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Westlake High School (Ohio) senior power forward Gavin Skelly committed to Northwestern on Monday.

Skelly, who is 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, also considered Bucknell, Elon, Florida Gulf Coast, Notre Dame and Stanford.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Skelly said. “They said they would offer me if I committed to them. ‘If you commit to us, we’ll commit to you.’ We kind of committed to each other.

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Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois could be just a blip on the Week 1 national radar, but the game's impact for the Hawkeyes can't be minimized.

Kirk Ferentz's crew comes off of its first losing regular season since 2000 and enters the fall with several glaring question marks, including quarterback. A win against a Northern Illinois program that reached the Orange Bowl last season, has won 23 games the past two seasons and is led by fringe Heisman Trophy candidate Jordan Lynch would boost confidence in Iowa, both inside and outside the program. A loss to the Huskies -- especially in blowout fashion -- could set the course for another lost season.

As The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette's Mike Hlas writes, the Northern Illinois opener is a perception-maker for Iowa.

For the Hawkeyes to restore some luster to their national image, beating Northern Illinois on Aug. 31 would be a good first step. A loss, though, would bring out a lot of sharp verbal and written pitchforks.

NIU is undoubtedly the perception-making game for Iowa this season. What about the other Big Ten teams? I took a look at potential perception-makers around the conference.

I'm a firm believer that perception is shaped early on, so for the purpose of this post, I only considered games in the first six weeks of the season (weekend of Aug. 31-weekend of Oct. 5).

Here are the perception-makers around the Big Ten …

ILLINOIS: Sept. 7 vs. Cincinnati

Tim Beckman's Illini have to show obvious improvement early on to avoid a here-we-go-again mentality in Champaign. Although Illinois must be careful with FCS Southern Illinois in the opener, it has a great opportunity to show things will be different as it hosts Cincinnati, a 10-win squad last season, in Week 2. Poor performances against Cincinnati and the following week against Washington in Chicago would brand Illinois a lost cause once again.

INDIANA: Sept. 21 vs. Missouri

It's a close call between the Missouri game and a Week 3 home contest against Bowling Green, which was a better team than the Tigers last season. But beating Bowling Green likely won't boost Indiana's perception, especially if the Hoosiers fall short the following week against an SEC foe. If Indiana completes non-league play at 4-0, ending with a victory against Missouri, it will be viewed as a potential surprise team entering Big Ten play.

IOWA: Aug. 31 vs. Northern Illinois

See above.

MICHIGAN: Sept. 7 vs. Notre Dame

The Wolverines have beaten Notre Dame in recent years without getting much of a perception boost, but the Irish are coming off of a perfect regular season and a national runner-up finish. This is a big moment for Wolverines quarterback Devin Gardner, who looks for a signature win early in his first full season as a starter. Michigan remains a talented but young team that will need to grow up in a hurry to contend for big things in 2013. The Notre Dame game provides a great chance to do so.

MICHIGAN STATE: Sept. 21 at Notre Dame

The Spartans look for a bounce-back season and need a validating win early on to boost their perception after falling short of expectations in 2012. Notre Dame provides by far the biggest challenge for Michigan State in non-league play, and Mark Dantonio's team tries to end a two-game slide against the Irish after winning three of the previous four under Dantonio. It's a huge opportunity for quarterback [fill in the blank] and a Spartans offense that managed only three points and 237 yards against Notre Dame last season.

MINNESOTA: Sept. 21 vs. San Jose State

The Gophers' non-league schedule is mostly uninspiring, but keep an eye on this Week 4 showdown with San Jose State. The Spartans won 11 games last season under Mike MacIntyre, now Colorado's coach, and boast one of the nation's top quarterbacks in David Fales, who finished third in the FBS in passing efficiency (170.8 rating). Although an Oct. 5 win at Michigan would transform Minnesota's perception, the Gophers must first get past San Jose State.

NEBRASKA: Sept. 14 vs. UCLA

This is one of the easiest picks on the list. Not only is UCLA by far Nebraska's biggest non-league test, but the Bruins appear to be the Huskers' most formidable challenge in the first two months of the season. A Nebraska win would help validate the impressive record the Huskers likely will have when the calendar flips to November. Another loss to the Bruins, who edged Nebraska last September at the Rose Bowl, would raise doubts about the Huskers' legitimacy even if they go on to pile up wins.

