Arizona State Football 2012: One Good Reason the Team Can Beat Every Opponent

The Arizona State Sun Devils pretty much have their roster set for the 2012 season, so now they will be looking at the whiteboard to figure out their game plan against each of their opponents this coming season.

The Sun Devils will definitely be facing some tough competition, as the Pac-12 has been becoming a much more difficult place to win. Not to mention, the team under a new head coach in Todd Graham.

It will remain to be seen who this team will be come spring, but for now we can look at the other programs and reason why the Sun Devils can take out each one.

Week 1: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks

When the Arizona State Sun Devils take on the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, there really should be no reason the team should lose.

If there was one reason though that the team will have a clear shot at taking away a victory in this matchup, it has to be because the Sun Devils will be looking to get things started off on the right foot.

With Todd Graham running the show, and after last season's collapse, the last thing this team wants to do is get things started off where they could already be written off.

The Lumberjacks shouldn't pose as a challenge anyways, so the team should be able to walk out of this annual matchup victorious once again.

Week 2: Illinois Fighting Illini

After losing 14-17 to the Illinois Fighting Illini last season, the Sun Devils will be looking to get revenge on the Big Ten squad.

This time, it will be the Sun Devils with home field advantage, so don't expect anything less than a victory in Sun Devil Stadium.

Both teams will be getting a feel for their new head coaches, which is why I tip the advantage to the Sun Devils.

It will remain to be seen how each team will look come next season, but for now playing in Tempe will buy the Sun Devils this victory.

Week 3: At Missouri Tigers

The Arizona State Sun Devils' first road test of the season will come against the team that they knocked off in Week 2 of last season. That is team is the Missouri Tigers, and this time around the Sun Devils will be on the road.

When the two played one another last season, the Tigers were ranked and the Sun Devils were not. The Tigers took them to the limit in Tempe, but the Sun Devils prevailed in overtime.

This time around, the Sun Devils will have a target on their backs, but they should be able to come through because of a man by the name of Cameron Marshall.

In last season's game, Marshall was playing with a hurt ankle. He squandered for just 61 yards on 22 carries, but everyone knew he was capable of much more.

With a healthy backfield, the Sun Devils should be able to control the tempo of this matchup, even if it is their first game on the road.

Week 4: Utah Utes

When the Sun Devils played against the Utah Utes last season, they demolished one of the new Pac-12 teams on the road.

This time around, the Utes will be heading to Tempe and this one won't be any easier.

Sure, the team has a season in the Pac-12 under their belts, but that just won't be enough to get things going against the Sun Devils.

The Utes still play a very slow paced game, while the Sun Devils will have a high paced offense led by playmakers like Jamal Miles and Kyle Middlebrooks.

The Utes may put up a fight, but it is a little too early to give them the lead in any Pac-12 matchups for 2012.

Week 5: At California Golden Bears

One team that gave the Sun Devils a sour taste in their mouth at the end of last season was the Cal Golden Bears.

The Sun Devils were on a three-game losing streak, and were coming off of a major headache loss to their in-state rival Arizona Wildcats.

The Bears walked away with a 47-38 victory, giving the Sun Devils their fourth straight loss, as well as their final loss of the year at home.

This game will be a revenge game for the Sun Devils, as they will be looking to claim a victory against the team that really killed any sort of momentum that existed heading into their bowl game against the Boise State Broncos.

It won't be any easier on the road, but revenge must be issued.

Week 7: At Colorado Buffaloes

There is no team that the Sun Devils walked all over last year than the Colorado Buffaloes.

When the team hosted the Buffaloes last season, they annihilated them 48-14, and that was coming off of a disappointing loss to the Oregon Ducks.

The Sun Devils, who we are assuming will be playing at a somewhat high level, should be able to handle the Buffaloes despite being on the road.

The team is still getting acclimated to the conference, so don't expect much difference from a team that went 3-10 this past season.

The Buffaloes did stop the Wildcats at home in convincing fashion, but neither team was looking that strong.

If the Sun Devils fail to get off to a hot start to start the year, they could end up in a similar position.

Week 8: Oregon Ducks

A team that always trips up the Sun Devils is the Oregon Ducks.

