Deion Sanders shouts out Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State after College Football Playoff loss

Arizona State fell short in the College Football Playoff semifinal, losing to Texas 39-31 in double overtime on New Year’s Day.

Featuring a 16-point fourth quarter comeback and appearing to be in the driver’s seat during the first extra period, the Sun Devils can hold their heads high knowing they gave everything they had.

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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders praised Arizona State and its head coach Kenny Dillingham for their efforts this season, which saw the Sun Devils win the Big 12 and earn a first-round bye in the CFP.

Coach Prime tagged Dillingham in a post on X after the game.

“You represented all of us from the @Big12 well my brother,” the tweet reads. “We are proud of u and your team. God bless u all. You’re awesome COTY.”

Deion Sanders and Kenny Dillingham’s teams did not meet during the regular season depsite being in the same conference. However, the coaches faced off in 2023 when both teams were members of the Pac-12 Conference.

Colorado defeated Arizona State 27-24 in Tempe during that matchup. Cam Skattebo rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown, which would have fans scratching their head after his heroic performance during the Peach Bowl.

Skattebo threw a touchdown pass, rushed for two more scores and was the leading receiver for Arizona State during the Peach Bowl. Doing everything in his power to help his team come back, he totaled 242 offensive yards during the contest. He finsihed the day with 30 carries for 143 yards during the afternoon.

As Coach Prime noted, the gutsy, come-from-behind performance by Arizona State represented to Big 12 Conference well in the playoff. The only team from the conference to make the field, the Big 12 largely flew under the radar during the regular season while many paid attention to the SEC and Big Ten.

Meanwhile, teams like Arizona State, Colorado, Iowa State and BYU were gaining momentum. Arizona State was the team that ultimately took the brass ring, but any of those teams had a shot at earning their way into the conference championship game, and in turn the 12-team field during the final weeks of the regular season.

Now that the season was written itself, it’s all respect from Boulder to Tempe.