Despite all the mayhem around CFP rankings, Arizona State is still in control of its destiny. Yes, they are. The math is simple. Clinch a win in Arlington, Texas, against the Iowa State Cyclones and get the ticket to the college football playoff with an automatic bid as a bonus. But the Sun Devils can’t just dodge their trend of appearing against the big teams without one or the other key weapons. Earlier in the season, they played a road game at Cincinnati without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt and a home game vs. UCF without starting running back Cam Skattebo. Now, they will have to make the last shot to their playoff hope without No. 1 wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. What does it mean for Kenny Dillingham’s historic aim?

ESPN analyst Pete Thamel dropped a disappointing stance on their injury horror. While the team has had a solid lineup to make it to the playoffs within just one year of their conference arrival, Thamel believes Tyson’s absence will give them a hard time whatsoever. “The loss of Jordan Tyson as receiver of the Arizona State to me is punitive. He is nearly double, not quite, but nearly double the amount of catches at the receiver position than the rest of the position of the Sun Devils and nearly amount of yards as the rest of the position.”

Tyson took a nasty bump on his shoulder in the third quarter of Arizona State’s 49-7 win over Arizona last weekend and left the field with a season-ending injury. He had surgery, and thankfully, he’s healing quite well. A blockbuster return in the next season is what you can expect from the Texas native, but as far as this year is concerned, he’s done for good. He had a tragic end to his unfathomable momentum this season, but the whooping 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns can still make an argument for him being the season’s best, at the least.

Tyson brought out a banger in the Sun Devils’ two biggest games of the season: on the road against Kansas State and at home against No. 14 BYU. He stunned the CFB world, amassing a total of 21 receptions for 301 yards and 2 touchdowns. How does the No. 16 fare for his unavailability in such a crucial win? Let’s hear from the coach, Dillingham, and the fellow receivers on the team.

What will coach Kenny Dillingham’s alternative plan be without Jordan Tyson? 

The coach is upset about not being able to use his smartest machine on the field in a significant game, but he doesn’t give up hope. In a pre-game press meeting, Dillingham noted that the team had prior experience of playing without key contributors. So they can do it again. While the void of the 20-year-old feels indispensable, other boys have enough fire left in them to deal with the sudden inconvenience. That’s why we call football a team game, where if one falls behind, the other takes up in no time. The veteran HC is yet to make up his mind whom to be trusted the most in the absence of Tyson, all he knows the versatility will make the process a challenge.

“There’s some advantages in looking a little bit different because you have to give a variety of people the ball. Nobody can just replace JT. But I think it’s a great challenge for those guys together and our guys as a whole,” said the former Oregon OC.

But if you scout through the potential backup of Tyson, senior wide receiver Xavier Guillory seems to be the first and foremost choice. The stand-out receiver was spotted spending a few extra minutes on practice ahead of the big game. His extra effort can help him to step up and lead a shorthanded team to a potential playoff berth. When asked about the possible role change, Guillory noted the team will go out and play with all they have. While the absence of Tyson is haunting, they will see it as a part of the game and stick to their game plan.

Coming to the bottom line, the third-best in the team, as per the receiving yards, had a solid start to be put forward to leapfrog the Iowa State battle. The rest depend on their fate and execution.