Orlando's Hometown National Champions

[jrs2]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

There are certainly great teams in the SEC but they’re not infallible. Ole Miss, for example, lost to Memphis this year - the same Memphis that can’t beat us to save their lives. We beat Auburn for our 2017 National Championship (yep, the one the NCAA officially recognizes), because the Tiger Eagles “just weren’t motivated”. At the beginning of our amazing decade, we beat Georgia in the 2010 Liberty Bowl.

Yes, there’s much to be said for the SEC. Whether it’s the future is another question entirely.

...and Georgia fans are embarrassed that their program lost to UCF in that bowl game- much like the UT fans that are embarrassed they lost to GaState.  Even though that was like a 6-6 UGA squad, they still feel humiliated that they lost to what was known historically as a commuter school.  It's not like they lost to Michigan State, NC State, or Iowa.  

That is the difference between UCF and the P5.  UF got slaughtered by Nebraska, but it was Nebraska.   UF lost to Iowa.  UF lost to Miami.  Georgia lost to Texas.  Oklahoma lost to Southern Cal.  That is the difference.  

10 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

So , because a school was around in 1930 it’s got a guaranteed sinecure for life? Wow. Nothing should ever change.

OK? Prohibition was in effect then so let’s reinstate it too, since whatever happened in the 1930’ s is now holy writ.

BTW, UCF has been winning across just about all its sports since the Danny White era.

I thought I was being nice by not bringing up Charley Pell but if you’d like to hold him up as the champion of Florida football, be my guest (no doubt Urban Meyer would approve).

you know my point.  just because UF wasn't crowned SEC Champion in 75 years without the crown being vacated afterwards doesn't mean that their football program or it's progeny didn't count for anything during that time period.

[spenser1058]

10 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

...and Georgia fans are embarrassed that their program lost to UCF in that bowl game- much like the UT fans that are embarrassed they lost to GaState.  Even though that was like a 6-6 UGA squad, they still feel humiliated that they lost to what was known historically as a commuter school.  It's not like they lost to Michigan State, NC State, or Iowa.  

That is the difference between UCF and the P5.  UF got slaughtered by Nebraska, but it was Nebraska.   UF lost to Iowa.  UF lost to Miami.  Georgia lost to Texas.  Oklahoma lost to Southern Cal.  That is the difference.  

The funny part is most new fans to college football don’t think of these artificial barriers. It’s why attendance for teams like Houston and UCF are at capacity while most SEC schools aren’t filling their stadiums anymore.

If your business is steadily losing customers every year, most wouldn’t consider that promising. BTW, Nebraska is much like Tennessee, they’re heading toward two decades since they mattered. Sadly, Coach Frosty, a really good guy, may not be able to be the savior Spurrier was for the Gators.

We’ll have to see if he can overcome it (just as ‘Bama has done), but it’s going to get harder and harder to recruit talent to the frozen tundra. The farm boys that made Nebraska the power it once was are now leaving the state. Would YOU want to live in Nebraska ?

I guess that’s the bottom line. You think things put in place in the 1930’s still make sense. I think you’re wrong but we will find out.

Edited September 9, 2019 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Jeff Sagarin shows some love - our Knights are #8!

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/

Charge On!

 

 

 

[spenser1058]

The only FBS team in the top 6 for offense AND defense?

The UCF Knights.

Charge On!

[spenser1058]

I have to thank jrs2 and the good folks of Hogtown for sending us the best defensive coordinator we’ve ever had.

Charge On!

[jrs2]

22 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

The funny part is most new fans to college football don’t think of these artificial barriers. It’s why attendance for teams like Houston and UCF are at capacity while most SEC schools aren’t filling their stadiums anymore.

If your business is steadily losing customers every year, most wouldn’t consider that promising. BTW, Nebraska is much like Tennessee, they’re heading toward two decades since they mattered. Sadly, Coach Frosty, a really good guy, may not be able to be the savior Spurrier was for the Gators.

We’ll have to see if he can overcome it (just as ‘Bama has done), but it’s going to get harder and harder to recruit talent to the frozen tundra. The farm boys that made Nebraska the power it once was are now leaving the state. Would YOU want to live in Nebraska ?

I guess that’s the bottom line. You think things put in place in the 1930’s still make sense. I think you’re wrong but we will find out.

Well, Vandy never fills their digs; opposing schools do. 

The thing is, that whenever most SEC schools aren't filling their stadiums, during scrub games, they still pack in way more that 45k.  Wasn't that UCF's big issue last year, that they couldn't sell out games b/c they didn't play anyone good?  Yes.  There's an article on it.  We read it on this thread.

