The Peach Bowl thread (CFP Quarterfinal) 1/1/2025 11AM AZ time

[Folster]

I think it will continue to move towards Texas before kickoff. This does not seem to be a good matchup for ASU

Not sure it gets over two TDs.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Texas drew the weakest by far of the college football playoff teams.

Quinn Ewers is very inconsistent as a quarterback.

If ASU can keep it close, he’s gonna fold

Texas hasn’t seen a runner like Cam

If you look at Texas schedule, it was extremely weak

Their QB may provide us some hope. Last night was the only time I have seen him play this year, but there is lots of talk about him putting the ball in danger. If he can do that like the Iowa State quarterback did, our guys will have a feeding frenzy.

I am showing he has 4 lost fumbles, 10 int's and 24 sacks this year. Hmmmm...

 

[AZCB34]

Texas drew the weakest by far of the college football playoff teams.

Quinn Ewers is very inconsistent as a quarterback.

If ASU can keep it close, he’s gonna fold

Texas hasn’t seen a runner like Cam

If you look at Texas schedule, it was extremely weak

Clemson was not weaker than SMU or Indiana

I’ll grant you Ewers can be inconsistent at times but so can every QB. If really bad Ewers shows up then it’ll be Arch to the rescue.

I think if ASU keeps it close, it isn’t Ewers who will fold but the entire team will and I feel that is confirmed at @Lorenzo comments.

I don’t know if Texas has seen a runner like Cam but I feel per damn certain Cam and the OL haven’t seen a front 7 like Texas. Plus, I suspect they will be all about forcing Leavitt to beat them.

At this point I could care less about their schedule or anyone’s schedule. They played the teams they played and they had enough success to garner the #5 seed.

No team this year is unbeatable. Texas can lose this game and I believe ASU can do it but this is still not a good matchup for the Devils

 

[AZCB34]

Their QB may provide us some hope. Last night was the only time I have seen him play this year, but there is lots of talk about him putting the ball in danger. If he can do that like the Iowa State quarterback did, our guys will have a feeding frenzy.

I am showing he has 4 lost fumbles, 10 int's and 24 sacks this year. Hmmmm...

If ASU can make the big plays and then convert on those big plays this is anybody’s game. Minus some huge Iowa State style plays I’m just not sure. One thing I think we can all agree on is Texas simply has better players. Not at every position but certainly at most.

And let’s not forget, if ASU plays them tough and this game comes down to a longer FG attempt how are we feeling about the kicking game?

 

[Raindog]

If ASU can make the big plays and then convert on those big plays this is anybody’s game. Minus some huge Iowa State style plays I’m just not sure. One thing I think we can all agree on is Texas simply has better players. Not at every position but certainly at most.

And let’s not forget, if ASU plays them tough and this game comes down to a longer FG attempt how are we feeling about the kicking game?

Your last point is a good one. ASU really hasn't had a situation this year where the kicking game made or broke them all that much. The "keep it close and rely on your kicking" approach most teams conventionally go with in a playoff type setting isn't really going to favor ASU compared to most other teams still in contention.

 

[Lorenzo]

Clemson was not weaker than SMU or Indiana

I’ll grant you Ewers can be inconsistent at times but so can every QB. If really bad Ewers shows up then it’ll be Arch to the rescue.

I think if ASU keeps it close, it isn’t Ewers who will fold but the entire team will and I feel that is confirmed at @Lorenzo comments.

I don’t know if Texas has seen a runner like Cam but I feel per damn certain Cam and the OL haven’t seen a front 7 like Texas. Plus, I suspect they will be all about forcing Leavitt to beat them.

At this point I could care less about their schedule or anyone’s schedule. They played the teams they played and they had enough success to garner the #5 seed.

No team this year is unbeatable. Texas can lose this game and I believe ASU can do it but this is still not a good matchup for the Devils

I agree, Clemson is better than SMU and Indiana. Tennessee IDK, definitely Clemson have a better QB than Tennessee do. I would argue that Clemson's QB is the best Texas have played all year.

