Just two years ago, the Herm Edwards era at Arizona State ended. The era that saw them land in NCAA probation amidst recruiting scandals had thrown the Sun Devils program awry and left the team at a crisis point. The team was coming off of a 3-9 season with little momentum around them. 

Needing to find some hope for the future, they hired Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, an Arizona State alum. The Ducks were coming off of a 10-3 season with one of the most productive offenses in college football. 

As soon as Dillingham was hired, things shifted inside the program. Dillingham understood the environment and the standards at Arizona State and immediately began instilling the right culture inside the building. 

He began installing a staff that understood the Arizona area. Hiring Charlie Ragle, a longtime coach in Arizona and California as the team's Chief of Staff, bringing in local high school coaching legend Jason Mohns as the tight ends coach, and keeping running backs coach Shaun Aguano were moves designed to capitalize on the recruiting bed Arizona State should be hitting. 

Things didn't immediately pan out. In year one, the Sun Devils went 3-9. They were competitive in a few games, most notably a one-score loss to natty-runner-up Washington, but they were blown out by Utah and Arizona in embarrassing fashion. Then, the changes started coming. 

They parted ways with offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin. Wide receivers coach Ra'Shaad Samples left to join the Oregon coaching staff. The team moved conferences into the Big 12. 

Nevertheless, Dillingham stayed the course. He kept his high-energy approach and it paid off. The Sun Devils landed players like Sam Leavitt in the transfer portal and brought in coaches like Marcus Arroyo and Hines Ward to replace the ones who left. 

Entering the season, belief outside the program never matched the culture inside. They were picked to finish last in the conference in preseason polls, and many were wondering if Dillingham might be on his way out soon. 

Now? Arizona State just might be representing the Big 12 in the college football playoff. In the latest Playoff rankings, Arizona State was the 12-seed and projected to take on Ohio State to open up the playoffs.

The 12-team Playoff, as currently projected: pic.twitter.com/HlLgEWuHue

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) November 27, 2024

The best part about the Sun Devils is that they are exactly like their head coach. The energy and precision they play with make them one of the most enjoyable teams to watch every week. The staff has maximized the talent of the roster and has them playing with a fiery passion on every play of every drive.

The offense boasts a higher EPA/Play than Texas. They have a higher success rate than Tennessee and Georgia. They are allowing fewer yards on the ground than Notre Dame. Production-wise, this Arizona State team belongs in this picture, there's zero doubt about it. 

To Dillingham and the rest of the coaching staff, this didn't come as a surprise. They knew what they were building and the kind of culture he was setting. Nobody expected them to be here. They arrived anyway. 

Just two years after one of the lowest points in Arizona State history, they are on the doorstep of making the College Football Playoffs. Forget about "Should they be here", forget about "Where will Dillingham coach next". None of that matters right now. 

Instead, think about how impressive a turnaround this is. Think about what this means for a program like Arizona State. It's criminal that we aren't talking about it more than we are. This is one of the most impressive campaigns I have ever seen at this level and speaks to the ability of Dillingham as a leader. As he continues to grow as a head coach, I'm excited to see what the future holds, for him and Arizona State.