We are halfway through the teams of the Conference of (real NCAA) Champions and its individual schools on Pac-12 Friday. Now it is time to head to the Southwest and take on the Arizona State Sun Devils, who joined the conference in 1978 along with its Territorial Cup rivals. Over 45 seasons of football, the Sun Devils have won three league titles, while also making 23 trips to postseason bowl games for the Pac-12.

5. 1981

Despite a 9-2 record, ASU did not get a bowl invite: the Sun Devils were actually on probation due to violations committed during the transition from the Western Athletic Conference to the Pac-10. The only two losses came on the road to Washington State and UCLA, as Arizona State featured the No. 1 offense in the country. This helped the Sun Devils to the No. 11 SRS ranking overall, finishing 16th in the media poll.

4. 2013

Posting a 10-4 record, ASU unfortunately lost both the Pac-12 Championship Game and then the Holiday Bowl to end the season. However, the Sun Devils still ended up No. 7 in the SRS rankings overall and No. 21 in the Associated Press poll, thanks to the No. 10 offense and a No. 3 SOS rating. Prior to the end of the year, ASU had only lost away games to Stanford and Notre Dame. A 37-point win in the Territorial Cup was nice.

3. 1982

Despite being ineligible for TV coverage in the regular season, these Sun Devils went 10-2 and won the Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma. ASU ended up No. 6 in both the SRS rankings and the AP poll, with the No. 3 defense in the nation. But after starting 9-0, two losses at the end of the conference schedule to Washington and then Arizona kept the Sun Devils out of the Rose Bowl. It was impressive that the team rallied at all.

2. 1986

ASU finally reached its first Rose Bowl, beating Michigan, 22-15, and putting a stamp on a 10-1-1 season that saw the Sun Devils finish No. 4 in the AP poll and No. 5 in the SRS rankings overall. Furthermore, ASU had the No. 9 offense, the No. 9 defense, and the No. 10 SOS rating in the country. The only loss, regrettably, came against Arizona in the Territorial Cup, and that may have prevented the Sun Devils from the MNC.

1. 1996

The best Arizona State squad in the school’s association with Pac-10/12 resulted in an 11-1 record, a No. 4 AP ranking, and a No. 5 finish in the overall SRS rankings. It could have been better, but the Sun Devils lost a heartbreaking Rose Bowl matchup to Ohio State in the final seconds. ASU ended No. 4 on offense and No. 19 on defense, while spending the final three months of the season in the national Top 5. Never any shame …