NORTHWESTERN: Oct. 5 vs. Ohio State

The Wildcats play two major-conference foes (Cal, Syracuse) in non-league play, but neither game has real perception-making potential. Besides, Northwestern has handled itself well in non-league play in recent years. The Ohio State game likely will be the most-anticipated home game for Northwestern in the Pat Fitzgerald era. Northwestern can transform its perception with a win, while a loss would reinforce the Wildcats as a good program that can't really beat the Big Ten's elite.

OHIO STATE: Sept. 28 vs. Wisconsin

The Buckeyes' non-league slate is pretty uninspiring, and while San Diego State (Week 2, home) or Cal (Week 3, road) could provide a few clues about Urban Meyer's squad, Ohio State will be heavy favorites in both contests. If Ohio State meets its preseason perception, it will handle Wisconsin at home fairly easily in Week 5. A shaky showing or a loss certainly would change the way people feel about the Buckeyes' chances to get to Pasadena, both for the Rose Bowl and for the BCS title game.

PENN STATE: Aug. 31 vs. Syracuse (at East Rutherford, N.J.)

It's a little dangerous to pick the opener for Penn State, which changed its perception during the course of last season after stumbling in its debut against Ohio. But there are new questions about Bill O'Brien's team, particularly at the quarterback spot as Christian Hackenberg or Tyler Ferguson takes control. Penn State faces another transitioning team in Syracuse at a neutral site. A strong performance could propel Penn State to a 5-0 start before Michigan visits Happy Valley on Oct. 12.

PURDUE: Aug. 31 at Cincinnati

The Boilers are one of the Big Ten's mystery teams as a new staff takes control. Purdue faces one of the nation's tougher non-league slates, going up against two BCS bowl teams from 2012 (Notre Dame, Northern Illinois) and another that won 10 games (Cincinnati). A victory at Nippert Stadium in Darrell Hazell's Boiler debut would give Purdue a nice confidence boost and force folks to take notice of the Boilers heading into their Week 3 home showdown against the rival Irish.

WISCONSIN: Sept. 14 at Arizona State

We'll learn a lot about Gary Andersen's Badgers in the first month of the season as they play two extremely challenging road games against Arizona State and Ohio State. Big Ten teams struggle mightily in Pac-12 venues, and Wisconsin's shaky secondary will be tested by quarterback Taylor Kelly and the high-powered Sun Devils offense. A win would give Wisconsin some confidence as it faces untested Ohio State in Week 5, while a loss could signal trouble ahead.

Notre Dame's return trip to Temple will have to wait another year.

The Irish, who host the Owls Aug. 31 in both teams' 2013 opener, will not travel to Philadelphia until the 2015 season, one year later than initially scheduled, a Temple spokesperson confirmed.

Temple interim athletic director Kevin Clark had told OwlsDaily.com last week that the 2014 contest was moved to 2015, at Lincoln Financial Field.

Notre Dame had no comment, as it is school policy to not speak on scheduling matters until a full season slate is released.

The move gives the Irish one less headache in ironing out their 2014 schedule, which currently has 13 opponents for just 12 spots. That season will be the first in which the school faces five ACC teams as part of its annual agreement accompanying the move of all of its sports other than football into the conference.

The most likely opponents to get dropped or moved from Notre Dame's 2014 slate are Rice, Purdue or Northwestern, all of which are currently slated to visit Notre Dame Stadium.

Notre Dame's current 2014 lineup also consists of games at annual rivals USC and Navy, plus a home game against rival Stanford and five ACC games -- at Florida State and Syracuse (in East Rutherford, N.J.); home against Louisville, North Carolina and Wake Forest.

The Irish will also play their final game against Michigan for the foreseeable future, at Notre Dame Stadium. And they agreed this June to keep their Nov. 8, 2014, visit to Arizona State, while canceling a 2017 contest that had been scheduled for South Bend, Ind.

The move of the Temple game to 2015 at least momentarily gives the Irish a full 12-game slate for that season: home games against Texas, UMass, Navy, USC, Boston College and Virginia Tech; road games at Purdue, Pitt, Stanford, Clemson, Virginia and Temple.

