Arizona at No. 13 ASU

Mike Ritter, football beat writer:

I’ve been dreading this moment ever since I realized the Wildcats could become bowl-eligible with a win over ASU. My season record is 6-5 and Arizona’s season record is 5-6. Will both records even out at 6-6? We’ll see. I can’t decide. It’s too hard. College Gameday’s Robert Smith says Arizona will win, even though it’s seven-point underdogs on the road. I just can’t bring myself to picking a win, although I would not be shocked. As Spencer Larsen said, “”In rivalry games, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done all season to that point.””

ASU 45, Arizona 42

Ari Wasserman, football beat writer:

Every single time the Arizona football team plays a game with something at stake, it “”tightens up”” up like the auto insurance commercial. With that being said, expect Arizona to do something different this time around. The Wildcats are going to stun the Sun Devils like the security guards outside of the Zona Zoo section did to the students before the NAU game. The players have said head coach Mike Stoops has been loose over the past few weeks, and it has showed. The Wildcats will surprise the Scum Devils like they are on “”Candid Camera,”” except the only joke here is the ASU football program.

Arizona 26, ASU 24

Brian Kimball, sports writer:

These two teams are headed in opposite directions, but will it matter? In 2004, a bad Arizona team beat a No. 20 ASU team, 34-27. That Sun Devils team later won the Sun Bowl. The next year another bad UA squad lost in Tempe on a last-second field goal, 23-20. Who knows what will happen this year, but ASU’s O-line still can’t stop a pass rush, which means more bad things for Rudy Carpenter.

Arizona 34, ASU 27

Tom Knauer, copy chief:

Kudos to Antoine Cason for showing “”rivalry spirit”” and rooting for USC to beat ASU last week. Problem is, the Trojans’ victory eliminated the Wildcats’ best chance at pulling an upset tomorrow. Now that the Sun Devils need a win to (maybe) win the Pacific 10 Conference, Arizona can’t pull off another of those “”beat a better team looking ahead”” upsets that have inexplicably marked the Mike Stoops era. Plus, the ‘Cats need a win to (maybe) make a bowl game. Count on Arizona to fold like … Cason in last year’s matchup.

ASU 41, Arizona 27