Photo:Brant Sanderlin/AJC

Yeah, I think it’s time to ask the question. I didn’t expect the Sun Devils to beat Georgia on Saturday, but I was expecting a better effort. It really makes you wonder when the last time Arizona State beat a good team, or even pulled off a victory over a team they shouldn’t have beaten?

Going back to the 2000 season, ASU is 4-25 against teams that were ranked in one of the major polls at the time of the game. Four and 25!!! Further examination of who the 4 wins came against is even sadder.

In 2007, Sun Devil faithful pointed out the 31-20 win over then 18th/20th ranked Cal was a big win. The Golden Bears had lost 2 straight games prior to playing against ASU, and went 2-3 after that ballgame.

In 2002, ASU pulled off a thrilling victory over undefeated and 6th ranked Oregon in Eugene. The Ducks responded by going 1-5 after that game to finish 7-5. The losses included a 38-17 pounding at the hands of Wake Forest in the 2nd and last Seattle Bowl.

In 2000, the Sun Devils knocked off #25 Colorado State, 13-10. The Rams had started the season with wins over in-state rival Colorado and East Tennessee State and finished the year 10-2, including a win over Louisville in the Liberty Bowl. No offense to the Colorado State football program, but I would hardly classify that as a big win for the Sun Devils, even if the Rams finished the year ranked #15.

The other win against a ranked team came against Iowa in 2004, a 44-7 pasting against a good team that finished number 10 in the country. It was against a Big Ten team, and there’s no doubt that beating the Hawkeyes that year was a good win.

But in reality, that’s all ASU has to hang their hat on for the last 9 seasons? A win against Iowa in September in 2004? Four wins over ranked teams in 9 years? Hated rival Arizona has 4 wins against ranked teams in the Mike Stoops era alone, and they haven’t even gone to a bowl game.

That being said, the season isn’t lost. Second place in the Pac-10 is completely up for grabs, but ASU sure could do a lot to repair their image nationally with a good showing against USC later this season.

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