Arizona State Sun Devils (2-2) vs. Washington State Cougars (1-4)
Saturday, October 10, 2:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona State -21.0

Sam’s Take (25 – 12):

Saturday’s game in Pullman could end up deciding the ninth place team in the Pac-10 when the season is all said and done. Washington State continues to play some of the worst football of any BCS team in the country, and ASU’s offense has been so anemic that the Sun Devil fan base is on the verge of full revolt if QB Danny Sullivan isn’t replaced soon (whether that is fair or not is up for debate).

The difference between these two teams, and it’s a big one, is on the defensive side of the ball. Despite the Sun Devils dreadful situation on offense, the explosive defense ranks 3rd nationally, while WSU checks in at 119th.

Paul Wulff may give freshman QB Jeff Tuel the start, but regardless of who lines up under center, the ASU front seven will likely wreak havoc all game. The Devils D-line has taken a lot of heat for its inability to sack the quarterback, and this may be the game that jump-starts DE Dexter Davis and Co.

The Cougar defense is more than capable of holding its own against a lackluster ASU offense that has been plagued by injury (especially on the o-line) and inconsistent play. But, I have a feeling that Sullivan, and possibly a couple of the other ASU QBs, will do enough damage to secure a comfortable road win on the Palouse.

Prediction: Arizona State 38 – Washington State 13

Arizona State Player to Keep an Eye On: QBs Brock Osweiler and Samson Szakacsy- Dennis Erickson hinted that both Osweiler and Szakacsy could see action on Saturday, which is music to the ears of many Sun Devil fans.

Washington State Player to Keep an Eye On: LB Louis Bland- WSU will need to bring pressure from everywhere to rattle the ASU offense, and Bland will be a critical part of the blitz packages.

Dave’s Take (29 – 8):

It’s been two straight disappointing games for the Sun Devils, who still haven’t proven they can compete against top-level teams. Most of the question marks come on the offensive side of the ball; on defense, especially in the front seven, Arizona State looks very strong.

Washington State has scored only 6 points in each of their last two games, and against one of the conference’s premiere defenses, I’m not expecting them to do a whole lot more in this one. The Cougars just don’t have the team speed or strength on the offensive line (with the exception of Kenny Alfred) to compete against a defense of this caliber. The most important thing for Jeff Tuel to work on is getting into good habits early and not turning the ball over.

What will decide whether this game is a blowout or not is the play of the Sun Devils’ offense. Facing one of the nation’s worst defenses, it stands to reason that the offense should do just fine. I think the most important thing the Devils can do in this one is try new things on offense; running a vanilla offense should work just fine on the Cougars, but it won’t help make the team any better moving forward.

Brock Osweiler and/or Samson Szakacsy should get some playing time, and regardless of who is under center, the offense needs to branch out and try some new things. There aren’t any easy ones left on ASU’s  schedule, and if they are going to right this ship, it has to be now.

Prediction: Arizona State 38 – Washington State 10