#8 UCF [10-0] @ Tampa

[MagicFan101]

I know people are upset, but I’m not shocked at all we didn’t move. We won’t get credit for barely beating a AAC peer. It’s rigged, not surprised.

By “rigged” do you mean beating the #2 team in the county should not count more than struggling to survive an unranked AAC team?

Yes, these rankings of today are a result of a system. But I don’t see anyone above UCF who is clearly unworthy.

Top 4 are undefeated. Can’t argue there.

LSU, Texas and Michigan all have big wins on their record. UCF does not.

Georgia and Oklahoma are hanging on to pre-season rankings. You can argue they haven’t done much but you’re splitting hairs between them, UCF, the Gators and a few others.

I get where you are coming from, but the consistency of the polls are ridiculous. How does USF move up 3 spots beating a 1-4 Tulsa by 1, but UCF barely moves beating a respectable Memphis team. There is NO consistency in the rankings.

The mountain gets harder and harder to climb the higher you go.

USF was #23 last week with a lot of action in front of them.

[Knightro]

I personally don't think there's any realistic path to getting into the playoffs. Obviously the Knights won't be getting in over any undefeated P5 team, nor will they get in over any 1 loss P5 conference champion.

The odds of there not being four teams that fit that criteria seem remarkably slim.

But honestly I'm not really worried about that. I'm just enjoying the ride. Never gonna hear a peep of complaining out of me when my favorite team is on a 19 game winning streak and scoring over 30 in each game.

[MagicFan101]

I personally don't think there's any realistic path to getting into the playoffs. Obviously the Knights won't be getting in over any undefeated P5 team, nor will they get in over any 1 loss P5 conference champion.

The odds of there not being four teams that fit that criteria seem remarkably slim.

But honestly I'm not really worried about that. I'm just enjoying the ride. Never gonna hear a peep of complaining out of me when my favorite team is on a 19 game winning streak and scoring over 30 in each game.

I hate comments like this and they are everywhere. Too many UCF people share your acceptance is a participation trophy over a real shot at playing meaningful football.

The players on this team didn’t choose the schedule. You can cheer for them while still calling for change.

[Knightro]

I hate comments like this and they are everywhere. Too many UCF people share your acceptance is a participation trophy over a real shot at playing meaningful football.

The players on this team didn’t choose the schedule. You can cheer for them while still calling for change.

I mean no disrespect by this, but I think your comment is just naive and silly.

A G5 team, specifically one with a strength of schedule in the 120s which is where UCF is at right now, has a zero percent chance of making the playoffs.

I know it. You know it. Everyone knows it. No UCF fan WANTS it to be that way, but it is.

It’s not some acceptance of a participation trophy. There’s literally nothing I can do, you can do, or any other fan can do to make the College Football Playoff committee to change their minds on how they select the teams for their invitational tournament at the end of the year.

I’m not the type of person to really stress out about things I literally have no say or control over. I’d rather just keep kicking people’s asses than be angry that the system isn’t in my team’s favor.

[MagicFan101]

I hate comments like this and they are everywhere. Too many UCF people share your acceptance is a participation trophy over a real shot at playing meaningful football.

The players on this team didn’t choose the schedule. You can cheer for them while still calling for change.

I mean no disrespect by this, but I think your comment is just naive and silly.

A G5 team, specifically one with a strength of schedule in the 120s which is where UCF is at right now, has a zero percent chance of making the playoffs.

I know it. You know it. Everyone knows it. No UCF fan WANTS it to be that way, but it is.

It’s not some acceptance of a participation trophy. There’s literally nothing I can do, you can do, or any other fan can do to make the College Football Playoff committee to change their minds on how they select the teams for their invitational tournament at the end of the year.

I’m not the type of person to really stress out about things I literally have no say or control over. I’d rather just keep kicking people’s asses than be angry that the system isn’t in my team’s favor.

Like most UCF fans you only see this season... which is not what I’m talking about.

