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By Craig Degel
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 25, 1996
Wow.What in the world happened in Tempe this weekend?
Arizona State? Over Nebraska? Somebody pinch me. Really, really hard.
If you're like me, you figured Arizona State would be embarrassed by two-time defending national champion Nebraska. This is the same Sun Devil team that lost 77-28 a year ago in Lincoln.
Everything I had read suggested that the Cornhuskers were even better than last year. I didn't think Nebraska would win a third straight title, but lose to ASU? Come on, you've got to be kidding me.
I thought they'd lose to Colorado or Kansas, but not the Sun Devils, which just goes to prove that I know absolutely nothing about anything.
It was the Sun Devils who looked like the two-time defending champions on Saturday. I would give anything to have been in the Sun Devil locker room before the start of the game. Head coach Bruce Snyder's pep talk must have brought an inciting-a-riot charge from city police.
Wow. 19-0.
The sixth-ranked Sun Devils - it sounds weird to say that for any Arizona football team - are for real. For now. I just hope they didn't put all their eggs into one basket.
I fear that for the last year or so, Sun Devil players, coaches and fans have invested all their energy into this game. Now that they achieved their goal of topping the Cornhuskers, what comes next?
The season will certainly be a disappointment if ASU doesn't go to the Rose Bowl. But how difficult will it be to get up to play Oregon State once you've beaten No. 1? The Sun Devils have to play that game in Corvallis, Ore. While the Beavers aren't exactly a powerhouse, it's tough to win up there. The Sun Devils will have to beat Southern Cal this year, too. That's something they have only been able to do once in their five meetings since 1988.
The one thing ASU has going for it in terms of scheduling is its Pacific 10 Conference miss.
Every team plays eight conference games a year and takes two years off from facing one team. Arizona has missed Stanford the last two seasons and will miss Southern Cal starting next season. This year, the Sun Devils do not have to play Washington State, another team that opened some eyes with its big victory over Oregon.
The UA has a short three-game win streak over the Sun Devils and have won 11 of the last 14 meetings. This year, the Sun Devils have to travel down to Tucson and get a victory - a job they accomplished with a 7-6 win in 1992.
Sports editor Craig Degel shares his thoughts on sports and life every Wednesday in the Wildcat.
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