Dennis, Anyone?

We’re ready to move on. Honest. We won’t mention "his" name again because, like a bad relationship, we’ve had time to forget him. Instead, we’ll swoon over the new man in our pigskin lives, a dude that ain’t all talk and no action like some ex-field generals we know.

We’re talking about new ASU Sun Devils football coach Dennis Erickson. The Erickson who led the Miami Hurricanes to two national championships and put the bite back in the Beavs at Oregon State. A proven winner who has, in his corner, eight home games -- marquee matchups include a Turkey Day showdown with preseason No. 1 USC and an early-December Territorial Cup game versus the Tucson Mildcats -- and a five-deep running-back corps that may just be the best in the nation. Aw, we think we’re already in love.

The Devils open the ´07 season and a four-game home stand against the San Jose State Spartans, not a cupcake by any means, especially because they're led by a familiar nemesis in ex-UofA trickster Dick Tomey.