I said you can cheer for this team today while demanding change for the future. I don’t understand why common UCF fans can’t understand this.

You do understand that UCF is simply riding the wave of a good set of undervalued players? correct? This high will be over soon and UCF will be back to being a forgotten program. That is what I do not want and what upsets me. It wasn’t long ago UCF was a 0 win team... the return is coming.

[Knightro]

Like most UCF fans you only see this season... which is not what I’m talking about.

I said you can cheer for this team today while demanding change for the future. I don’t understand why common UCF fans can’t understand this.

You do understand that UCF is simply riding the wave of a good set of undervalued players? correct? This high will be over soon and UCF will be back to being a forgotten program. That is what I do not want and what upsets me. It wasn’t long ago UCF was a 0 win team... the return is coming.

This is the second time you’ve used the phrase “demand change” in this discussion.

What exactly are you talking about when you say “demand change”? Because frankly you sound like you don’t have a clue how college athletics work.

Fans complaining about UCF not being afforded a fair opportunity into the playoffs is nothing more than that, people complaining. Literally no change is coming from that.

No Power 5 conference is looking to expand right now. UCF would join ANY Power 5 conference if that offer was extended to them.

Most Power 5 schools aren’t willing to do home and home scheduling with a high end Group of 5 school. Sure, you can get games with the bottom half of the ACC like Pitt, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. But no program with any real national weight is going to come to Orlando for a return game and isn’t that likely to schedule UCF period.

Believe me, UCF is more than willing to schedule more difficult games, but the best of the best from the SEC, Big 10 and Big 12 just ain’t interested.

Just explain to me ONE thing that a single fan or a fan base collective can do to change either one of those realities?

As long as Danny White is the Athletic Director, in my opinion, UCF will not have a non-bowl eligible season in football. Just won’t happen.

There’s way too much talent in the state of Florida for UCF or USF to ever be bad frankly. If either one of those programs has a bad season for the foreseeable future (and I’m talking the next 5+ years) something went horribly wrong.

Both programs should ALWAYS have a speed advantage over the rest of the American Athletic Conference.

Your last comment is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read frankly. UCF is going to revert back to an 0 win team soon? Because fans aren’t demanding enough change? F outta here with that garbage.

[drsd]

You do understand that UCF is simply riding the wave of a good set of undervalued players? correct?

The Knights does have a challenge in recruiting given that UF, FSU, and Miami will always got yet the 4-star and 5-star local recruits. In this the roster will always be filled with overachievers. But UCF has been excellent at this for a long time.

Here is UCF's all time record as a 1A school. There are bad years, mediocre years, and great years. Really the team is more of a yo-yo more than anything.
2017: 13-0
2016: 6-7
2015: 0-12
2014:9-4
2013: 12-1
2012: 10-4
2011: 5-7
2010: 11-3
2009: 8-5
2008: 4-8
2007: 10-4
2006: 4-8
2005: 8-5
2004: 0-11
2003: 3-9
2002: 7-5
2001: 6-5
2000: 7-4
1999: 4-7
1998: 9-2
1997: 5-6
1996: 5-6

Bowl seasons in green. Losing seasons in red.

This high will be over soon and UCF will be back to being a forgotten program. That is what I do not want and what upsets me.

Perhaps you envisage a mediocre future, and you might be correct, but right now there is strong recruitment and it is hard to see a losing season over the next 5 years because of this. The media loves an underdog. Whatever mid-major is winning will get press.

It wasn’t long ago UCF was a 0 win team... the return is coming.

This is a misleading narrative. The years before the 0-12 season the Knights were 2012: 10-4 (Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl WIN), 2013: 12-1 (Fiesta Bowl WIN), and 2014: 9-4 (St. Petersburg Bowl LOSS).

The 2013 season in particular was widely reported in the press.


..

[drsd]

A G5 team, specifically one with a strength of schedule in the 120s which is where UCF is at right now, has a zero percent chance of making the playoffs.

