UCF Football: Can Knights make serious playoff run in 2020?

How will UCF football fare in 2020?

Originally slated to host North Carolina on the Friday before Labor Day, UCF lost its opportunity to make a statement against one of the most highly-touted teams in the country. They also dropped a September game against Florida International and lost their early-November showdown against FCS Florida A&M when the MEAC opted to cancel fall sports.

Now things open up with a September 19 showdown in Atlanta against Georgia Tech, not nearly as large a statement opportunity as the Tar Heels but still an ACC opponent to bolster their schedule strength. The Knights also have tough games on the road at Memphis and Houston along with back-to-back tests at home against Temple and Cincinnati before they play rival South Florida on the road in this year’s War on I-4.

The schedule is as good as any played by a Group of Five team this season. To return to a New Year’s Six bowl game — or possibly even threaten for a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff in a year where two Power Five leagues opted out of fall football — the Knights must win all nine regular-season games in dominant fashion.

What’s next for UCF?

Getting ready for Georgia Tech is all that lingers on the minds of everyone in Orlando, from Josh Heupel on down to the last men up on the scout team. Beating the Yellow Jackets is paramount for any chance UCF might have of threatening the College Football Playoff structure this year.

The Knights should have a good shot at taking down Georgia Tech. Geoff Collins still has a long way to go to revamp the offense, and the Yellow Jackets will also be coming off a tough road trip to Tallahassee in their season opener a week before playing UCF.

Prediction: 9-0 (8-0 AAC)

UCF has three distinct blocks of games, with bye weeks in between each block. That will allow the Knights to make it through the regular season not just undefeated but rested well enough to really dominate their conference opponents. Look for them to start the campaign with a double-digit blowout of the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, then doing much the same at East Carolina and in the home opener against Tulsa.

Before their biggest regular-season test at Memphis, UCF has the advantage of a bye week. Tulane and Houston offer interesting tests, but if the Knights get past the Tigers they should have no issue with the Green Wave or the Cougars. Then, after their final bye of the regular season, look for Heupel’s charges to take down Temple and Cincinnati at home before dominating the Bulls in the rivalry game on Black Friday to earn home field for the AAC championship game.

From there they should get past whoever finished second in the league, likely in a rematch against either Memphis or Cincinnati. The New Year’s Six bid looks like a virtual lock for the Knights, but whether or not the College Football Playoff selection committee would bump them into the top four really depends on how thoroughly UCF dominates their competition throughout the course of a truncated regular season.