If FSU can't sell tickets for $10 ea, that's FSU.

And there's no downward trend.  Even Kentucky has built a relatively new football complex- and that's a basketball school.  UF has plans in the works for more stuff, and Bama, LSU, and Auburn all expanded their capacity over the past decade.  And Texas A&M...well...I already spoke about them in one of my last posts.

This is telling:  UT vs GaState: attendance was $85k.  Tennessee lost.  Their attendance went up to 92k versus BYU.  So, is UCF ever going to have a stadium that seats 85k?  No.  Are they ever going to have a stadium that seats 92k? No.  UT lost to GaState and their attendance increased by 7k. 

Boy, wouldn't UCF like to have a stadium that can seat another 7k fans and get their digs up into the 50k territory?  But, UCF used to have access to the Citrus Bowl and it's 70k seats.  Did they ever fill it? No.  That's why they built BHNS at 45k, because they knew they couldn't even consistently fill a stadium of that modest seating capacity.

You talk about attendance numbers like its a chink in the armor.  But the problem is, that, sure, its a chink in the armor, but, the big difference is that...there's armor.  That's tradition and a strong fan base; they've got it; UCF doesn't.  UCF doesn't even have armor to have a chink in it.  As soon as they go 6-6, it's over.

The things put in place in the 1930's in college football matter because that's what makes up tradition.  Boosters give money because of tradition.  If you don't have that, then the program doesn't have money.  UCF can go into Neyland and beat UT and it wouldn't matter one bit; boosters will still give money to UT, their stadium will still be bigger, their tradition stronger and fan base larger.  

The Houston Cougars (sounds like a reality show) were a thing back when they had Andre Ware and David Klinger.  But they were a two pump and dump and then that was the end of that.  Then they disappeared off the face of college football.

Nebraska has been able to land good recruits there back in the 1950's, the 1970's, the 1980's, the 1990's, the 2000's, and less more recently.  If it's a downward trend, it's temporary.  They are a power program and will always be one.  Osborne, his predessesor, Solich, et al, all kept the ship steady, and Frosty will right it.

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

I have to thank jrs2 and the good folks of Hogtown for sending us the best defensive coordinator we’ve ever had.

Charge On!

He's a talent.

[spenser1058]

Humberto ain’t puttin’ the hurt on the Knights - once again the Bounce House is SOLD OUT for tomorrow’s game against The Cardinal. The nationally broadcast game will be seen at 3:30pm.

Charge On!

https://247sports.com/college/central-florida/Article/UCF-stanford-football-game-sold-out-135531833/

From 24/7 Sports

 

[spenser1058]

So Desmond Howard is all over Stanford on CGD for scheduling UCF because they very well may lose (the CGD crew all picked UCF for the win).

Which, of course, is why P5 teams are so hard to schedule, because they’re afraid we’ll win even though their minions keep telling us we’re not good enough to play them.

Hypocrisy, thy name is the P5. 

 

Edited September 14, 2019 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

I guess jrs2 was right. There’s just no way a G5 team can expect to compete with one of the storied teams of a legacy conference.

Great coaches at Stanford like Pop Warner (who had little league football named after him), Walter Camp and players like Andrew Luck.

What in the world were we thinking? We have to know our place. Oh, wait...

 

Edited September 15, 2019 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

At least the St. Pete Times gets us:

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bulls/2019/09/15/want-to-tune-out-ucfs-battle-cries-got-to-beat-the-knights-first/?outputType=amp

[spenser1058]

Another top WR target headed to UCF in 2020 as our recruiting strength grows:

https://247sports.com/college/central-florida/Article/JaCyais-Credle-commits-to-UCF-Knights-football-135676824/Amp/

From 24/7 Sports

[spenser1058]

Week 4 AP Coaches Polls results: your Knights are 15/16.

On to Pitt (UCF currently favored by 10)- Charge On!

Edited September 16, 2019 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

The problems of being too successful: AD DW vows to work out the kinks in the student section at the Bounce House:

http://knightnews.com/2019/09/ucf-athletic-director-addresses-concerns-over-student-section-wait-times/

From Knight News 

[spenser1058]

Good heavens, even Brett McMurphy is starting to believe! Brett, who got his start covering the Cows and has long dissed the Knights (it took until last week for him to include us on his AP ballot), moved us up 7 spots this week.

