Take Two: Could UCF have competed in CFB playoffs?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and a local expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
THE STORYLINE
What would have happened if UCF made the College Football Playoff? Would the Knights been able to compete for a national title against the likes of Alabama, Georgia and others or would those Power Five programs and SEC schools completely dominate?
It is a question that will go unanswered and that might be the most unfortunate part.
UCF finished the season as the only undefeated team by beating Auburn by seven points in the Peach Bowl. Auburn beat Alabama, the national champs, and destroyed Georgia during the regular season before losing to the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game.
The Knights averaged wins of 49-25 this season but did not play a Power Five school before Auburn (a home game vs. Georgia Tech was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma). Quarterback McKenzie Milton had a phenomenal season, team speed was off the charts and UCF went into a bowl game against an SEC powerhouse and won the game.
Could UCF have beaten Alabama or Georgia? We’ll never know. And will UCF’s season open up further discussion to expand the playoff to eight teams so the next UCF could possibly compete for a national title? It doesn’t seem to be picking up steam yet, which might be even more unfortunate.
FIRST TAKE - BRANDON HELWIG, UCFSPORTS.COM
“UCF beat Auburn with a healthy Kerryon Johnson in the Peach Bowl, and Auburn knocked off both Alabama and Georgia during the regular season, so there's no reason to believe the Knights wouldn't have been able to compete and possibly beat either of those teams.
“Quarterback McKenzie Milton and UCF's skill talent is good enough to start for anyone, but the biggest question going into the Peach Bowl was how the lines and overall defense would stack up. The Knights did more than hold their own, passing the test to prove they could play with anyone. UCF's offensive line, playing without its three-year starter at left tackle due to injury, still dominated Auburn's vaunted defensive front and gave up just one sack. On the flip side, UCF's defense limited the SEC's leading rusher to 71 yards on 22 carries and sacked Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham six times.
“UCF's national championship claim was more about sending a message to the College Football Playoff committee, a group that was dismissive of the Knights all year, and sparking discussion for eventual change to the current system. No other sport, college or pro, has such a limited path to a championship with only three percent of the membership allowed to participate for a trophy. And that's not even factoring in the unwritten rule that teams outside of the Power Five have effectively a zero percent chance of ever finishing in that final four. UCF, for the season they had, couldn't even crack the top 10 during the regular season.”
SECOND TAKE - MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“UCF would have played with Alabama and Georgia. Auburn is a good team and Auburn destroyed Georgia. Auburn beat Alabama. There is no reason to think UCF couldn’t play with either Alabama or Georgia.
“It should open up the discussion to eight teams. It won’t. They’ve already said it’s not on the table for the foreseeable future. It would be nice to see a team like that get a chance, especially one that is undefeated. You’d always want a team that was 13-0 compete with the best.
“I think they would’ve given both of those teams a game and they might’ve beaten one of them. I’m not saying which one because Georgia-Alabama was such a close game, but any given day, they could beat either one of them.”