Not sure I would say 0%. Really what UCF needs is for the 4th best team and below to all have a 2nd loss. At that point, there would be a major uproar for said team to get a chance at a National title when there is an undefeated team.

Look: Last year OSU had more reason to be upset by missing the playoffs than UCF. Alabama did not win their conference and the Buckeye's did. But they had 2 losses.

..

[craig01]

While I don't believe it is completely impossible for Ucf to be one of four teams invited to the invitational, I do believe that it would take the perfect storm for it to happen.

So, I won't say there is a 0% chance .... but the percentage of possibility is not much above that baseline as of now.

[tiderulz]

Like most UCF fans you only see this season... which is not what I’m talking about.

I said you can cheer for this team today while demanding change for the future. I don’t understand why common UCF fans can’t understand this.

You do understand that UCF is simply riding the wave of a good set of undervalued players? correct? This high will be over soon and UCF will be back to being a forgotten program. That is what I do not want and what upsets me. It wasn’t long ago UCF was a 0 win team... the return is coming.

This is the second time you’ve used the phrase “demand change” in this discussion.

What exactly are you talking about when you say “demand change”? Because frankly you sound like you don’t have a clue how college athletics work.

Fans complaining about UCF not being afforded a fair opportunity into the playoffs is nothing more than that, people complaining. Literally no change is coming from that.

No Power 5 conference is looking to expand right now. UCF would join ANY Power 5 conference if that offer was extended to them.

Most Power 5 schools aren’t willing to do home and home scheduling with a high end Group of 5 school. Sure, you can get games with the bottom half of the ACC like Pitt, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. But no program with any real national weight is going to come to Orlando for a return game and isn’t that likely to schedule UCF period.

Believe me, UCF is more than willing to schedule more difficult games, but the best of the best from the SEC, Big 10 and Big 12 just ain’t interested.

Just explain to me ONE thing that a single fan or a fan base collective can do to change either one of those realities?

As long as Danny White is the Athletic Director, in my opinion, UCF will not have a non-bowl eligible season in football. Just won’t happen.

There’s way too much talent in the state of Florida for UCF or USF to ever be bad frankly. If either one of those programs has a bad season for the foreseeable future (and I’m talking the next 5+ years) something went horribly wrong.

Both programs should ALWAYS have a speed advantage over the rest of the American Athletic Conference.

Your last comment is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read frankly. UCF is going to revert back to an 0 win team soon? Because fans aren’t demanding enough change? F outta here with that garbage.

i think the Big12 has to expand. they need to get to 12 teams so they can get a championship game. as for playing anyone, play those neutral site games. Gives the school great exposure and if you continue to beat those teams, it makes you look very attractive to the Big12. The worry will be, does UCF remain as good when Milton leaves. There have been quite a few teams that did great with 1-2 good players that dropped back when those players left.

[drsd]

While I don't believe it is completely impossible for Ucf to be one of four teams invited to the invitational, I do believe that it would take the perfect storm for it to happen.

So, I won't say there is a 0% chance .... but the percentage of possibility is not much above that baseline as of now.

1) Either Alabama or LSU (winner of Nov 3)
2) OSU
3) Clemson

All four of the above takes the teams to a Conference Championship game with a relatively soft schedule.

And adds 4) Notre Dame with its soft schedule.

Really UCF needs LSU to beat Alabama and then lose in the SEC championship game, AND Alabama to lose to Auburn, for the Knights to have any hope of making the playoffs. But the idea of no-SEC game in the top-4 would drive the Media insane.

..

[dsg2003mach1]

this is why it needs to be an 8 team playoff

as for scheduling tougher opponents - as mentioned - UCF is willing to schedule games but why would some of the power houses bother? At this point even if they kill UCF the narrative will be that they exposed an over rated UCF team which gains them nothing and if they lose all hell breaks loose. There's no upside for them to voluntarily play us

[Knightro]

i think the Big12 has to expand. they need to get to 12 teams so they can get a championship game. as for playing anyone, play those neutral site games. Gives the school great exposure and if you continue to beat those teams, it makes you look very attractive to the Big12. The worry will be, does UCF remain as good when Milton leaves. There have been quite a few teams that did great with 1-2 good players that dropped back when those players left.

