Photo: Ben Margot/AP

For about the last 5 weeks or so, it’s been all doom and gloom for the 2008 Arizona State Sun Devils. It started back in September with the overtime loss to UNLV, and well, it hasn’t stopped yet. By the way, in case you’re wondering, UNLV is 1-2 since then and has given up 121 points in those 3 games.

But this is supposed to be optimistic damn it, and so it will be. SI.com’s college football writers have revamped their season predictions after 7 weeks of the season. Sit down Sun Devil fans, none of them picked ASU to rebound and win the BCS National Championship. But, the writers were asked to name the team they felt would have the most surprising second half. A couple of them picked Cincinnati, a couple picked Cal, but Gennaro Filice selected, you guessed it, Arizona State.

On the heels of their fourth-consecutive loss, the Sun Devils (2-4) get this week off. After the break, though, their schedule significantly lightens up; ASU’s remaining opponents are a combined 15-22.

There’s no doubting that the schedule gets easier. After Oregon, the combined record of the teams on ASU’s docket is 10-20. I’m starting to get the feeling the more I think about the rest of the season, the Devils will win at the very least 6, and more likely 7 games.

A bowl game is a bowl game, right?