Arizona State is ranked No. 7, its highest spot since 1996, and is 7-0, including 4-0 in the Pac-10, but the Sun Devils don't have many national believers.
That could all change after Saturday's home game with No. 17 Cal (5-2, 2-2), with Arizona State -3 at WagerWeb.com.
Arizona State was not in the AP's preseason top 25, but first-year Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson's 7-0 start is the best in school history, and he's the first coach to win his first four Pac-10 games at ASU.
However, ASU's first four conference opponents are a combined 4-13. Cal was No. 2 in the country before back-to-back last-minute losses to Oregon State and UCLA. ASU's overall schedule is only ranked 97th.
"Now we're going to get tested," Erickson said. "Our team knows that. We're very realistic about where we're at and the direction that we're trying to go in.
"Even though they've lost a couple games, we're playing one of the best teams in the country. And obviously they can't afford to lose another game in the league if they want to have any opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl. So we're going to have play pretty good, I'm afraid."
It's the beginning of a murderous stretch for the Sun Devils, who next play at Oregon, at UCLA and at home against USC.
"I've never been around a stretch like that, but I knew that going into the season. We knew what we were getting into and we knew how the schedule was. That's not going to change. That won't change at all," Erickson said.
ASU is led on offense by QB Rudy Carpenter. Carpenter went 20-of-31 for 227 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the Sun Devils' 44-20 victory over Washington in their last game and has thrown for 1,064 yards, nine TDs and five picks in Pac-10 play. The Sun Devils are second in the Pac-10 in scoring (37.7 points per game) and offense (437.3 yards per game).However, ASU will be without starting running back Ryan Torain, who suffered a season-ending toe injury.
The senior had started six of the seven games for the Sun Devils, rushing for 553 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 100 yards and two scores. Torain will be replaced by a tandem of Keegan Herring and Dimitri Nance.
"There's a little bit more pressure on me," said Herring, who will start. "The guys want to see me step up."
Cal's offense will give ASU problems. QB Nate Longshore, running back Justin Forsett (second in Pac-10 in averaging 115.9 rushing yards a game) and receiver DeSean Jackson may be the nation's best skill position trio.
"It's hard because of the number of weapons that they have," Erickson said. "Who do you take away? That's the question you have to ask yourself."
The Bears can keep their slim Pac-10 title hopes alive with a victory.
"We're a couple plays away from being undefeated," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "It's important that we bounce back, that we still have confidence in who we are and what we're all about. We're still a good football team. But when you make mistakes, things happen in this conference, and you're not going to be successful."
The lowdown: ASU's season went south last year against Cal; the Sun Devils won their first three games before getting clocked 49-21 by the Bears to start a three-game losing streak on the way to finishing 7-6. Arizona State has been fortunate so far this season.
The Sun Devils trailed Colorado, 14-0, before rallying for a 33-14 win. Oregon State jumped out to a 19-0 lead on the Devils before finally falling, 44-32. And a bad Washington State team had a chance to take them to overtime but missed a late kick. Their luck ends on Saturday, as Cal wins this game in a shootout.
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