UCF Football: Knight prep for game of the year vs Cincinnati

UCF football and Cincinnati are both ranked in the College Football Playoff Top 25 for their meeting at Spectrum Stadium. Who will emerge as the AAC East leader?

Despite switching head coaches in the offseason, UCF continues to charge toward a second straight undefeated regular season. The Knights have won 22 games in a row, securing the longest active winning streak at the FBS level and extending the mark with each passing week. Reaching the College Football Playoff is still a tall task for a Group of Five team like the Knights, but there is still a path that would open the door for Josh Heupel’s squad.

But their opponent in Week 12 offers the biggest challenge yet of the 2018 season for the Knights. Cincinnati, like their AAC East counterpart, is ranked in the College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings after toppling South Florida. The Bearcats are currently 9-1, with their only loss coming against division foe Temple. Luke Fickell’s team still has a shot at the New Year’s Six if they can win out and snatch the American title away from UCF this year.

The battle in Orlando will effectively serve as the de facto AAC East division championship game this season. UCF has the decided advantage playing at home, but they are facing a team that is a defensive juggernaut not just for a Group of Five team but among all FBS programs.

ESPN College GameDay is in town this week, highlighting the importance of this game not just for mid-majors but in the national picture as well. So who will actually pull through and claim the division crown this weekend? Which team will remain alive in the battle for the automatic bid into a New Year’s Six bowl game this year? Here’s how you can watch the Saturday night battle between No. 11 UCF and No. 24 Cincinnati:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 17
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Orlando, Fla.
Venue: Spectrum Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Cincinnati needs to dramatically scale back on the number of penalties they have averaged in 2018 if they hope to take down UCF on the road this weekend. The Bearcats also need to take advantage of their opportunities in the red zone, where they have failed to score on nearly a quarter of their visits this season.

To get to 23 wins in a row, UCF also needs to watch the number of flags they earn on Saturday. Beyond that, though, the Knights also need to play solid defense. It will be especially critical to slow down the Bearcats running game, given that UCF’s defense allows more than 200 rushing yards per game.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: UCF -7
Over/Under: 60

Prediction

Cincinnati is going to keep things close at home on Saturday in what could very well amount to the most entertaining game of Week 12. The Bearcats will beat the point spread, but McKenzie Milton is going to make the difference as he leads a comeback victory on the road. By the end of the day, UCF will be locked into the AAC championship game and two wins away from putting the College Football Playoff selection committee on notice.

Final Score: UCF 48, Cincinnati 45