.

The Case for Suggs

ASU has had some dominant defenders in it's history, many of whom are in this tournament, but none had the season of Terrell Suggs.

He was already a monster force, posting 10 sacks in each of his first two seasons in Tempe.

In 2002, Suggs set the NCAA single-season sack record with 24, a staggering total. He also had 31.5 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and took home a mantle's worth of awards, including the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, the Nagurski, Hendricks and Lombardi Awards, in addition to spots on every conceivable All-American team.

He left ASU early and was the 10th overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft.

So there you have it. The cases have been laid out, so now it's time to vote on who advances to the next round.

Coming Friday morning: Mike Haynes vs. J.R. Redmond.