Picked to finish last in the 16-team Big 12, Arizona State jets to Texas one victory away from representing the conference in the 12-team College Football Playoff.The No. 15 Sun Devils can take the final step when they face No. 16 Iowa State in the conference title game on Saturday at Arlington, Texas.Arizona State (10-2) was a newcomer to the league and expected to be overmatched after going 3-9 in 2023. Instead, the Sun Devils storm into December as arguably the hottest team in the conference, winning five straight games to end the regular season.”I think that’s the fun part is we’ve gotten here,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. “We’re in a position to compete and win a championship. Not many people can say that at this time of year. Only two teams in our league can say that they put themselves in a position to win a championship and that’s the significance.”It’s about all the challenge is to get to this point that you’re one game away from accomplishing something that people said couldn’t be done. That’s significant.”Iowa State (10-2) regained its footing after their prospects for reaching the playoff shifted from certain to dire. The first 10-win season in the 133-year history of the program carried the Cyclones to Texas after they received some help from the teams ahead in the standings to end November.The Cyclones won their first seven games and were left reeling from consecutive losses to Texas Tech and Kansas that erased them from the CFP rankings entirely. Iowa State recovered with three straight victories.The program last won a conference championship since 1912. Their only other conference title was claimed in 1911.With BYU and Colorado dropped by late-season upsets, Iowa State, predicted to finish sixth in the Big 12, now needs one more win to find itself in the playoff.”It has been a crazy journey to get to this moment,” Cyclones safety Beau Freyler said. “I couldn’t give more thanks and praise to my teammates and the coaching staff, and everyone who’s touched this program for all they’ve done to push us.”Iowa State is powered by a standout passing attack. Rocco Becht has 3,021 yards passing to join Brock Purdy as the lone quarterbacks in school history to top 3,000 in a season on two occasions. Becht has 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions and rushed for seven scores in the regular season.Arizona State will be concerned with covering Becht’s top targets.Wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are the first duo in school history to top 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Higgins has 80 catches for 1,068 yards and nine touchdowns; Noel has 67 receptions for 1,013 yards and six scores.Cornerback Jontez Williams has four interceptions for a unit that has allowed 21 or more points on eight occasions.