Ranking the Arizona State football schedule, easiest to toughest

The betting lines have Arizona State winning 6.5 games in the coming season. College football publications aren't any higher on the Sun Devils. The highest projection pegs them sixth in the 16-team conference.

Given that the team has won 19 games combined over the past two seasons, that seems underwhelming. Part of the reason for the somewhat pessimistic outlook is that you can count the number of returning starters on one hand.

The other reason is the schedule. It is not an easy one. In fact, it's one of the harder ones in the Big 12. The Phil Steele national publication has ASU as having the toughest schedule in the conference, the 33rd toughest overall. We're ranking the games on ASU's schedule from easiest to hardest.

vs. Morgan State, Sept. 5

Call it a warm-up game for ASU to debut a new cast of players. The FCS opponent was a replacement for Bowling Green. Morgan State was 4-8 a year ago. It is the season opener for ASU, but the second contest for the Bears, who will open the previous week against North Carolina A&T. It will be the first meeting between the schools.

vs. Colorado, Nov. 7

Deion Sanders made a big splash early in his coaching tenure, but the Buffaloes came crashing back to earth a year ago, finishing just 3-9, including a 1-8 mark in conference play. ASU defeated Colorado 42-17 in Boulder, and this year's game is in Tempe, where the Sun Devils excel. Colorado has two new coordinators. Its most interesting player addition is wide receiver Danny Scudero, who led all players with 1,297 yards last season at San Jose State.

vs. Baylor, Oct. 3

The Sun Devils will be coming off their only bye, which will follow the game in London. ASU defeated the Bears last season in Waco 27-24, the difference being a Jesus Gomez field goal on the last play of the contest. The Bears lost QB Sawyer Robertson but brought in Florida transfer D.J. Lagway, who can be spectacular but erratic. Baylor is coming off a 5-7 season, and coach Dave Aranda's seat is warm.

at Central Florida, Nov. 14

The Knights were 5-7 in 2025, not playing ASU. They last posted a winning record in 2022 (9-5). The Sun Devils will have to deal with the cross-country trip, though. This will be the third meeting between the schools, the first in Orlando. The Knights are relying on a new quarterback in James Madison transfer Alonza Barnett III, who is coming off a torn ACL suffered against Oregon in the CFP game in 2024.

vs. Hawaii, Oct. 10

The Rainbow Warriors had a stellar 9-4 showing in 2025. This will be the eighth meeting between the teams, with ASU having won five. Most national publications have Hawaii pegged third or fourth in the Mountain West. The team will rely on its offense, most notably the quarterback-receiver duo of Micah Alejado and Pofele Ashlock.

vs. Kansas State, Oct. 24

This is a team in transition, with Collin Klein taking over for retired head coach Chris Klieman. The Wildcats are relying on many portal acquisitions, although the mainstay is senior quarterback Avery Johnson, who has the rare distinction of playing his career at one school. The teams did not play last year, but ASU defeated the Wildcats 35-31 in 2024 in Manhattan in a game that was not close until the last two minutes. ASU is 6-1 all-time against Kansas State.

vs. Oklahoma State, Nov. 21

The Cowboys are riding an 18-game Big 12 losing streak, and the majority of those games were not close. The teams last played in 2024 in Stillwater, with ASU prevailing 42-21. The coaching staff has been overhauled, as has the roster. Hopes are higher with the arrival of sophomore quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who threw for 4,379 yards last season at North Texas.

vs. Kansas in London, Sept. 19

This is a game ASU can and should win, but we're moving it closer to the difficult end of the spectrum because of the unknown factor of playing overseas. Another thing that makes it tougher is that ASU will be at Texas A&M the previous week. It will go directly from College Station to London, which makes for a road trip longer than a week. ASU won the last meeting between the teams in 2024, 35-31, but few players are back who played in that game for either team.

At Arizona, Nov. 28

Yes, it's the rivalry game that makes it tough enough. This season, it is in Tucson. The Wildcats are one of the few teams with a multiyear starter returning at quarterback, and the defense has emerged as one of the best in the conference under Danny Gonzales, who previously served in the same capacity at ASU. In most years, this would be ASU's toughest game. The fact that it is not shows just how tough the overall schedule is for the Sun Devils.

At Brigham Young, Oct. 31

The Cougars were one of the surprise teams in the Big 12 a year ago, with true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier exceeding expectations. With a full year under his belt, he'll be an even more formidable obstacle. Provo is a difficult place to play. No doubt, ASU faithful haven't forgotten the 2021 game in which the Sun Devils had more than 100 yards in penalties and struggled to get a play off. At one point, there were three straight false start penalties without a snap.

At Texas Tech, Oct. 17

Yes, the Sun Devils have to play both teams that played for the conference title on the road. The Red Raiders may not have Brendan Sorsby, but Will Hammond is a capable replacement. The Sun Devils played in Lubbock in 2024 in what was their first-ever road Big 12 game, so they at least go in knowing that atmosphere. They lost that game 30-22, but stunned the then No. 7 Red Raiders 26-22 in 2025. That result should be more motivation for Tech.

At Texas A&M, Sept. 12

This will be the second game of the season for both teams. Traveling into SEC territory is never an easy thing. The Sun Devils had trouble last season in Starkville, and that was against a Mississippi State team that had been a bottom-feeder in that conference. College Station is perhaps the most intimidating in the SEC, and the Aggies could very well be nationally ranked to start the season, on top of that. We'll know what this ASU team is made of early.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ranking the Arizona State football schedule, easiest to toughest