CHICAGO -- The timeline for college football recruiting seems to speed up by the day. Some schools, like Michigan, are now getting nearly all of their commitments from players who just finished their junior year of high school. Other programs are going even younger, with recent reports of oral commitments by 14-year-old eighth-graders.

An insatiable hunger for recruiting information has also turned high school prospects into stars right after they hit puberty. Heck, ESPN.com just recently published its first Junior 300, a listing of the top players in the Class of 2015.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald has some major concerns about where this is all going.

"We as a coaching body and the NCAA have got to get a grasp on this, in my opinion, to be able to shift the needle back to what's important," he said at Big Ten media days on Thursday.

The Wildcats already have 13 commitments for 2014. But Fitzgerald remembers receiving his scholarship offer to Northwestern after his senior year of high school. He wonders if recruiting guys before their senior year is the right way to go.

"I'm not saying it's an epidemic, but I've talked to some of my colleagues, and it's almost like their senior year becomes a non-year," Fitzgerald said. "You've got to get them going again fundamentally, things like running through the line. All the little things they worked their butts off doing to be able to get on the radar to be a recruit, all of a sudden they forget those because of the process."

And Fitzgerald is not real happy with what the process is doing for the egos of teenage recruits.

"The glorification of 15-year-old kids is at an astronomical high," he said. "You think about some of these kids that have been jet-setted around the country at 15 and have people telling them how good they are. Then they get to college, and they're going to get their lips knocked off and they're going to fail and they're not going to know how to deal with it. We're spending more time coaching kids how to get through that and how to manage that than we ever have before.

"I was scared when I went to college. I had no idea what to expect. And now, I talk to some of my colleagues, and they're like, 'These guys think they're the best thing ever.'"

Fitzgerald can't avoid recruiting players before their senior year if he wants to field a competitive team. But he says he only has junior-year recruits visit his office on campus, rather than going to see them in their family's living room. And he says he tries to make sure committed prospects don't suffer from senioritis.

"We've got 13 guys going into their senior year, and I've told them, "You don't play for us, but I will be talking to your coach,'" he said. "'And if I find out in any way shape or form that you're not busting your [butt] and giving it everything you've got to be a great leader and a great teammate, you and I are not going to be on very good terms."

Fitzgerald said he envisions the NCAA taking away practice time from college teams, perhaps a reference to Jim Delany's comments about a possible stricter enforcement of the 20-hour rule. That might make high school senior seasons even more important.

"Kids are going to have to develop more in high school than they are right now," Fitzgerald said, "or they are going to be behind when they get to our places."

Big Ten bloggers Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett will be joined by BuckeyeNation’s Austin Ward, NittanyNation’s Josh Moyer and WolverineNation’s Michael Rothstein to bring you live coverage of Big Ten media days from the Hilton Chicago. Send along any questions or comments below or @ESPN_Big Ten and join us at 10 a.m. ET.

Big Ten bloggers Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett will be joined by national columnist Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com's Matt Fortuna, BuckeyeNation’s Austin Ward, NittanyNation’s Josh Moyer and WolverineNation’s Michael Rothstein to bring you live coverage of Big Ten media days from the Hilton Chicago. Send along any questions or comments below or @ESPN_Big Ten and join us at 10 a.m. ET.

Wisconsin deputy athletic director Sean Frazier has been named Northern Illinois' athletic director, a source said Tuesday.

Read the entire story.

Jesse Palmer analyzes why the following teams will be on the rise this season: Ole Miss, Arizona State, Fresno State, Northwestern and Baylor.

Venric Mark is having a good summer.

The Northwestern star has added strength to his 5-foot-8 frame. He's already been named to the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell and Paul Hornung awards. And on Sunday, he got hired by Acquirent, a consulting and outsourcing business based in Evanston, Ill. While Mark doesn't yet know what his exact role or hours will be with the company, he hopes to work there while juggling schoolwork and football duties.

It's a different kind of summer in many ways than the one Mark experienced last year. Back then, he was still known mostly as a speedy kick returner who'd played some receiver and could maybe offer a change of pace at running back. No one predicted he'd finish with 1,366 rushing yards or be named an All-America return specialist.

This summer, for really the first time, Mark must deal with the pressure of expectations. But it's something the senior says he welcomes.

"The pressure is there, and it's going to be there," he told ESPN.com. "You just have to do what you can do. Now that I've accomplished everything I've accomplished, I'm nowhere near satisfied. Myself and my team, we're all coming in with very high expectations."

