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UCF Football: No. 7 ranking in College Football Playoff an unsurprising injustice

By John Scimeca

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 01: Darriel Mack Jr. #8 of the UCF Knights runs out of the locker room before the American Athletic Championship against the Memphis Tigers at Spectrum Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 01: Darriel Mack Jr. #8 of the UCF Knights runs out of the locker room before the American Athletic Championship against the Memphis Tigers at Spectrum Stadium on December 01, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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Few expected the Golden Knights of Central Florida to be ranked in the top four of the College Football Playoff. Where does UCF football go from here?

The announcement of the College Football Playoff’s final rankings came as little surprise for Central Florida, which finished as the No. 7 overall team despite its undefeated record and conference title. It was the second year in a row that the Golden Knights finished the regular-season undefeated and as American Athletic Conference champions after a 56-41 victory against Memphis.

The facts are well-rehearsed by now: UCF’s schedule is seen as less demanding than schools from the power conferences. UCF’s lesser competition hurts their strength of schedule, yet power schools are not exactly lining up to come visit Orlando.

The problem is that now, UCF is smashing its head against the glass ceiling of Group of 5 schools (the lower tier of the Division FBS level) after its second undefeated year in a row. When the season begins, it’s a proven fact that the Golden Knights (along with scores of other Group of 5 schools) have no chance to compete for a national title.

The calls for an eight-team playoff have grown sharper after UCF declared itself national champions for the 2017 season. The Golden Knights had, after all, defeated Auburn in its bowl game. The Tigers had beaten both Alabama and Georgia, who faced off in the national title game.

Why not a 16-team playoff, while we’re at it? The conference title games could be scrapped, or the regular-season could be shortened back to 11 games. With 16 teams, all conference champions could qualify to the end-of-year College Football Playoff in a system resembling college basketball. Games could begin the week or two before Christmas. Yes, the schedule might be brutal for the competing teams, but could anyone deny that it would decide a true champion while giving all a chance? Even most advocating for an expansion to eight teams argue that one slot ought to go to the top-ranked Group of 5 team.

UCF’s exclusion from the 2018 CFP was a foregone conclusion, but that doesn’t mean it has to always be this way. The Golden Knights can maintain their winning ways (now 25 wins in a row) to make the clamor too great for the NCAA to ignore.

Next. NFL Mock Draft 2019: First round after Week 13. dark

And if UCF wins its bowl game this year, why not pay out the national title coaching bonuses and have another championship parade?

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