Two years ago, on Nov. 27, 2022, Kenny Dillingham was introduced as the new Arizona State head football coach. It was a job not many wanted. The cloud of an NCAA investigation was still hovering and penalties had not been doled out yet. The fan base was frustrated at the direction of the program under the previous leadership.

The turnaround for the Arizona State football team hasn't just generated buzz throughout the Big 12 or on the West Coast. The job Kenny Dillingham has done in Tempe has resonated nationwide, with the Sun Devils registering wins over nationally ranked foes in back-to-back weeks that have put them in the College Football Playoff picture.