While I would like to say that the team should have an advantage with both running back LaMichael James and quarterback Darron Thomas heading to the draft, I really can't. Considering that Kenjon Barner and Bryan Bennett looked solid in their stints this past season, this team could be dangerous.

The Sun Devils are going to have to hope though that this team won't run on the same engine that they did under James and Thomas, as those were some pretty tough years for ASU.

With there being a lot of fresh faces, the Sun Devils will have a chance to establish themselves in this rivalry. Given that the game is at home, that should be a nice advantage for the team.

By no means will this game be a cake walk, but playing in the desert may be the only way Todd Graham's team sneaks away with a victory.

Week 9: UCLA Bruins

After last year's horrifying loss to the UCLA Bruins, the Sun Devils should at least be happy that Jim Mora is the new coach for this program.

The Sun Devils fell to the Bruins in tense 29-28 final score, which was due to missed field goals by kicker Alex Garoutte. This game spun into the team's four game losing streak, that shot down their entire season.

This one will likely be close again, but this time around I expect Garoutte's leg to show up.

He will be a sophomore this season, and with seven games already in the books, this kid should have enough experience under his belt that he should be able to make whatever comes his way.

The Sun Devils will have a lot of close games this season, so every point is going to count.

Week 10: At Oregon State Beavers

Going into a game on the road against the Oregon State Beavers will not be a walk in the park for the Sun Devils, but this time around the team should be able to walk away with victory on the road.

The Sun Devils lost to the Beavers back in 2010, but this past season they defeated them in Tempe while showing great persistence.

The team got down early, but they turned this around to take the game with a final score of 35-20.

It wasn't an easy win, but it was one that proved the Sun Devils could get over the hump when a challenge was put in their way.

It is unfair to say that the Sun Devils tend to play down, as neither team had a productive 2011, but that tends to be the case.

If Todd Graham can keep his team playing at a high pace with no drop in their game, they should be able to handle the Beavers yet again.

Week 11: At USC Trojans

Ah, perhaps the toughest game on the schedule.

After defeating the USC Trojans in what was a statement game last season, the Sun Devils will be pitted against the Pac-12 South's strongest contenders.

Will it be easy to get past Matt Barkley and Trojans offense? Absolutely not, but one thing the Sun Devils have going for them is recent history.

When the team took them down 43-22 in Tempe, the Sun Devils proved that they can play with the best. Of course, the offense won't have quarterback Brock Osweiler—who threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns on 25 of 32 attempts. 

What the team will have is running back Cameron Marshall, who exploded onto the 2011 scene in this matchup racking up 131 yards on 25 carries with three touchdowns.

If that Marshall shows up again, the Sun Devils could certainly upset a potential Top 3 team this coming season.

Week 12: Washington State Cougars

It will be interesting to see what Mike Leach will do with this Washington State Cougars team, especially after they upset the Sun Devils 37-27 in Pullman last season.

That was mostly because freshman quarterback Connor Halliday went off for 494 yards and four touchdowns. Will he be able to perform like that this season? One would have to doubt it, but this is where the Sun Devils must pick up their defense.

The Sun Devils had one of the best secondaries last season, but they seemingly disappeared towards the end of last season. Under the discipline of coach Todd Graham, I don't envision that happening.

If Halliday does get the start, the Sun Devils upperclassman will remember the embarrassment he set on them, and will have to avenge themselves in front of their home crowd.

It will all depend on if the secondary stays consistent all season, but if they do, this team will be able to stop many opposing quarterbacks.

Week 13: At Arizona Wildcats

The  Arizona State Sun Devils will be looking to give the Arizona Wildcats a taste of their own medicine, as the rivalry will be hitting Tucson this time around.

Last year, the Wildcats came in and upset the Sun Devils in what was difficult 31-27 defeat to watch for any fan of ASU.

With new head coach Rich Rodriguez in town, the Sun Devils will have no bigger incentive than to put him against the fence in his first season as head coach.

While I am not sure how the Wildcats will fare under Rich-Rod, nothing will be more disappointing than him dropping a game to the Sun Devils at home in his first season running the program.

If the Sun Devils are having a bad season—as were the Wildcats last year—than this will be the Sun Devils' bowl game to lose.