Arizona State Vs. Arizona: 2010 College Football Predictions & TV Time

The 2010 college football game between PAC-10 rivals Arizona State Sun Devils and Arizona Wildcats (host) is set for Thursday December 2 (8:00 PM EST) at Arizona Stadium. ESPN will broadcast the much anticipated rivalry contest. This will be the only meeting between the Sun Devils and Wildcats in 2010. Arizona State ranks 7th in the PAC-10, with a 3-5 conference record; Arizona is third in the conference with a record of 4-4. This article provides TV time and predictions for the 2010 Arizona State-Arizona college football game.

1) Arizona State-Arizona Rivalry

Thursday's "Duel in the Desert" is the 84th meeting between in-state rivals Arizona State and Arizona. Since 2000, the Sun Devils and Wildcats have met 10 times with the former enjoying a 6-4 record. Although Arizona State dominated the early half of the decade, Arizona has been the better team of late winning the last two meetings. Moreover, the Wildcats come into this game as the #23 team in the country while the Sun Devils is a sub-par unranked team.

2) Brock Osweiler vs. Nick Foles

The 2010 Territorial Cup game between Arizona State and Arizona pits backup quarterback Brock Osweiler against junior QB Nick Foles. This will be the first head-to-head meeting between the two quarterbacks. Brock Osweiler, who has just one start this year, is taking over the starting QB position in place of the injured Steven Threet. Nick Foles, on the other hand, has started in all of Arizona's games this year. The 21-year old Foles is one of the top quarterbacks in the country, having thrown for 2649 yards with 16 TDs and a QB rating of 145. As for Osweiler, the young quarterback was impressive in last week's victory over UCLA with 4 touchdowns and 380 passing yards.

3) Dennis Erickson vs. Mike Stoops

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The Arizona State Sun Devils comes into the annual rivalry game, hoping to salvage another hugely disappointing season. Since winning the PAC-10 in 2007, Dennis Erickson's team has not once finished with a positive record. To be fair, the team plays in one of the toughest conferences in college football headlined by Oregon and Stanford. It is tough to have to go against the nation's premier teams on a regular basis. Statistically, the team is not quite as bad as its record indicates. The Sun Devils ranks 12th in the nation in passing yards and 32nd in points per game.

Arizona is looking to win an unprecedented three straight games against rival Arizona State. Mike Stoops' crew has every right to feel good about its chances of winning the contest, as the team currently sits in third place in college football's toughest conference. Stoops will look to starting quarterback Nick Foles, who is responsible for the team ranking 9th in the nation in passing yards per game, to have a strong game. As Arizona State is mediocre defensively, Foles could post big numbers this Thursday. Additionally, the Wildcats' defense has been very effective this season. This does not bode well for the Sun Devils, which relies mostly on its offense to win games.

My prediction for the 2010 college football rivalry game between Arizona and Arizona State: Mike Stoops and the Wildcats win three straight over rival Sun Devils. Kickoff time for the game is 8:00 PM EST. ESPN will broadcast the highly anticipated game.

Reference:
ESPN.COM