Texas played a tougher schedule this year compared to last year. but they also caught some breaks if you consider Michigan were not as good as everyone thought. They avoided the top SEC teams, aside from Georgia, but I'm not sure that there is another SEC team aside from Georgia that can beat Texas. I think Texas is trending in the right direction and even yesterday did show improvement. J. Blue had his best game of the year. He can be a weapon for them that not many outside of Texas know about. Texas strength is in their numbers and in the trenches. they can rotate guys in and out on both sides of the ball and don't really miss a beat. last year Texas strength was skill positions, so that's kind of flipped this year. but yesterday the skill players really showed out, save for a few bad plays that kept Clemson alive into the fourth quarter.

 

[Lorenzo]

Their QB may provide us some hope. Last night was the only time I have seen him play this year, but there is lots of talk about him putting the ball in danger. If he can do that like the Iowa State quarterback did, our guys will have a feeding frenzy.

I am showing he has 4 lost fumbles, 10 int's and 24 sacks this year. Hmmmm...

Ewers is kind of a double edged sword in that way. he is deadly but he (and sark) will make some head scratching decisions. yesterday Ewers was really good. His one turnover was not his fault and was actually a great throw that should have been a first down. Texas T.E. gunner Helm is really good too. He is a weapon and I think will be an elite NFL player.

 

[Lorenzo]

Texas drew the weakest by far of the college football playoff teams.

Quinn Ewers is very inconsistent as a quarterback.

If ASU can keep it close, he’s gonna fold

Texas hasn’t seen a runner like Cam

If you look at Texas schedule, it was extremely weak

I think Clemson was the most difficult matchup for Texas. Tennessee/SMU/Indiana probably don't score more than 15 points vs. Texas defense. Maybe the scoreline is different because some of those teams like Tennessee have played good defense. But Texas would be favored to beat all of those teams by double digits.

Ewers has his flaws. The biggest one is that he can't stay healthy, which is no fault to his own. but he has actually played in a lot of big time games over the last few years at Texas. He is one of the few QB's to beat Alabama in their building in the Nick Saban era.

Schedule is always subjective. I think Texas always plays a good schedule. Texas won the big 12 last year. I think they would have won it this year as well.

I don't know much about ASU's RB, I imagine I will find out. By all accounts he is special.

 

[Lorenzo]

If ASU can make the big plays and then convert on those big plays this is anybody’s game. Minus some huge Iowa State style plays I’m just not sure. One thing I think we can all agree on is Texas simply has better players. Not at every position but certainly at most.

And let’s not forget, if ASU plays them tough and this game comes down to a longer FG attempt how are we feeling about the kicking game?

Texas kicker is a problem as well. That is the one position that they are weak and don't have a backup to rotate in. He is really good within 40 yards. that's the nicest thing I can say about him.

 

[jf-08]

I think it is a good matchup

Please take that back.

 

[AZ Native]

Not sure it gets over two TDs.

If it does...

 

[ajcardfan]

My biggest concern by far is the trenches. ASU hasn't played anybody close to matching the talent and size of both Texas lines. I wish it wasn't the case, but that is reality. On paper, the lines are a mismatch on both sides of the ball. But, games aren't played on paper.

 

[Absolute Zero]

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[FB94]

Need to play a near perfect game and catch some breaks. Texas will load the box and may ASU throw to win. Defensively ASU front seven as its hands full with size and speed of Texas. Very nervous this could get out of hand early if we come out with first quarter stage fright.

 

[Ronin]

Sun Devil Daily

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Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s opening comments at media availability begin with praise for Kenny Dillingham and ASU’s turnaround, as well as Cam Skattebo.
He notes that many people in the Texas program have been fans of Skattebo and they’ve been watching him and ASU for the last year and a half.
Now they have to “find a way to stop him.”

 

[Russ Smith]

It looks like the game is 2am Philippine time so we'll see if I'm able to get up. I did for the Cards game yesterday and spent the rest of the day exhausted, and pissed off.

 

[82CardsGrad]

The current line accurately reflects the gap in talent between Texas and ASU. Texas has top-level talent at every position on both sides of the ball, whereas ASU has Leavitt, Cam and…there is nobody on ASU’s defense that can be considered on par with any player on either side of the ball for Texas.

