TEMPE, Ariz. — Sure, we could spend the next 600 words or so trying to pinpoint specific reasons for Arizona State's 27-10 loss to Georgia Saturday.

But is that really necessary?

The Sun Devils lost for the same reason they always lose to elite teams like Georgia, USC or Texas.

They're not good enough.

It's not a question of schemes or coaching or a few boneheaded plays here and there.

It's about athletes.

ASU doesn't have enough of them.

That was evident against Texas and USC last year, and again against Georgia.

The Bulldogs weren't anything special Saturday. In fact, they were sloppy and undisciplined, as evidenced by their 12 penalties for 104 yards.

But the difference in talent was so great that ASU couldn't take advantage of Georgia's mistakes.

The best example: Sophomore Omar Bolden is supposedly ASU's best cornerback. But he was torched time and again by Georgia freshman wide receiver A.J. Green, who finished with eight catches for 159 yards and one touchdown.

Heat and home-field advantage aren't worth much if the guy across the line of scrimmage is better than your guy.

"I think when there is a disparity across the board, you have to play a perfect game to win," linebacker Mike Nixon. "We didn't do that."

No statistic better illustrates ASU's status as a second-tier program than this: The Sun Devils are now 4-25 against ranked teams this decade. The combined score of their losses the past two seasons to USC, Oregon, Texas and Georgia: 159-91.

Dennis Erickson may have two championship rings, but until he imports the quality of athlete that plays for Georgia, he won't sniff a third.

"I don't think you know their speed until you sit there and watch it on the field," Erickson said.

It'd be simple to pin the defeat on ASU's running game. The Sun Devils ran for 4 yards.

That's right.

Four.

But that's just the most obvious deficiency. How about the fact that seven days after UNLV's Frank "The Tank" Summers shredded ASU's defense, Georgia running backs Knowshon Moreno and Caleb King combined for 189 yards?

Or what about the lack of a pass rush? ASU has five sacks in four games, and three of those games were against inferior competition.

"We've got to find a way to just make big plays on special teams, offense and defense," quarterback Rudy Carpenter said. "Until we do that, we're not going to be able to beat these teams."

If there's a consolation prize going forward, it's that ASU is done with its nonconference schedule. Up next are eight straight Pac-10 games, and other than USC, there isn't a quality club in the bunch.

(No, Arizona fans, beating UCLA on the road doesn't rate).

"The biggest thing we've got to preach is that we're 1-0 in the Pac-10," Nixon said. "We still have a chance to have a great season."

There's just one problem with that, Mike.

(Actually, there are a bunch of problems, but we'll narrow our focus).

The Sun Devils' next two games are at California and at USC. There's a very good chance that when ASU returns home Oct. 25 against Oregon, it will be 2-4.

"Obviously our schedule doesn't get a lot easier," Erickson said.

Can the Sun Devils make something of this season? Sure. They'll win six or seven games and play in one of those early December bowls that no one cares about.

But that's three months down the line. Today, the Sun Devils will wake up sore and tired and again be poked by a sobering thought:

They're pretenders.