We also saw ESPN and several columnists nationwide ratify what we’ve known: UCF is THE #1 team in Florida. It’s great to have you all on board!

https://watchstadium.com/news/brett-mcmurphys-college-football-ap-top-25-ballot-for-week-4-09-15-2019/amp/

[spenser1058]

Both of ESPN’s bowl game pickers now say UCF(vs. ND) to the Cotton Bowl (a complete reversal from last week).

https://es.pn/2UTu3LK

McMurphy at least isn’t saying it’s Boise State - he’s going with Memphis (which has been finding ways to lose to us for years).

Fascinating.

[HankStrong]

I was at the game Saturday.  I'm just glad I wasn't in one of those bouncy sections.  It was very lively and fun for a lot of the game and then the party died.

[spenser1058]

Don’t ask us , ask CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli:

 

[jrs2]

On 9/14/2019 at 7:16 PM, spenser1058 said:

I guess jrs2 was right. There’s just no way a G5 team can expect to compete with one of the storied teams of a legacy conference.

Great coaches at Stanford like Pop Warner (who had little league football named after him), Walter Camp and players like Andrew Luck.

What in the world were we thinking? We have to know our place. Oh, wait...

 

UCF did well.   Stanford has been relatively good every year since back in the Harbaugh years.   Beating Stanford like that gets you noticed.  It's a big positive for the program.

[spenser1058]

It’s really funny how everything we’ve been yelling about the last few years is finally starting to get through (time to reread Nate Silver’s book about signal and noise again, I guess...)

Anyway, something called “The Big Lead” takes up the challenge of mansplainin’ it and does a decent job:

https://thebiglead.com/2019/09/16/ucf-top-25-college-football-playoffs/amp/

Meanwhile, Herbstreit apologized today for taking so long to get it.

Of course, the funny part is that nothing will change with a 4-team playoff but I guess when the 2025 contracts come ‘round things might change, especially since ESPN seems to think we’re attracting lots of eyeballs (even the game against UCONN will be on ESPN2. - go figure!)

Edited September 16, 2019 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

ANOTHER great WR coming to the Knights in 2020 - congrats to Sam Brown and the recruiting train keeps chugging along - Charge On!

https://247sports.com/college/central-florida/Article/Sam-Brown-commits-to-UCF-football-135680867/

From 24/7 Sports

[spenser1058]

Maybe if we can get the MAGA folks to start chanting, “Build The Expansion!”

http://www.fox35orlando.com/home/ucf-athletics-director-we-need-a-bigger-stadium

From FOX 35

[Jernigan]

The P5 bias is amazing.   Stanford is nice but we have a few conference games that will probably be against stiffer competition. 

We win those and  one cares.   We beat Stanford and the media is wondering why we aren’t in the Top 4 lol

[jrs2]

4 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Maybe if we can get the MAGA folks to start chanting, “Build The Expansion!”

http://www.fox35orlando.com/home/ucf-athletics-director-we-need-a-bigger-stadium

From FOX 35

well, if they need money to build an expansion, I'm sure their big brother UF would consider loaning them some of their $526M raised just this year alone on that endeavor...with interest, of course...

2 hours ago, Jernigan said:

The P5 bias is amazing.   Stanford is nice but we have a few conference games that will probably be against stiffer competition. 

We win those and  one cares.   We beat Stanford and the media is wondering why we aren’t in the Top 4 lol

see my comment above; puts the P5 bias into perspective a little.

[spenser1058]

2 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

well, if they need money to build an expansion, I'm sure their big brother UF would consider loaning them some of their $526M raised just this year alone on that endeavor...with interest, of course...

Interesting, of course, that we need the money to increase capacity while in The Swamp they need it to shrink capacity. I guess that’s appropriate given the SEC is giving over half its teams about 4 times as much money each year as UCF gets from the AAC to produce a lousy product. I wonder how long that business model will hold up.

I think with Disney/ESPN’s newfound love of UCF (even Finebaum the Ferret has been tripping over himself this week with Knight affection), we may already be seeing the handwriting on the wall when the contracts come back around in the next five years.

Another fun thing to watch will be the demographics. More than a few of the SEC’s schools are located in slow-growing or even declining parts of the country. That will affect not just attendance but also recruiting. The top half can likely work around that but what happens to the bottom half? 

And then there’s poor FSU where a 4-year old was selling lemonade last week to “Free Willie”.

[spenser1058]

For all those who keep claiming the Knights haven’t “put in their time” by playing the big boy teams on their turf, I give you 1999. Yep, we’ve been doing it a loooooong time:

Where do you suppose all the Fake News about us never doing that comes from?

Edited September 18, 2019 by spenser1058