Still, the game is played on the field, where scheme, heart & execution can often overcome talent disparities.

For me, the key will be time of possession. If the Devils can find a way to control the game and the time, thereby keeping Texas’ offense on the sidelines, their chances skyrocket. But if Texas owns time of possession, they will wear down the Devil’s defense and come the second half, this game could get ugly…

Leavitt is a better QB than Ewers. But that is literally the only position where the Devils have the advantage - including running back.
So, can Dilly rally the team to play their absolute best game of the year - which, although might still not be enough, could make for an entertaining game - we’ll soon find out.
We know ASU will come out swinging and will not lack for heart and passion.
Playcalling on both sides of the ball will be MASSIVELY critical. Limiting penalties, turnovers and controlling the clock will also be HUGE!

But make no mistake, the Devils haven’t played a team as talented, as big and as fast at all key positions as is Texas - not just this year but in several years!
Gotta hope bad Ewers shows up and that merely keeping the game within reach thru the first half, provides enough spark, hope and inspiration that the Devils raise the level of their play beyond anything we’ve seen all year.
If that happens, the 4th quarter could be ours!

 

[Absolute Zero]

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[AZCB34]

The current line accurately reflects the gap in talent between Texas and ASU. Texas has top-level talent at every position on both sides of the ball, whereas ASU has Leavitt, Cam and…there is nobody on ASU’s defense that can be considered on par with any player on either side of the ball for Texas.

Still, the game is played on the field, where scheme, heart & execution can often overcome talent disparities.

For me, the key will be time of possession. If the Devils can find a way to control the game and the time, thereby keeping Texas’ offense on the sidelines, their chances skyrocket. But if Texas owns time of possession, they will wear down the Devil’s defense and come the second half, this game could get ugly…

Leavitt is a better QB than Ewers. But that is literally the only position where the Devils have the advantage - including running back.
So, can Dilly rally the team to play their absolute best game of the year - which, although might still not be enough, could make for an entertaining game - we’ll soon find out.
We know ASU will come out swinging and will not lack for heart and passion.
Playcalling on both sides of the ball will be MASSIVELY critical. Limiting penalties, turnovers and controlling the clock will also be HUGE!

But make no mistake, the Devils haven’t played a team as talented, as big and as fast at all key positions as is Texas - not just this year but in several years!
Gotta hope bad Ewers shows up and that merely keeping the game within reach thru the first half, provides enough spark, hope and inspiration that the Devils raise the level of their play beyond anything we’ve seen all year.
If that happens, the 4th quarter could be ours!

Excellent analysis. About my only argument is I’m not sure Leavitt is better than Ewers although the gap between the two isn’t very wide.

What Leavitt has proven is that he seems to have that dawg in him and that is what really narrows the gap between them. People seem very down on Ewers but he has held off Arch Manning for two years now. Is that Sark being loyal or is it something else?

 

[Absolute Zero]

The current line accurately reflects the gap in talent between Texas and ASU. Texas has top-level talent at every position on both sides of the ball, whereas ASU has Leavitt, Cam and…there is nobody on ASU’s defense that can be considered on par with any player on either side of the ball for Texas.

Still, the game is played on the field, where scheme, heart & execution can often overcome talent disparities.

For me, the key will be time of possession. If the Devils can find a way to control the game and the time, thereby keeping Texas’ offense on the sidelines, their chances skyrocket. But if Texas owns time of possession, they will wear down the Devil’s defense and come the second half, this game could get ugly…

Leavitt is a better QB than Ewers. But that is literally the only position where the Devils have the advantage - including running back.
So, can Dilly rally the team to play their absolute best game of the year - which, although might still not be enough, could make for an entertaining game - we’ll soon find out.
We know ASU will come out swinging and will not lack for heart and passion.
Playcalling on both sides of the ball will be MASSIVELY critical. Limiting penalties, turnovers and controlling the clock will also be HUGE!

