Central Florida Knights: A+
Based on the grade alone, hopefully, you all can see why I saved this one for last.
The UCF Knights have been gifted with what I believe is a near-perfect bowl game, as they are set to face the Duke Blue Devils in the Military Bowl. The matchup has a 9-4 AAC runner-up (that has cemented itself as one of the strongest Group of 5 powers) battling it out with an 8-4 ACC squad that has been one of college football’s most pleasant surprises.
There is a lot riding on this meeting in regards to both competitiveness and coaching. UCF is looking to conclude its Group of 5 era with one more win over a “big dog” while Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko is trying to prove where exactly his team’s worth lies.
For reference, Duke’s best win of the regular season was over a 7-win Wake Forest…at home…by three points. So yeah, when compared to all that the Blue Devils have done in 2022 up to this point, winning a bowl game over Central Florida would make them look pretty hardcore.
The matchup’s point spread has Duke favored by a single point (as of Dec. 10), making it one of the postseason’s tightest bowl games. I sure hope that said spread is accurate because based on where each half of this showdown stands today, the 2022 Military Bowl has the potential to be an instant classic.