Does UCF have a right to claim the National Championship?

[Adios]

Yeah but you’re one of the good posters on here.

We're all rooting for ECU and USF to make the NCAA tournament! (Unfortunately.)

I am just glad I am not involved in decision making as in who gets to play in postseasons. It is what it is; it's not a perfect system and never will be, even in college bball, etc.

FWIW, I prefer the smaller school with reasonably better records always be given the chance.

 

[Drew]

Listening to LeBetard all week on this topic has been fantastic.

the entire show on Tuesday was devoted to UCF being the national champions. The whole. dang. show. Interviewed players and the AD. It was awesome.

 

[Drew]

Tim Brando on what is wrong with the CFP, what he didn't like about OU's late-game execution vs. Georgia

Tim Brando: "First and foremost, it's way, way too subjective and you've got no diversity now on the committee. Condoleezza Rice is gone. You got a bunch of old coaches that love the way Alabama and Georgia play and they look great in warmups.

And you've got a team that just went 13-0 [UCF] that didn't get a sniff and you've got a conference, the American Conference, that's now won in deciding fashion against teams from, you know, Florida State and Auburn now. And we've got the mighty SEC. The very team [Auburn] that beat both Alabama in the Iron Bowl, which clearly didn't matter that much [because] they only dropped four spots because of their brand name. And [Auburn] also beat Georgia during the regular season and they [UCF] don't even get a sniff.

I mean no one's talking about them. At least in the BCS, Boise was discussed. I mean UCF doesn't even get discussion now. They're in a pretty legitimate league. The championship criteria clearly doesn't matter or if it does it's only when it's convenient. Meaning situational ethics are being practiced."

 

[Drew]

Only logical choice for college football's national champ is Central Florida: Issues & Answers

"The Associated Press no longer trusts me with a ballot in the AP's football poll. If I had one, I gleefully would vote for Central Florida.

I would have no reason to wait for the contrived four-team "playoff" to run its course.

Central Florida is the only unbeaten major college team. The Knights wrapped up their 13-0 season by knocking off Auburn of the big, bad Southeastern Conference in yesterday's Peach Bowl.

Auburn, in case you haven't been paying attention, has beaten both Alabama and Georgia, the two teams who will play next week for what the czars of major college football persist in calling a national championship game."

Danny White, Central Florida's athletic director, used the occasion to proclaim his team No. 1. And, good for him.

There clearly are more than four teams capable of winning a national title. The most equitable way to pick a champion is with an inclusive playoff of at least 16 teams. I prefer 24. But either way, Central Florida would have made the cut.

Advocates of the current system contend major college football's regular season is a playoff, in which every game is an elimination game.

If true, there is no legitimate reason for UCF not to be the national champion. Unlike Alabama and Georgia, the Knights won every game they played and own yesterday's victory over Auburn.

Of course, the current system isn't about picking a true champion. It's about the five power conferences hogging the postseason money and attention.

I look forward to the leaps of logic and convoluted reasoning they will be shoveling forth in the days to come to justify their greed.

 

[Drew]

Despite SEC lovefest, UCF must be recognized as national champions

While my four colleagues here at Heartland College Sports may disagree with me, along with many others who watch college football, I have no choice but to recognize UCF as the only National Champion this year. There are four main reasons why UCF is the National Champion in my eyes.

1. They’re undefeated: This is a basic principle. How can a team go undefeated and not be crowned the champion? Oh, it’s because they aren’t a “Power 5” team. Well then, why don’t we just throw all the other teams in the garbage? In that case, UCF should just quit, and go home. Then, we only have 65 teams (if you include Notre Dame). No more cupcake schedules. No more upsets. No more laughing at Florida for losing to Georgia Southern. Just those 65 teams beating up on each other. Speaking of independents, we might as well end the battle for the Commander-In-Chief trophy. Yeah, no more fun for those making the ultimate sacrifice. Army, Navy and Air Force are just junk teams who should be embarrassed just to put on the pads. They are ruining college football as we know it. (For those who are sarcasm illiterate, I have great respect for our academy schools and those who defend our freedoms.)

2. Common Opponents: Auburn defeated both of the teams remaining in the College Football Playoff. Our “National Championship Game” features two teams who lost to the same team UCF beat. Alabama has no right to be one of the four teams, and I’ll make my point about this in another section. Georgia, has somewhat of a case with its 28-7 victory in the SEC Championship Game. However, if we were playing on aggregates/point differential, Auburn wins. The Tigers beat Georgia 40-17 just a month earlier. Auburn outscored Georgia 47-45 over two games. Auburn’s star running back, Kerryon Johnson had a shoulder injury during the SEC Championship Game. Why didn’t the College Football Playoff committee take that into account? Kelly Bryant’s injury against Syracuse was the entire reason Clemson was provided the No.1 seed. And for the record, Syracuse was leading Clemson when Bryant went down with his injury. It’s an absolutely pathetic excuse. So, with Auburn defeating both, Alabama and Georgia, the Tigers should hoist the crown. Oh, but wait, UCF beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl 34-27. This means, UCF holds weight over all three SEC squads.