Mark posted the sixth-highest single-season rushing total in Northwestern history, became the first Wildcat to eclipse 1,000 yards since 2006 and was just 29 yards shy of Damien Anderson's record for total offense with 2,166 yards. As for his goals in 2013?

"I just want to go above what I did last year," he said. "Not be complacent, not just obtain what I have already done but try to reach past that. I couldn't even tell you really what the school records are. But if they're over what I got last year, well, I plan on getting over what I got."

To do that, Mark will need to stay on the field and stay a little healthier than he was last year. While he managed to take 226 carries, averaging 17 per game, he got knocked out of several games early and was limited toward the end of the year with a shoulder injury. Durability concerns are always going to trail a guy his size.

"The number one thing is, he's got to continue to improve from standpoint of strength and size," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "His body weight is up, his strength numbers are up. He's now understanding what it takes day in, day out and how to manage his body."

Mark said he weighs 173 right now and aims to get to 180 by the time Northwestern reports to training camp next month. His conditioning program this summer has revolved around adding flexibility and explosion in the hips and adding mass by lifting heavier weights with shorter reps.

"It should allow me to dish out harder hits and to withstand harder hits throughout the season," he said.

Mark said he's also working on getting faster by refocusing on the running form and techniques he learned as a track star in high school. That must be a grim prospect for defenders who watched him fly by them on special teams last year. Mark averaged 18.7 yards per punt return with two touchdowns, which would have led the Big Ten and ranked No. 2 nationally had he gotten enough attempts to qualify.

While it's not easy to get 22 guys together to simulate punt returns during the summer, Mark said it's nonetheless an art he practices every day. Often, he'll catch punts with a couple of gunners and maybe a few blockers around during voluntary workouts.

"It requires a lot of work," he said. "It's not something you can just show up and do. Yes, it takes a lot of instinct, but you have to know how to track the ball while still running to a spot while still looking down and understanding when to fair catch and when not to fair catch. So these are the things I'm always working on."

Mark wants to go out with a big senior year and help Northwestern compete for a Big Ten title. He'll also want to show pro scouts that he's got what it takes to succeed at the next level despite his stature. That's a lot of pressure, and Fitzgerald doesn't want his star player worrying about it all.

"I want him to have fun," he said. "This should be the most fun he's ever had playing the game. He's really worked hard to put himself in position to have a special season, and I just want him to go out and enjoy it."

So far this summer, Mark appears to be doing just that.

ESPN has ranked the top 25 college football games from the 2012 season, with ESPNU airing an 11-day stretch of all of the games starting on July 17. An ESPN Stats & Info team, led by our Brad Edwards, ranked game Nos. 25-6, with fans having the chance to vote for the top five.

You won't find any Notre Dame appearances in the top-five, but the Irish do check in twice in the top-10: first at No. 9 against Stanford, then at No. 7 against Pitt.

The five finalists feature three Alabama games: against Texas A&M, LSU and Georgia. Oregon-Stanford and Michigan-South Carolina are the other two finalists.

Fans can rank the top-five here.

My two cents: The Notre Dame-Stanford game got short-changed. Yes, the Pitt game may have had more on the line (for one team, at least) and had more twists and turns, but the Cardinal game had everything a football fan could hope for: The elements, the rivalry, the comeback, the back-up quarterback saving the day and, of course, the goal-line stand. ("College GameDay" being on-hand certainly turned the atmosphere up a notch, too.)

I'd throw that contest over the Michigan-South Carolina Outback Bowl, which featured the big Jadeveon Clowney hit and a back-and-forth final frame, but lacked the stakes that Notre Dame-Stanford and the other top-four games had.

Nothing, however, touches the SEC title game in my mind.

Chicago St. Rita senior forward Vic Law committed to Northwestern coach Chris Collins on Thursday and became the highest-ranked recruit in the program’s history.

Law, a 6-foot-8, 190-pound small forward, chose Northwestern over Dayton, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Stanford and VCU. He is ranked No. 66 by ESPN in the Class of 2014.

“There’s nothing like being No. 1,” Law said of becoming the first top-100 recruit ever to commit to Northwestern. “Knowing that, I really believe in coach Collins. I think [Northwestern] can go to the [NCAA tournament] this year. I think the sky’s the limit for them and they can only go up. I really believe in coach Collins. I just think he has a great basketball mind.”

