Berry Tramel: Don’t blame the Big 12 media for Arizona State’s slow rise in 2024

The whispers from within the Big 12 corridors suggest a peculiar narrative emerging around Arizona State's inaugural season in their new conference home. There's a perceived notion, reportedly held by none other than the Big 12 commissioner, that Arizona State was somehow "harmed" by its lowly 16th-place selection in the 2024 preseason conference poll. The implication seems to be that this perceived slight from the media has somehow kneecapped the Sun Devils before they even take the field, setting them on a trajectory for a "slow rise." But to suggest that a preseason ranking, a mere projection based on available information, is a significant impediment to a program's on-field success is to fundamentally misunderstand the dynamics of college football and, frankly, to deflect from the true challenges facing Tempe.