Arizona State Still Fighting to Keep Bowl Hopes Alive

TEMPE -- The ultimate goal of the 2025 Arizona State season has always been to return to the College Football Playoff - that expectation took a hit behind numerous crushing injuries.

Kenny Dillingham's team has continued to show an incredible amount of gumption through the adversity and still remains in the Big 12 title hunt - but is still on the outside looking in.

ASU on SI takes a look at potential bowl game destinations for the Sun Devils heading into the week 13 matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes below - keeping in mind that the CFP is still within reach.

ESPN: Sun Bowl/Holiday Bowl

Kyle Bonagura: Sun Bowl vs. Wake Forest

Mark Schlabach: Holiday Bowl vs. SMU

Arizona State Sun Devils celebrate a touchdown during a game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 15, 2025. | Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Sun Bowl would be a challenge against a Wake Forest team that has overachieved this season despite not excelling in any given area in the FBS world. The most intriguing part of the matchup would be that Dillingham and Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert are meeting for the second time after the Sun Devils defeated Dickert's Washington State team by a score of 38-27 in 2023.

SMU would be an incredibly intriguing matchup, as both head coaches have committed to their respective programs long-term, while SMU QB Kevin Jennings will seek to end his season on a high note.

CBS Sports: Holiday Bowl

CBS Sports' Brad Crawford projects that Arizona State will be pitted against the Virginia Cavaliers in one of the final games of the college season outside of the CFP.

Virginia head coach Tony Elliott has built up a more than respectable program in his tenure with the program. Virginia QB Chandler Morris has been another bright spot in a season that has exceeded expectations.

ASU on SI: Holiday Bowl vs. SMU

Arizona State on SI sides with Crawford here. The Big 12 standings and how many programs from the league that make the CFP will likely end up determining where the Sun Devils show up - currently, it appears likely that two teams will make the tournament.

The Sun Devils also still have an outside shot of reaching the CFP for another season, but the avenues to get there have narrowed. If they do not make the conference title game, it seems as if an appearance in one of the best non-playoff games would be a reasonable conclusion to a year that has been emotionally turbulent.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on how the culture that has been cultivated by coach Dillingham showed up against West Virginia here.

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