The Big 12 added a Championship Game in 2017. They don't need 12 teams to play one extra game at the end of the season and aren't looking to expand.

Unlike the Big 10, Pac-12 and SEC, the Big 12 does not have it's own television network that they're looking to get into more areas of the country. So there's a whole lot less incentive for them to add teams.

Plus their current television contract doesn't expire until after the 2025 season. All expansion would do in the Big 12 is give each of the current teams less TV revenue. Financially it doesn't make sense for the Big 12 to even consider expansion for at least another 7 years.

[Knightro]

Not sure I would say 0%. Really what UCF needs is for the 4th best team and below to all have a 2nd loss. At that point, there would be a major uproar for said team to get a chance at a National title when there is an undefeated team.

I don't think there's much chance of there only being three 1 loss teams at the end of the year, but even if there is only 3 I feel pretty confident they'd stick the 2 loss team with the most "quality losses" in the 4th spot over undefeated UCF.

[tiderulz]

i think the Big12 has to expand. they need to get to 12 teams so they can get a championship game. as for playing anyone, play those neutral site games. Gives the school great exposure and if you continue to beat those teams, it makes you look very attractive to the Big12. The worry will be, does UCF remain as good when Milton leaves. There have been quite a few teams that did great with 1-2 good players that dropped back when those players left.

The Big 12 added a Championship Game in 2017. They don't need 12 teams to play one extra game at the end of the season and aren't looking to expand.

Unlike the Big 10, Pac-12 and SEC, the Big 12 does not have it's own television network that they're looking to get into more areas of the country. So there's a whole lot less incentive for them to add teams.

Plus their current television contract doesn't expire until after the 2025 season. All expansion would do in the Big 12 is give each of the current teams less TV revenue. Financially it doesn't make sense for the Big 12 to even consider expansion for at least another 7 years.

they did add the game, but they just play #1 and #2, cannibalizing themselves even more. I think they will expand. Adding a team in Florida opens their TV network to more eyes and recruits. part of not having the Big12 network anymore was that the league was just Oklahoma/Texas for the casual fan, and it still is. adding WV doesnt really add many more eyes to their games. Adding someone like UCF would, from the state if nothing else.

[tiderulz]

this is why it needs to be an 8 team playoff

as for scheduling tougher opponents - as mentioned - UCF is willing to schedule games but why would some of the power houses bother? At this point even if they kill UCF the narrative will be that they exposed an over rated UCF team which gains them nothing and if they lose all hell breaks loose. There's no upside for them to voluntarily play us

i agree we need to go to 8 teams.

and from what i hear from people here, dont know if they are connected or not to people at UCF, is that UCF wont schedule neutral games anymore, that they demand home and home games.

[Xatticus]

i think the Big12 has to expand. they need to get to 12 teams so they can get a championship game. as for playing anyone, play those neutral site games. Gives the school great exposure and if you continue to beat those teams, it makes you look very attractive to the Big12. The worry will be, does UCF remain as good when Milton leaves. There have been quite a few teams that did great with 1-2 good players that dropped back when those players left.

The Big 12 added a Championship Game in 2017. They don't need 12 teams to play one extra game at the end of the season and aren't looking to expand.

Unlike the Big 10, Pac-12 and SEC, the Big 12 does not have it's own television network that they're looking to get into more areas of the country. So there's a whole lot less incentive for them to add teams.

Plus their current television contract doesn't expire until after the 2025 season. All expansion would do in the Big 12 is give each of the current teams less TV revenue. Financially it doesn't make sense for the Big 12 to even consider expansion for at least another 7 years.

