UCF Football: 3 reasons Knights deserved shot at College Football Playoff

UCF football finished the regular season as the only undefeated team. Here are three reasons why they deserved a shot at the national title this postseason.

More: Complete 2017-2018 bowl schedule

For the UCF Knights, 2017 was a magical season. A young offense grew up quickly, as Scott Frost molded a burgeoning powerhouse before bolting for Nebraska and the open job at his alma mater. Recovering quickly from a season disrupted by Hurricane Irma right out of the gate, UCF rattled off 13 straight victories.

The last win came in the Knights’ 34-27 Peach Bowl win over Auburn in Atlanta. In some ways it was a cruel joke to put UCF at the same site where the national championship would be played a week later. No Power Five team finished with a perfect record between August and December. Only the Knights pulled off the feat, and they were relegated to the undercard.

The birth of the College Football Playoff did give a guaranteed access point for a team from outside the Power Five conferences to earn a trip to one of the New Year’s Six games. In theory, that includes the two semifinal games that are rotated between the half-dozen premier bowl sites every season. But in reality it seems like only an expansion of the field and some sort of guarantee for undefeated Group of Five champions will make it a real possibility.

Should UCF have spent their New Year’s holiday in Pasadena or New Orleans instead of Atlanta? Were the Knights snubbed by the College Football Playoff selection committee when they effectively went in lockstep with pollsters and shut them out of the discussion? Keep reading for three reasons why UCF deserved a chance to play in the College Football Playoff this season.