But make no mistake, the Devils haven’t played a team as talented, as big and as fast at all key positions as is Texas - not just this year but in several years!
Gotta hope bad Ewers shows up and that merely keeping the game within reach thru the first half, provides enough spark, hope and inspiration that the Devils raise the level of their play beyond anything we’ve seen all year.
If that happens, the 4th quarter could be ours!

I think we can draw conclusions about Texas having superior size from just looking at the rosters. But "talent" is a more subjective thing, especially harder to judge beyond the skill positions. We have to rely upon the number of 5 stars, or the talking heads repeating stuff in the media. I am not buying the talent generalizations, though I agree that Texas has a lot of very talented players.

Coaching is a key factor. Lots of examples of Dillingham outsmarting the coaches on the other side. I remember the UCLA game last year where we were way over matched and he came up with a crazy plan to win. Then the Washington game last year where ASU almost got it done. And I also think of a lot of overly aggressive. 4th down calls this year where he and Arroyo put games in danger. Not sure if we will be able to take the same approach with Texas's size up front.

Our O line is very solid, but a lot of this is just leverage and physics, maybe Kenny/Arroyo can throw some geometry at them. It will be interesting to see what the game plan is. I am expecting some new twists.

On D, except for some flurries, Ward has been playing "bend don't break" all year. He picks his spots to unleash the badassery. He's a chess player. Hopefully our bend won't break and he can pick the right spots to attack. I think Ewers is vulnerable if we can get to him, but will have to stop the run first and that is going to be a huge challenge based on what we saw from Texas last week.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Excellent analysis. About my only argument is I’m not sure Leavitt is better than Ewers although the gap between the two isn’t very wide.

What Leavitt has proven is that he seems to have that dawg in him and that is what really narrows the gap between them. People seem very down on Ewers but he has held off Arch Manning for two years now. Is that Sark being loyal or is it something else?

Leavitt is better. Sark just being loyal and honestly, it remains to be seen how much better Arch actually is than Ewers, if at all…

 

[ajcardfan]

2

Leavitt is better. Sark just being loyal and honestly, it remains to be seen how much better Arch actually is than Ewers, if at all…

Manning is a beast of a runner for a QB, that is what I have seen. ASU will get a taste of that at some point. They had better be ready to hit him hard and wrap up.

 

[Mainstreet]

ASU was peaking going into the Iowa State game. I was in awe the way they opened the second half.

I'm hoping the same team shows up.

 

[Lorenzo]

Excellent analysis. About my only argument is I’m not sure Leavitt is better than Ewers although the gap between the two isn’t very wide.

What Leavitt has proven is that he seems to have that dawg in him and that is what really narrows the gap between them. People seem very down on Ewers but he has held off Arch Manning for two years now. Is that Sark being loyal or is it something else?

I can't rule out the loyalty part. But I think it goes beyond that. Ewers is more experienced and can run the entire offense that sark wants to run. that's the main reason Arch isn't playing yet. Arch is a runner, Ewers is not, and Arch throws a better deep ball. That's all we know atm. It must be noted that Ewers can run and I wouldn't rule out a long run in this game from Ewers, but his injuries have mostly discouraged him from looking to run. arch doesn't have the reps and certainly is not as battle tested when compared to Ewers. Ewers has played OU 3 times, at home and on the road vs. Bama, at Michigan, Georgia twice, and the list goes on from there. The reason people are down on Ewers is because it is Texas. Their fans are overly critical of him and there is a lot of hype with Arch that is comparable to Vince Young hype when VY was new. I think Ewers biggest problems are that his injuries have stunted his progress. He's missed a few games every season that he has played. Last year it almost cost the Longhorns the big 12 title because manning wasn't ready to play and their other backup was not good, but they were still able to win with their backup QB because they had elite players that are in the NFL now. This year manning looked as advertised in Ewers absence, but that was against Mississippi State, LA Monroe, and UTSA.

 

[Lorenzo]

2
Manning is a beast of a runner for a QB, that is what I have seen. ASU will get a taste of that at some point. They had better be ready to hit him hard and wrap up.

At some point Sark needs to let Manning throw the ball out of that gimmick that he is doing now. otherwise it won't be that effective.