The Big 12 isn't marching in unison though. It lacks the solidarity that other power five conferences possess to varying extents. Texas A&M, Nebraska, Colorado, and Missouri all bolted because they had the options to do so. Others would happily have moved to greener pastures had they the same opportunities.

Texas has been the root of the disharmony in the Big 12. The conference doesn't have a television network because Texas has their own network that they aren't willing to forfeit because it provides them a competitive advantage over their conference partners. From the moment that Texas joined the conference, it has used it's resources to tilt the table. This has created quite a bit of resentment from many of the other members.

Different conference members have different motivations and some of those members have more existential concerns when it comes to conference expansion. When those four aforementioned schools chose to leave the conference, many of the remaining members faced the real possibility that they were going to get left without a seat in a power conference if the Pac-12 absorbed Oklahoma and Oklahoma St. In that event, Texas would've spun off as an independent and the remaining members would've been left scrambling for something soft to land on. Their saving grace was the fact that local politics ensured that the two Oklahoma schools are bound at the hip in the event of realignment. Oklahoma can only go if Oklahoma St. can tag along with them.

The title game wasn't actually eliminated because of the number of teams in the conference, but rather because the Big 12 had lost some opportunities to land teams in the national title game due to upsets in their conference title games. It was reinstated because the lack of a conference championship game was being tossed around as a reason for the conference only placing one team in the new college football playoff in the first three years of its existence.

For those that are hoping that the Big 12 opens up expansion talks again, there are two compelling factors could open up the possiblity. Firstly, root against there being a Big 12 representative in the playoff. An undefeated Notre Dame or a top-heavy SEC would make it very difficult for the Big 12 to get anyone in this year. The Big 12 has only had two representatives in four years and if this trend continues, the conference will reevaluate its position in the power five hierarchy. Secondly, while things are dormant at the moment, any talk of expansion from any of the other conferences would also force the Big 12 leadership into action as it would threaten the stability and/or existence of the Big 12.

[MagicFan101]

Like most UCF fans you only see this season... which is not what I’m talking about.

I said you can cheer for this team today while demanding change for the future. I don’t understand why common UCF fans can’t understand this.

You do understand that UCF is simply riding the wave of a good set of undervalued players? correct? This high will be over soon and UCF will be back to being a forgotten program. That is what I do not want and what upsets me. It wasn’t long ago UCF was a 0 win team... the return is coming.

This is the second time you’ve used the phrase “demand change” in this discussion.

What exactly are you talking about when you say “demand change”? Because frankly you sound like you don’t have a clue how college athletics work.

Fans complaining about UCF not being afforded a fair opportunity into the playoffs is nothing more than that, people complaining. Literally no change is coming from that.

No Power 5 conference is looking to expand right now. UCF would join ANY Power 5 conference if that offer was extended to them.

Most Power 5 schools aren’t willing to do home and home scheduling with a high end Group of 5 school. Sure, you can get games with the bottom half of the ACC like Pitt, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. But no program with any real national weight is going to come to Orlando for a return game and isn’t that likely to schedule UCF period.

Believe me, UCF is more than willing to schedule more difficult games, but the best of the best from the SEC, Big 10 and Big 12 just ain’t interested.

Just explain to me ONE thing that a single fan or a fan base collective can do to change either one of those realities?

As long as Danny White is the Athletic Director, in my opinion, UCF will not have a non-bowl eligible season in football. Just won’t happen.

There’s way too much talent in the state of Florida for UCF or USF to ever be bad frankly. If either one of those programs has a bad season for the foreseeable future (and I’m talking the next 5+ years) something went horribly wrong.

Both programs should ALWAYS have a speed advantage over the rest of the American Athletic Conference.

Your last comment is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read frankly. UCF is going to revert back to an 0 win team soon? Because fans aren’t demanding enough change? F outta here with that garbage.

lol, the drought of Wins comes for everyone in college football.

