Arizona State football poll history: Sun Devils headed for a letdown in 2025?
The expectations are becoming greater with ASU football ranked No. 11 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, its highest ranking since 1998.
The ranking, and lofty expectations, have some fans of the Sun Devils nervously anticipating the season, believing that the team performs better when it doesn't have a target on its back, like it will in 2025 after coming out of nowhere to win the conference last season (ASU was picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason poll in 2024, a fact that has been pointed out countless times).
More: ASU football has highest preseason AP Top 25 ranking since 1998
Are the Sun Devils headed for a letdown in 2025?
At least one college football writer thinks ASU could fail to meet expectations this season. He included Kenny Dillingham's team in a recent story about five teams headed for a letdown this season, ranking Arizona State No. 3 on the list.
The writer, College Football News' Pete Fiutak, wrote: "Give us a little bit of a break here — the Sun Devils were No. 2 on last year's Teams That Will Surprise list. But the 2024 version got by, helped by a whole slew of bad teams before cranking it up late on the way to a 10-2 regular season. It's the fun team to love. At 11, it's the highest-ranked Big 12 team in the preseason Coaches Poll with just about everyone else back, including red-hot head coach Kenny Dillingham. The schedule is just hard enough to make it more like an 8-4 season with road dates at Utah, Iowa State, Baylor, and — don't laugh — Mississippi State."
That won't help the anxiety of anxious Arizona State fans at the beginning of the 2025 season.
Neither will FOX Sports' RJ Young's preseason ranking for the Sun Devils. He has ASU football at No. 23 in the country, a whole 12 spots below the team's AP and US LBM Coaches Poll rankings.
But at least Young has the Sun Devils in his ranking.
One AP poll voter, Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, didn't include the Sun Devils on his ballot in the preseason AP Top 25.
ASU football projections: Sun Devils among 5 teams favored in every game
How has Arizona State football fared as a Top 15 team in AP poll?
Before this season, the Sun Devils have been ranked in the Top 15 of the Associated Press poll 10 times since the poll began.
In 2015, they finished with a 6-7 overall record. In 2008, they went 5-7 overall. In 1998, they went 5-6 overall. In 1987, they had a 7-4-1 record. In 1984, they had a 5-6 record.
They went just 4-7 overall in 1976. That mark was 7-5 in 1974.
You have to go back to 1971, 1972 and 1973 to see Arizona State sustain success as a preseason Top 15 team. It went 11-1 in 1971, 10-2 in 1972 and 11-1 in 1973.
Can you see why some Arizona State fans are nervous about the preseason ranking for their team and the lofty expectations that come with it?
Analyst: Arizona State football 'clearly the favorite' in Big 12
Arizona State football in AP Top 25 preseason poll:
2025: No. 11
2021: No. 25 (finished unranked, 8-5 overall)
2015: No. 15 (finished unranked, 6-7 overall)
2014: No. 19 (finished ranked No. 12, 10-3 overall)
2008: No. 15 (finished unranked, 5-7 overall)
2006: No. 24 (finished unranked, 7-6 overall)
2005: No. 20 (finished unranked, 7-5 overall)
2003: No. 22 (finished unranked, 5-7 overall)
1999: No. 25 (finished unranked, 6-6 overall)
1998: No. 8 (finished unranked, 5-6 overall)
1996: No. 20 (finished ranked No. 4, 11-1 overall)
1987: No. 14 (finished ranked No. 20, 7-4-1 overall)
1984: No. 13 (finished unranked, 5-6 overall)
1982: No. 19 (finished ranked No. 6, 10-2 overall)
1981: No. 20 (finished ranked No. 16, 9-2 overall)
1979: No. 18 (finished unranked, 6-6 overall)
1977: No. 17 (finished ranked No. 18, 9-3 overall)
1976: No. 3 (finished unranked, 4-7 overall)
1974: No. 15 (finished unranked, 7-5 overall)
1973: No. 14 (finished ranked No. 9, 11-1 overall)
1972: No. 12 (finished ranked No. 13, 10-2 overall)
1971: No. 14 (finished ranked No. 8, 11-1 overall)
1970: No. 19 (finished ranked No. 6, 11-0 overall)
1968: No. 18 (finished unranked, 8-2 overall)
Should Arizona State fans be nervous about the great expectations for their team this season?
Is the team potentially headed for a letdown?
We don't have to wait long to find out. ASU football opens the season on Aug. 30.
Big 12 football win total odds: Arizona | Arizona State | Baylor | BYU | Cincinnati | Colorado | Houston | Iowa State | Kansas | Kansas State | Oklahoma State | TCU | Texas Tech | UCF | Utah | West Virginia | Big 12 rankings
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU football poll history: Sun Devils headed for a letdown in 2025?
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