Arizona State Football: Matt Barkley's Return to USC Is Bad News for Sun Devils

USC Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley decided to forgo the NFL Draft in favor of playing his final year at USC. With Barkley returning to the Pac-12 next year, the Arizona State Sun Devils are the biggest losers of this situation.

With Barkley returning to USC, the Pac-12 South has just become even harder to win. Following the Sun Devils huge collapse this season, including a 56-24 blowout loss to the Boise State Broncos in the MAACO Bowl, the Sun Devils needed anything they could get to help them have an easier job of succeeding next year.

The Sun Devils will have quarterback Brock Osweiler and running back Cameron Marshall back next season, but they will have to hope that under new head coach Todd Graham the Sun Devils can utilize all their weapons in order to succeed in what will be one tough division.

Barkley's return to USC easily makes the Trojans preseason favorites. The Trojans went 10-2 this season, which included a win over the Oregon Ducks on the road and a triple-overtime battle with the Stanford Cardinal that resulted in a loss.

The Trojans were one of the most dominate teams this season, but due to sanctions carrying over from the Pete Carrol era they were not eligible for this season's bowl games. They also were not allowed to play in the Pac-12 title game, a game where they easily would have represented the South division over a UCLA Bruins team that went 6-6 going into the game.

The Trojans were one of the most explosive teams this season, averaging nearly 35 points per game. Their defense also was strong, giving up only 23.6 points per game. While that mark is relatively high for an elite team, the Trojans didn't have an easy schedule. 

With wide receiver Robert Woods only being a sophomore this past season, he will be returning next year and could return with even better numbers. This past year, Woods had 111 receptions for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those numbers were almost double what he had last season.

This season clearly didn't prove that the Sun Devils are in any position to claim preseason consideration, but they were definitely is position to turn things around under a new coach.

The Sun Devils only have to play the Trojans once next season, but that game will be on the road, which will be a much greater challenge than this past season. 

The Sun Devils got the best of the Trojans back in Week 3, when they defeated Barkley and the Trojans in Tempe in a 43-22 rout. During this part of the season, the Sun Devils were definitely one of the stronger teams, but they would prove that they couldn't keep it up for the entire season.

In the meantime, the Trojans bounced back following the loss to the Sun Devils to prove that they were a team to beat. They did let up 41 points to an Arizona Wildcats team that struggled over the entire season, but they were able to do a good job in handling the rest of their competition. They were able to easily beat teams like the Cal Golden Bears, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Washington Huskies.

Barkley also just keeps getting better.

This past season was his best year with the Trojans. He threw for 3,528 yards with 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Only one of those touchdowns and two of those interceptions came against the Sun Devils.

Next season, Barkley could go off for even more yards and touchdowns. Woods will have another year under his belt and Barkley will be even more seasoned as a veteran. If he stays healthy, there is a chance that Barkley could eclipse the 4,000 yard, 40 touchdown mark. 

The Trojans will be out to prove themselves, while the Wildcats and Bruins will be looking to make a new name for themselves under their new leadership. While the Sun Devils will be under new rule, they will be looking to mostly redeem themselves after dropping a 5-1 start.

The Sun Devils will have a tall order this coming season, especially after falling apart like they did. It was not going to be an easy road no matter what, but the return of Barkley to USC makes the situation even tougher for a team in need of any help they could get.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State Football.