FSU, UF and Miami could not avoid it in the same state you claim has too much talent for such low points. Texas and USC could not avoid it in other recruiting power states. Michigan could not avoid it. And on and on...

If these power programs experience it why is UCF immune?

lol, UCF sees a blink of success and suddenly they are imortal?

It will come. That is okay because it happens to everyone (except Nick Saban apparently). But UCF fans and staff should be using this high to troll the NCAA about expansion (playoff or conference) rather than being petty fools and trolling Alabama about a false championship.

[Knightro]

they did add the game, but they just play #1 and #2, cannibalizing themselves even more. I think they will expand. Adding a team in Florida opens their TV network to more eyes and recruits. part of not having the Big12 network anymore was that the league was just Oklahoma/Texas for the casual fan, and it still is. adding WV doesnt really add many more eyes to their games. Adding someone like UCF would, from the state if nothing else.

There is no Big 12 TV network. It doesn't exist and they have no need to have it.

Conference expansion is only about one thing and that's television revenue.

Right now each school in the Big 12 is making about $36.5M per year off their TV contracts with Fox and ESPN.

Since they don't have their own network, adding two teams to get to 12 would actually DECREASE the TV revenue per team down to about 30.4M per year.

Why would any of those 10 schools willingly give up over $5M per year in revenue for the next 7 years (Big 12 TV contracts aren't up for renewal until after 2025) when adding schools won't INCREASE the amount ESPN/Fox would be willing to pay?

[Knightro]

The Big 12 isn't marching in unison though. It lacks the solidarity that other power five conferences possess to varying extents. Texas A&M, Nebraska, Colorado, and Missouri all bolted because they had the options to do so. Others would happily have moved to greener pastures had they the same opportunities.

Texas has been the root of the disharmony in the Big 12. The conference doesn't have a television network because Texas has their own network that they aren't willing to forfeit because it provides them a competitive advantage over their conference partners. From the moment that Texas joined the conference, it has used it's resources to tilt the table. This has created quite a bit of resentment from many of the other members.

Different conference members have different motivations and some of those members have more existential concerns when it comes to conference expansion. When those four aforementioned schools chose to leave the conference, many of the remaining members faced the real possibility that they were going to get left without a seat in a power conference if the Pac-12 absorbed Oklahoma and Oklahoma St. In that event, Texas would've spun off as an independent and the remaining members would've been left scrambling for something soft to land on. Their saving grace was the fact that local politics ensured that the two Oklahoma schools are bound at the hip in the event of realignment. Oklahoma can only go if Oklahoma St. can tag along with them.

The title game wasn't actually eliminated because of the number of teams in the conference, but rather because the Big 12 had lost some opportunities to land teams in the national title game due to upsets in their conference title games. It was reinstated because the lack of a conference championship game was being tossed around as a reason for the conference only placing one team in the new college football playoff in the first three years of its existence.

For those that are hoping that the Big 12 opens up expansion talks again, there are two compelling factors could open up the possiblity. Firstly, root against there being a Big 12 representative in the playoff. An undefeated Notre Dame or a top-heavy SEC would make it very difficult for the Big 12 to get anyone in this year. The Big 12 has only had two representatives in four years and if this trend continues, the conference will reevaluate its position in the power five hierarchy. Secondly, while things are dormant at the moment, any talk of expansion from any of the other conferences would also force the Big 12 leadership into action as it would threaten the stability and/or existence of the Big 12.

Most of the stuff you're pushing as negatives aren't really negatives anymore.

Things have SIGNIFICANTLY stabilized for the Big 12 over the last 2-3 years. Big 12 teams are absolutely rolling in cash now (they're barely behind the Big 10 for No. 2 conference in TV revenue per team). They finally realized that 10 teams is actually an advantage financially because each team gets more money than they'd get if they had 12 or 14.

Beyond that... expanding their conference doesn't really give them a *better* chance of getting into the playoff. The case could absolutely be made that it makes it worse, especially if they add teams capable of winning games.