The UCF football team that we all know and love made headlines all over this past year for numerous different reasons. After posting the only undefeated regular season and winning another conference title in a shootout against Memphis, the team was surrounded by news of Scott Frost's departure as well as their spot in a New Year's Six bowl game.
What happened at UCF last year was special, but with the declaration made by Athletic Director Danny White of "national champions" immediately following the Peach Bowl upset over Auburn, the entire narrative changed. It was bound to after such a bold claim from a team that failed to even sniff the top-4. Yet the claim had a certain amount of merit and sparked a discussion in the college football world that has lasted well into this offseason.
However, the claim of national champions should not really bother anyone. Alabama has the trophy, UCF has just gone about acting as if the College Football playoff system has no merit. Questioning the merit of a national champion is a past-time in college football, as is claiming national titles. Some claims made in the past have much less merit than 2017-2018 UCF's. The 2004 Auburn team pulled a similar claim after they won the Sugar Bowl and finished the season without a blemish with an SEC title and a 13-0 record. Just as UCF won their conference and finished perfect, Auburn did just as UCF did and dished out National Championship rings to everyone involved that season. The absence of social media as we know today and the fact that Auburn has an official BCS title now has somewhat buried the story. The need for reform in determining a champion in college football was a huge talking point after TCU and Boise State's 2010 Fiesta Bowl. Two undefeated teams battled it out while two teams with one loss apiece (from better conferences) played for the real national title. The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a terrible system, proven immediately after the implementation of a playoff. In the first year of the playoff, the two teams that would have battled for a title under the previous system were botheliminated in the semifinal bowl games.
UCF football has a chance to reignite the discussion for needed expansion this year. The team's schedule consists of 12 very beatable teams and another conference title would probably be a win against a team that they had already beaten just like this year. With the departure of Quinton Flowers to the NFL, USF does not look poised to contend for the American this year. Leaving the top 2 contenders as UCF and Memphis once again. Going undefeated again this year would not guarantee UCF a spot in the top-4. Finishing 12-0 with a conference title last year did not even get them in top-10 of the College Football Playoff ranking entering bowl season. This season, if the UCF finishes perfect and wins the American, the committee would have to tell a team with a two-year record of 25-0 that they are still not good enough to even compete for a title.UCF steamrolled its schedule this season, the first time they failed to cover the spread was still a 40-point win. With a more up-tempo offense coming in and returning a lot of key players, including its quarterback McKenzie Milton, UCF looks poised to again dominate its way to an American Title.
Doing so would create a huge question for the College Football Playoff committee and the higher-ups. Questions about UCF's schedule this season were not unwarranted by any means. The narrative heading into the Peach Bowl was that UCF would not be able to hold up against such elite talent like Auburn. The SEC Offensive Player of the year was handled well by UCF's defense and quarterback Jarred Stidham looked confused all day.
UCF football has an opportunity to truly spark a discussion regarding the current system of determining a college football champion this season. Hopefully Heupel and his staff can lead UCF to another undefeated season and blow the discussion open even wider.