St. Rita coach Gary DeCesare, a former Division I assistant coach, thinks Law and Northwestern are perfect for each other.

“I think it’s an all-around fit for everyone,” DeCesare said. “As far as Vic playing, his greatest characteristic is his versatility. He’s a very skilled wing with great size. He has an ability to knock down shots and create shots. Defensively, he can guard multiple positions, which is a huge plus.

“He’s been a three-year starter for me. Every year, he’s gotten better and better. There aren’t too many guys who are 6-8 and can knock down the deep 3 and get to the rim and finish. If he puts his mind to it, he can be one of the best players in the state.”

Law believes he is just the start for Northwestern in attracting top-100 players.

“I’m going to bring in some guys with me,” Law said. “I’m not worried about it. Being No. 1 means nothing until there’s No. 2.”

Law averaged 15 points and seven rebounds last season for St. Rita of the Chicago Catholic League.

Northwestern assistant coach Armon Gates was the lead recruiter on Law.

Collins was hired in late March to replace Bill Carmody, who was fired after 13 seasons. Northwestern has never been to the NCAA tournament.

Law is Northwestern’s first Class of 2014 recruit.

Former Illinois guard Brandon Paul has been invited to a second workout with the Chicago Bulls on Monday prior to the NBA draft, according to Paul’s mother.

Paul, a 6-foot-4, 201-pound shooting guard, has previously worked out for the Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and New York Knicks leading up to the draft on Thursday. He most recently worked out with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

ESPN NBA draft analyst Chad Ford has Paul ranked No. 70 on his top-100 draft list and expects Paul to either be drafted in the second round or go undrafted.

The Bulls select in the first round at No. 20 overall and in the second round at No. 49 overall.

According to a league source, Paul has the potential to be drafted in the second round because of his shooting ability.

“The draft is right around the NBA Finals, and if you’re a wing player and not a shooter in the last couple of years, it’s been hard to get on the floor in the NBA Finals unless you’re someone like Tony Allen or a defensive freak,” the source said.

“Listen, everyone missed on [San Antonio Spurs guard] Gary Neal. When [general managers] miss on guys in the NBA, they’re oversensitive when another player like that comes around. They don’t want to miss a second time. [Paul] was a top-five, top-seven [player] in the Big Ten and can shoot it. They want to make sure he’s not overlooked.”

Paul averaged 16.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals and shot 40.1 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from 3-point range during his senior season at Illinois last year. He scored 35 points on 10-of-16 shooting in a win over Gonzaga as a senior and had 43 points on 11-of-15 shooting against Ohio State as a junior.

Paul grew up in the Chicago suburb of Gurnee, Ill., and was selected as Illinois’ Mr. Basketball out of Warren High School in 2009.

Notre Dame landed its first commitment Saturday for the class of 2015, one day after picking up its 12th pledge for the class of 2014.

Six-foot-seven, 312-pound offensive tackle Jerry Tillery (Shreveport, La./Evangel Christian) became the latest big-time line prospect to commit to the Irish, picking the program during a visit Saturday over offers from Arkansas, Ole Miss, Stanford and others.

"I’m done with the recruiting process. I’m committed to Notre Dame,” Tiller told ESPN's Jared Shanker . “There’s a stark difference between Notre Dame and any SEC school, because ND attracts pretty adept people to come to their university, as opposed to where I’ve been. I think there will be more people like me at Notre Dame. That’s why I chose Notre Dame.”

On Friday, class of 2014 punter Tyler Newsome (Carrollton, Ga./Carrollton) committed to Notre Dame.

Chicago Curie High School power forward Cliff Alexander, ESPN's No. 2-ranked junior prospect, announced a list of 10 schools he's considering on Friday.

Read the entire story.

Notre Dame and the Pac-12 clash three times in 2013. First, it's Arizona State on Oct. 5 in Arlington, Texas. Then, the Irish host USC on Oct. 19 before closing out the season Nov. 30 at Stanford. Is any one of the three games more intriguing than the others? Notre Dame blogger Matt Fortuna and Pac-12 blogger Kevin Gemmell weigh in.

