Returning Starters
Offense: 7
Defense: 7

Key Player
Offense: Rudy Carpenter (QB)
Defense: Troy Nolan (S)

Key Losses
Brandon Rott (OT)
Robert Gustavis (OG)
Mike Pollak (C)
Julius Orieukwu (OT)
Zach Krula (OT)
Robert James (LB)

2007 Key Stats
10-3 (7-2)
Rushing Offense: 137 Yd/Game (77)
Passing Offense: 262 Yd/Game (34)
Scoring Offense : 37 Pt/Game (37)
Rushing Defense 116 Yd/Game (21)
Passing Defense: 228 Yd/Game (61)
Scoring Defense: 22 Pts/Game (31)
Sacks Allowed: 4.23/Game (117)

Schedule/Early Prediction
Aug. 30: Northern Arizona
Sept. 6: Stanford
Sept. 13: UNLV
Sept. 20: Georgia
Oct. 4: @ California
Oct. 11: @ USC
Oct. 25: Oregon
Nov. 1: @ Oregon St.
Nov. 8: @ Washington
Nov. 15: @ Washington State
Nov. 28: UCLA
Dec. 6: @ Arizona

Italics- Loss, I’m convinced. E-Mail me your hate.

Summary
Arizona State seems to be a popular pick for the Top 25, ranging from anywhere around 15-25. Myself? I struggled to put them in my Top 25, but comparing them to some of these teams that the Phil Steeles and Athlons are slipping into the Top 25 made the decision a bit easier.

Arizona State had one of the worst offensive lines in the NCAA last year and lost 5 of the players who contributed to Rudy Carpenter seeing the turf nearly 5 times a game in 2007. Naturally I am led to believe that those numbers will improve no matter who is returning to Arizona State on the front 5 in 2008, but until then, they start at #24 in my fabulous Top 25.

Dennis Erickson did incredible job coaching in his first season with Arizona State winning 10 games in his debut. The challenge now will be building on that success with a new offensive line and finding new leadership on defense now that tackling machine Robert James (106 total tackles, 9.5 tackle for loss, 4 INTs, 2.5 sacks) is playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL.

The defense should improve with 7 returning starters plus some quality youth who saw good playing time in 2007. Despite losing Robert James, Arizona State returns 4 linebackers who saw quality playing time last year in Travis Goethel, Morris Wooten, Gerald Munns, and Mike Nixon. This was a rather young group last year that and will need to swing momentum around from the last half of last year as the entire defense gave up 35 points, 44 points, and 52 points (Texas also rushed for 300 yards in this game) in 3 of the last 5 weeks of the season.

Once the offensive line gels together this should be an offense that improves upon last years 400 yards a game which only ranked 5^th in conference. The schedule starts off rather each with 4 home games, the first 3 as basically a preseason build up to the Georgia Bulldogs coming into town on September 20^th. But games @ California, @ USC, home against Oregon, and @ Oregon State will be the truest test for Dennis Ericksons Sun Devils.

Looking at their schedule I see a very possible 3 game losing streak, and I am going out on a limb picking them to lose @ California as I am just not sold on California right now. Oregon and UCLA are both games that stand out as possible upset alerts to me, but both respective teams have big QB questions coming into this season and can’t have questionable QB play on the road in Arizona State.

Best Case: 9-3
Worst Case: 8-4