College Football Rankings 2019: Projected Top 25, Week 5 – Wisconsin rising

UCF was hoping to set themselves up to force the College Football Playoff selection committee’s hand with a second big Power Five statement at Pitt. Instead, the Knights fell behind by three touchdowns in the first half, came back to take a 10-point lead in the third quarter, and then allowed the Panthers to score a last-minute touchdown that ended UCF’s regular-season winning streak at 27 games.

Dillon Gabriel struggled at times, tossing two interceptions, but he also finished 25-of-42 for 338 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The issue for the Knights was a running game that never could get going against Pitt’s strong front seven. Adrian Killins Jr. led the way for UCF with 46 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, as the visitors managed only 85 net yards on 34 runs.

Now that the streak is over, UCF still has goals left on the table. While they have no shot to threaten for a Playoff bid this season, the Knights can still win out to take the American Athletic Conference crown and earn a spot in a New Year’s Six game for the third straight year. They will barely cling to a spot in the AP Top 25 this week after the loss, though they have built enough goodwill over the last three years not to fall out completely.