The CFP Championship game is set, and Alabama and Georgia are going to battle it out in Atlanta on January 8. But with an SEC filled championship and powerhouses like Clemson and Oklahoma out of the picture, it holds the question if the CFP can really hold its hand out for the little guy.
The current championship game is basically the bronze medalist and the Rose Bowl, being an instant classic, is the silver medalist. But taking home the gold medal in this bowl game hierarchy is the true championship game. The Peach Bowl between UCF and Auburn.
The UCF Golden Knights came into this game ranked #12 in the nation and touted an undefeated season that would usually put teams in the playoffs. But unfortunately, UCF is in the smaller American Athletic Conference and has been viewed as the underdog throughout their spectacular season.
Auburn is an SEC powerhouse and can have a case made that they are the best team in the country. But when it when the coin flipped and it was time for kickoff, a new perspective came into play.
UCF has NFL talent on both sides with stars like their QB McKenzie Milton and defensive extraordinaire Shaquem Griffin who is pictured above. With Auburn stunned for most of the game, they had very few answers for UCF's offense in the second half and Auburn's defense just wasn't enough.
Milton finished with 242 yards passing and 2 TDs plus rushing for 114 yards and 1 TD, earning him the Offensive MVP award.
Shaquem Griffin, who has made headlines for his amazing perseverance on and off the field with his impairment, lead both teams in tackles(12) and Sacks(1.5), earning him the Defensive MVP.
The bottom line is that UCF went toe to toe with Auburn and completely dominated when they needed to most. This team passed every test when it comes to becoming a champion team, and not only did Auburn get outplayed, they got out coached. HC Scott Frost conducted one of the greatest program revamps ever. Taking a team that went 0-12 in 2015 to 13-0 and winning it all in the Peach Bowl in 2017.
THE FOOTBALL TRANSITIVE PROPERTY
The Football Transitive Property is simply a way that sad fans can somehow boast about their team.
For example...This season, my Troy University Trojans beat the LSU Tigers. LSU beat Auburn, the number 7 team in the nation. That same Auburn team beat Alabama, who defeated the number 1 team in the nation, the Clemson Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. Therefore, I can make a case that my Troy Trojans are the number 1 team in the nation.
If you just go by these guidelines UCF is indeed the national champion, merely because they defeated a team(Auburn) that beat both teams who are currently in the CFP Championship game.
But lets not just use a funny equation to determine UCF's legitimacy, lets picture this season if we were still using the old BCS format.
BCS BS?
I know the playoff committee has been fairly efficient and knowledgeable when it comes to placing the teams in the final four. But if we still had the BCS format, maybe UCF's undefeated season would have made them more appealing and could have even be considered for a championship spot. Or even the fact that they beat more bowl teams than Alabama.
The BCS has been known for computer-generated algorithms and random polls. But unfortunately, it boils down to the size of the program and what conference they play in. Maybe in a perfect world where football teams ranked by the transitive property would UCF be in the championship.
THE BOTTOM LINE
UCF is now publicly claiming the national title for themselves, planning to have a parade and even getting their own trophy! To add to the madness, Scott Frost's staff all receive a championship bonus check for helping coach the team to an undefeated season. Yes, in the past there have been co-champions, but UCF is not and should not share the title with another program. They are the true champions!
UCF is now on the rise in the college football landscape and with the departure of Head Coach Scott Frost, who is going to assume the same position at Nebraska, the team's future will be in question.
But its all good, because reigning champs have always come back stronger than ever the next season.
