Arizona State Football: Breaking Down the Sun Devils' 2012 Schedule

The Arizona State Sun Devils didn't have a great end to their season last year, and as a result they decided to fire head coach Dennis Erickson and replaced him with Todd Graham.

Graham will be taking over the team for the 2012 season, but things don't appear to be any easier than they were this past year. The Sun Devils will be playing five of their nine Pac-12 games on the road, which was one of their biggest weaknesses this past season.

The Sun Devils went 1-4 on the road in 2011, and it is hard to imagine them doing any better.

Things were looking bright for the Sun Devils early on—perhaps they will be able to find that spark once again. The true test is finishing.

Here is a breakdown of the Sun Devils' 2012 football schedule.

The First of Many Tests

The Arizona State Sun Devils will get things started off against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.

The game will take place on September 1st in Tempe, giving the Sun Devils a chance to get things started off at home.

This will be the first big test for the Sun Devils on what will give a sign of how things may look this coming season.

While this game should be a cake walk, fans will be on edge until they actually see the final score.

Second Time Is the Charm?

The Arizona State Sun Devils played a close game against the Illinois Fighting Illini this past season, but they were unable to claim a victory, as they lost the game 14-17. 

This time around, they will be hosting the Illini, and this time around they will also look like a completely different team.

They will be under new head coach Tim Beckman, and things could be much different since the last time around.

It will be interesting to see which new coach will come out on top in this game, but both will be coming in with a lot riding on their first year as head coach.

So We Meet Again

The Sun Devils made a lot of noise last year when they took down the then-ranked Missouri Tigers in their second game.

The game went to overtime, but the win embodied what many had assumed to be a huge season for the team.

This time around, the Sun Devils may be in trouble, as they will be on the road.

This game will be coach Graham's first test outside of Tempe, so it will be interesting to see if he will take the team into a different direction outside of their comfort zone, as the Sun Devils only managed to win once on the road this past season.

Welcome to Tempe

After finishing their inaugural season with the Pac-12, the Utah Utes will be making their debut at Sun Devil Stadium.

Last season, the Sun Devils won this matchup on the road convincingly 35-14, but it remains to be seen if the Utes will be well adjusted to their new home this time around.

Utah had one of its worst seasons this past year, but they will be looking to make a name for themselves this time around.

California Sunshine

The Arizona State Sun Devils hosted the Cal Golden Bears during the last game of the regular season this past year, and let's just say it didn't go as planned.

The team gave up a season-high 48 points (before the Boise State massacre), and it was looking as if the Sun Devils were just going nowhere.

This time around, they will be at Cal, and they will have a chance to upset their home crowd. If things play out like last year, don't expect to see anything different.

Running back Isi Sofele should be back, and he is capable of doing damage whenever the ball is given to him.

Where the Buffalo Roam

Of all their Pac-12 opponents last season, the Sun Devils dominated nobody more than the Colorado Buffaloes.

The Buffaloes were new to the conference, and they were welcomed not as kindly as they had likely hoped.

They were romped 48-14 in the only Sun Devil victory during the final six games of the season.

The fact that they were the only ones to drop a game to them over that pathetic stretch just shows that this may be one of the easier road games for the team this coming season.

The Quack Attack Is Back

One team that never seems to even break a sweat when they play the Sun Devils is Chip Kelly's Oregon Ducks.

These two teams have had some pretty good battles over the years, but in the end the Ducks just seem to finish the games with ease.

With LaMichael James off to the draft, the Sun Devils will now have to deal with Kenjon Barner.

Scary thing is, he is just as dangerous as James, but bigger.

This home game will not be an easy one for coach Todd Graham and the Sun Devils.

Welcome Back, Coach

When the UCLA Bruins come to Tempe, new head coach Jim Mora Jr. will be bringing a familiar face with him.

That would be offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, who took the job opening while spurning the Sun Devils and perhaps causing quarterback Brock Osweiler to enter the draft.

The Sun Devils were neck and neck with the Bruins last season to claim the Pac-12 South title, but this season likely will not have as much weight on the game.

The Bruins came out of this matchup last season in a 29-28 nail-biter, a margin that will likely be very similar this time around in Tempe.

Break Down the Dam

The Sun Devils will be on the road to take on the Oregon State Beavers, but there should be no reason to worry.

The Beavers have never really given the Sun Devils any serious trouble, so this game should follow that trend.

At this point in the year, we will have an idea of just how good or bad this Sun Devils team is.

If they are playing somewhat decent, they should walk out of this one with a victory.

If they drop a game to the Beavers—well, you know things are starting to get bad.

Not This Time Around

The Arizona State Sun Devils got past Matt Barkley and the USC Trojans last season at home, but things likely will not go as well this time around, as they will have to deal with quite possibly one of the best teams in the country on the road.

The Trojans are always a dangerous team, but this season they will be out for revenge.

They dropped only two games this past season, one of which was to the Sun Devils.

Don't expect Barkley to let that happen again.

The Sun Devils will get a huge boost if they can come out of this one with a win, but that remains a long shot.

This Trojans team can very well be in the national title game at season's end.

Oh No, Not Again

The last time the Sun Devils took on the Washington State Cougars, they got lit up by freshman quarterback Connor Halliday.

In that game, the young passer threw for 494 yards and four touchdowns.

If new head coach Mike Leach decides that he will be his quarterback, the Sun Devils will have to step up this time around.

The game against the Cougars pretty much showed the flaws of this team's defense, but perhaps this time around they will be able to slow them down.

Luckily for the Sun Devils, they will be home this time around, as the snowy weather of the previous matchup didn't do them any justice.

Territory Battle

The Arizona State Sun Devils will be getting their first taste of the Arizona Wildcats, as they will be playing under new head coach Rich Rodriguez.

It will be interesting to see how the Wildcats will be playing under their new coach, as they were actually a very good team in 2010.

For some reason, though, things just didn't click in 2011 under head coach Mike Stoops.

He eventually lost his job due to the dismal season.

The Wildcats surprised the Sun Devils this past season, winning the game 31-27 in Tempe. This time around, they will get to host their in-state rivals, which should only poise a better opportunity to win.

If the Sun Devils don't have a great year, a win down in Tucson will at least be a bitter-sweet end to what they had. 

After all, that is how things went for the Wildcats last year.