Led by second-year head coach John Cooper, the Sun Devils compiled an overall record of 10–1–1 with a mark of 5–1–1 in conference play, winning the Pac-10 title.
[1] A 16–9 win for Arizona State over UCLA in Pasadena on October 4 later proved to be the deciding game in the race for the Pac-10 Conference title.
The Sun Devils then defeated Oregon in Eugene and returned to Southern California to defeat USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, becoming the first Pac-10 team to beat both Los Angeles area conference members on their home turf.
With three straight wins at home over former Western Athletic Conference (WAC) nemesis Utah, Washington, and Cal, combined with a UCLA loss to Stanford, Arizona State clinched the Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl berth on November 8.
[1] The Sun Devils dropped their final game of the regular season to in-state rival Arizona, 34–17, in the annual Territorial Cup.