The state of Florida football’s non-conference scheduling
By Nick Knudsen
UCF puts itself on the map
Outside of their own chest thumping, the self-declared 2018 national champions have made their presence known on the national stage by ripping off 25-consecutive wins under two different head coaches while capturing two American Athletic Conference titles (#P6), beating three Power Five conference opponents (2017 – Maryland (Big Ten) and Auburn (SEC runner-up) and 2018 – Pittsburgh (ACC runner-up)), and staking claim to their second consecutive trip to a New Year’s Day Six Bowl Game (2017 – Peach and 2018 – Fiesta).
However, the detractors are quick to say that the bulk of the Knights’ streak came at the hands of inferior competition, a point that is backed up by the fact that UCF only defeated four ranked teams during their 25-game winning streak (2017 – number 22 USF, number 16 Memphis, number 7 Auburn and 2018 – number 19 Cincinnati).
There’s no doubt that what UCF has accomplished over the last two seasons has been historic, but unfortunately, it has only signified the birth of UCF football into the national consciousness of the average college football fan. In simpler terms, three seasons ago, UCF was a nobody. Today, UCF is a somebody.
Yes, UCF fan, I am aware that Blake Bortles led the Knights to a 12-1 record in 2013, but that Fiesta Bowl upset over Baylor, as fun as the 52-42 shootout was, did not create much of a blip on America’s lovable underdog radar like Boise State’s famed BCS-buster, Statue-of-Liberty clinching, and lateral-filled Fiesta Bowl upset over powerhouse Oklahoma did in the 2007.