It’s been 28 years since ASU last played a January football game with a national championship at stake.
That legendary season ended just short of a title, with a heart-breaking loss in the 1997 Rose Bowl. Jake Plummer was the quarterback. And he’ll be in Atlanta on New Year’s Day, to watch the Sun Devils make their playoff debut in the Peach Bowl against Texas.
"They’ve had an amazing season. I’m super proud of them, and I really like what Coach Dillingham and his staff are doing, and the type of players they’re bringing in."
Plummer says he recognized early on that this ASU team had a chance to be great.
"I was watching ‘em every weekend, just, paying attention ‘cause I knew they had something pretty special. I wanted to see this young Sam Leavitt quarterback, and Cam Skattebo, I’ve been paying attention to him a little bit, and just watching them – watching them play for each other, play with heart, play with passion — play like it matters."
A win against Texas would propel ASU to the semifinals, against either Oregon or Ohio State – the team that beat Plummer’s Sun Devils in that 1997 Rose Bowl.
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![AZ Husky Rescue co-founders Alison Nicolosi [left] and Veronica Reece with Marley, an adoptable dog, at the Heard Museum on July 12, 2026.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b00a52b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2246+0+389/resize/280x156!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6f%2Fec%2F2996515440019795916d3223754c%2Fmolly-of-denali-az-husky-rescue-20260712.jpg)
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![AZ Husky Rescue co-founders Alison Nicolosi [left] and Veronica Reece with Marley, an adoptable dog, at the Heard Museum on July 12, 2026.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ba22f31/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2246+0+389/resize/560x312!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6f%2Fec%2F2996515440019795916d3223754c%2Fmolly-of-denali-az-husky-rescue-20260712.jpg)
