A throng of media members filled the Carson Center Dutson Theater on Saturday afternoon to take part in ASU football media day, and SB Nation Arizona was on hand to ask the big questions about the 2011 Sun Devils.
The day began with Brock Osweiler and Gerell Robinson taking the podium.
Osweiler spoke highly of the team chemistry so far in camp, noting that the hard work the team put into offseason workouts really helped develop team unity early on.
Confident in his role as the starting quarterback of the Sun Devils, Osweiler was eager to come forward as the key leader of the team.
"It's my offense now," Osweiler said. "I need to be the leader of it, and I need to perform on a daily basis."
With this confidence comes an important question: can Osweiler live up to the expectations of the media, who have chalked ASU up as the dark horse of the Pac-12 South?
"When that game's on the line, I want to be the person out there making the decision," Osweiler said. "I trust myself, but more importantly, it's my teammates around me. I'll take that pressure any day, I'll take these guys into battle anywhere, any team in this country."
Clearly, Osweiler believes the Sun Devils are ready for prime time. Robinson, a senior wide receiver, also thinks highly of ASU's chances in 2011.
"As much as everybody wants to go to the Rose Bowl, I mean, I've been to California. I haven't been to New Orleans yet... that's our mindset, to be honest with you," Robinson said, drawing a few chuckles from the media.
While all this talk sounds a bit unrealistic from a team that went 6-6 in 2010 and has failed to qualify for a bowl game since the 2007 season, there's no doubting that they have put in the effort necessary to find success in the Pac-12.
"If you guys have been in this building since we started our winter workouts from day one to the end of summer conditioning, you guys would all understand why we're saying what we are," Osweiler said. "This team has worked harder than any team I've ever been a part of in my life.
"The mindset of this team is unbelievable right now. The confidence we have, the energy, the family atmosphere that we've created around the building -- there's a lot of really special things going on around here. We're not destined for a 6-6 bowl game. We're not destined for a 7-5 bowl game. We know this team can do bigger things."
For the first time in years, Sun Devils fans might start to believe the hype.
There will be a lot more ASU media day coverage coming up over the next week. Check out House Of Sparky for more, and keep coming to SB Nation Arizona for your Sun Devils news.