Arizona State Football Returns to AP Top 25 Rankings

The Sun Devils' 2025 season appears to be on the upswing once again.

Oct 18, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils are right back in the Big 12 title race - and the top 25 of the AP poll - at number 24 more specifically - after shocking the #7 Texas Tech Red Raiders by a score of 26-22 in Tempe on Saturday.

The Sun Devils spent a week outside of the top 25 following a 42-10 loss to the Utah Utes in a nightcap game of week seven, as QB Sam Leavitt sat out of that game - the sophomore returned for the win over the Red Raiders, throwing for over 300 yards in the process.

Now, Arizona State controls their own destiny to return to the conference title game, as they would likely be in the position to make the jump if they were to win the last five games of the season.

Arizona State on SI breaks down major observations from the poll drop below.

• Arizona State is joined by fellow Big 12 contenders in Brigham Young (11), Texas Tech (14), and Cincinnati (21), while Utah received 40 votes, upcoming matchup Houston racked in 34 votes, and TCU earned two following the win over Baylor.

• The Sun Devils' top 2026/2027 non-conference opponent in Texas A&M is currently ranked number three in the nation - the highest-ranked team in the SEC currently.

• Last season's College Football Playoff opponent in Texas dropped one spot to number 22 despite defeating Kentucky on Saturday.

What Lies Ahead for Arizona State?

• The Sun Devils are in as strong of a position as anyone else in the Big 12 following the win over Texas Tech - the former does not face any of the other teams in the league that are currently ranked the rest of the way.

• Houston is well-equipped to challenge Arizona State this coming Saturday, but the Sun Devils hold home-field advantage and a talent advantage as well. The trip to Iowa State has potential to be tricky as well, although the final three games should all be entered with the Sun Devils as a definitive favorite

• BYU and Cincinnati currently lead the Big 12 standings, but the two programs not only play each other, but also face challenging schedules outside of the battle against each other.

Texas Tech should be in position to defeat Oklahoma State, Kansas State, UCF, and West Virginia - all bottom-tier teams in the conference, while also hosting their most difficult remaining game this season in BYU.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on three major takeaways from the win over Texas Tech here.

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