The Arizona State football team is back at practice preparing for a New Year’s Day game in the new college football playoff system. But they don't know who their opponent will be yet.
As Big 12 champs, the Sun Devils get a bye and will be watching closely Saturday as Clemson and Texas battle it out for the chance to play ASU in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
The biggest challenge for head coach Kenny Dillingham is keeping his team sharp during a long layoff.
“So it’s gonna literally be six weeks since they’ve played four full quarters of football,“ Dillingham said. “That’s the number one thing I’m trying to balance right now is that. How do you keep these guys in conditioning shape when it’s gonna be six weeks since they’ve played a full football game?”
Returning to practice after a week off, Dillingham said the team was “sloppy” but that was to be expected.
The Clemson/Texas matchup to determine ASU’s opponent kicks off at 2 p.m. Saturday. Playing at home in Austin, the Longhorns are a 12-point favorite.