Matt Fortuna: The USC game is the USC game. It's another night game at Notre Dame Stadium, and we all know the Irish do not want a repeat of 2011, when the Trojans beat them from start to finish in the building's first night contest in 21 seasons, which all but ended the Irish's BCS bowl hopes in the middle of the season.

The Arizona State game comes at a crucial time for both teams -- sandwiched between the Irish's Oklahoma tilt and their bye and following a three-week stretch of Wisconsin, Stanford and USC for the Sun Devils. But I've still got my eyes on Stanford, for a number of reasons.

For one, Notre Dame and Stanford seem to mirror each other, from the classroom standards to the smash-mouth, defensive-oriented style of football both displayed during BCS bowl seasons in 2012. One needs to look no further than last Oct. 13, with "College GameDay" in town and the rain coming down hard in South Bend, Ind.

It wasn't just that the Irish finally beat the Cardinal that day, it was the way that they did it -- utilizing an overtime goal-line stand to top a team that, in victories in the three seasons prior, had outrushed Notre Dame by a 642-208 margin.

Notre Dame outgained Stanford on the ground in their 2012 matchup.

Stanford was the standard, and Notre Dame passed it in fitting fashion.

When the Irish topped USC six weeks later to clinch a BCS title game spot, athletic director Jack Swarbrick said that the Stanford game was what made him think the program had turned a corner and could pull off the run it did last fall. When Stanford topped Wisconsin to win the Rose Bowl, Cardinal coach David Shaw called the Irish contest a turning point, as the team went on to win its final eight games.

With this season's game serving as both teams' regular-season finale, the stakes might be even higher.

Sure, the loss of quarterback Everett Golson hurts Notre Dame's chances at reaching another BCS title game. But the program is still in position to compete for a BCS bowl bid, and the final hurdle this fall might be the program it has begun to mirror in so many ways recently.

As for Stanford? Well, for a Cardinal program consistently popping up in preseason top-five conversations, and with its conference title-game fate already decided before this contest, Notre Dame might be the biggest thing standing between Stanford and another trip to Pasadena, Calif. -- this time with stakes much higher than last season.

Kevin Gemmell: No doubt, that game has plenty of intrigue, but I'm really eyeing the Arizona State game. And had I gone first in this Take 2, I still would go with Arizona State.

First, nationally televised games on neutral fields smack-dab in the middle of the season should naturally perk the ears up. Second, these two teams have stirred the pot in recent weeks, with the Sun Devils staring down the Irish to keep that 2014 game in Tempe, Ariz. Third, I think it's going to be an outstanding football game.

This is a big push season for the Sun Devils -- who feel like they have the personnel and depth to make a run at not just the South Division, but maybe the Rose Bowl. Their quarterback is efficient, their running back tandem is explosive and their defensive front seven might be as good as any in the Pac-12.

And I think the Sun Devils will be able to put up some points. Marion Grice and D.J. Foster form as dynamic a running back combination in the country, combining for 25 touchdowns last season on the ground and through the air. Taylor Kelly should be an even better quarterback this season after posting a 67.1 completion percentage in his first season as a starter, with 29 touchdowns to nine interceptions. And Chris Coyle is one of the top tight ends on the West Coast. If the junior college transfers ASU is expecting in the fall pan out at wide receiver, the Sun Devils will have one of the most diverse offenses in the league.

I'm also really excited to see how Will Sutton, Carl Bradford and the rest of the front seven do against Notre Dame's traditionally beastly offensive fronts -- headlined by left tackle Zack Martin. Last season, only five FBS players had 80-plus tackles, 20-plus tackles for a loss and 10-plus sacks. Three of them are gone. The remaining two are in the Pac-12. Bradford is one of them. And in case anyone forgot, Sutton, an All-American, had 13 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss.

As Matt notes, this game comes at the tail end of what could be a character- and season-defining four-game stretch for the Sun Devils. Just two weeks earlier, that ASU defensive front will have faced one of the best offensive lines in the country in Stanford. However that game turns out, there's probably going to be a lot of self-scouting and lessons learned. The Sun Devils will know what they are made of before they set foot in Texas. And, a propos of noting, I also find it ironic that Notre Dame will be scouting ASU from consecutive weeks of Stanford and USC film.

Just as the Stanford game was a turning point for both teams last season, the Arizona State game could have a similar impact in 2013.