3. Conference Championship: TCU and Baylor were left out of the 2014 College Football Playoff in favor for Ohio State. Why? That stinking 13th data point: The Conference Championship Game. How does the Big 12 Conference respond? They add a Conference Championship Game. And this year, it really wasn’t even necessary. Oklahoma was going to be in the College Football Playoff. It did add revenue for the Big 12 Conference and intrigue on who will be their challenger in the game. As fans, we’ll take it. However, Alabama didn’t even play in its conference title game. Ohio State defeated a previously unbeaten Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. However, all of a sudden, conference championship games do not matter. We’re changing the rules here, folks. By the way, UCF won its conference championship game.

4. Division Championship: What division did Alabama win this season? They didn’t. So, you’re telling me that stinking 13th data point is pointless now? UCF won their division. The Golden Knights hold weight over Alabama in all four of these categories, yet somehow Alabama got in over them. Alabama is a runner-up. It doesn’t matter if they win the “national title game”. They are a runner-up in their own division. They will always be a runner-up. They didn’t even play in their conference title game.

 

[Drew]

Congratulations to 2017 National Champion UCF

The Knights of Central Florida are America's 2017 National Champions.

After dispatching Auburn—the only team to defeat both contestants in this year's third-place game—34-24 in the Peach Bowl on Monday, the Knights moved quickly to claim the spoils of their conquest.

This is no minor league publicity stunt, either. The university will hang a banner in the iconic Spectrum Stadium. It will pay departing coach Scott Frost (and his staff) their national championship contractual bonuses.

It's also sending the team to Disney World.

"I look at schools all across the country that are hanging national championship banners for years they had that weren't even close to the year we just had," UCF athletic director told AP reporter Ralph D. Russo.

He's right, too. If Alabama can claim a 1941 title on a season in which it lost two games and finished 20th in the final AP Poll (to name just one abominable example), why shouldn't UCF claim one?

National championships are all about recognition, and we at Eleven Warriors would like to congratulate the Knights on their historic accomplishment.

We willfully recognize our new overlords, and will continue to do so regardless of the outcome of Monday night's contest between the SEC, which coincidentally has the same record (4-5) as Conference USA.

Perhaps it just means more in the USA, the newest powerbroker of southern football.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

UCF is the national champion for the 2018 season. The "made for TV", Kirk Herbstreit Invitational has no more weight than those early season basketball tourneys do in determining their NC. UCF is the best team and is in the best conference if viewed objectively.

 

[BlueMAB]

UCF is the national champion for the 2018 season. The "made for TV", Kirk Herbstreit Invitational has no more weight than those early season basketball tourneys do in determining their NC. UCF is the best team and is in the best conference if viewed objectively.

The boneyard never disappoints.

 

[Sky ball]

LOL that’s the subbadumdumbest thing you’ve ever posted.

No it's not...many more than that.

 

[SubbaBub]

To be fair, the first statement is probably Subba and the second statement is probably me.

I think if you were to ask Subba, he would try to tell you that the schedules between UCF and Alabama were the same. I'm not going to do that because I don't believe that to be true...

Obviouly they are not the same. That is why crowning a champion though opinionated hair splitting that the committee does is inoperative.

UCF played legitimate enough schedule to view their undefeated season as enough to put them in the playoff.

That is all I'm saying. Every conference has cupcakes. Tennessee sucked as did a number of SEC teams. Is it a better schedule than the AAC, not by enough to disregard an unbeaten team in favor of the third place SEC team whose best win was LSU.

The four most deserving teams should go. Bama didn't deserve to go based on their on-field results. Anyone thinking otherwise should just go back to the AP poll because the games don't really matter to you.

The fact that people still think they didn't belong after they handled Auburn rather easily shows a stunning lack of perception and consistency.

 

[BlueMAB]

OBoth Alabama and Auburn had the mighty Mercer Bears on the schedule. So please don’t talk about scheduling cupcakes. It isn’t like Alabama scheduled Ohio State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Notre Dame all on the road. Their non conference schedule was Fresno Colorado State, Mercer and a Florida State team that finished 6-6 with an asterisk.

Precisely this ^^^^.

Every conference has cupcakes. Tennessee sucked as did a number of SEC teams. Is it a better schedule than the AAC, not by enough to disregard an unbeaten team in favor of the third place SEC team whose best win was LSU.

The fact that people still think they didn't belong after they handled Auburn rather easily shows a stunning lack of perception and consistency.

Fresno St. won 10 games (even though they played Bama, Washington, and top 25 Boise St twice).
CSU won 7.
Mercer still won 5 games despite losing to both Auburn and Bama.
FSU went 6-6 because they lost their starting QB... playing Bama
LSU "Bama's best win" beat Auburn too, and you mock Bama's OOC schedule after UCF's best win was Memphis? LSU is ranked higher than Memphis FYI.

You say beating Auburn proves they belong? Clemson beat Auburn. Bama just beat Clemson.

Tell us again about perception and consistency.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Congratulations, National Champions UCF 2018.

 

[Nostical]

The interesting thing is that UCF's performance was actually "stunning" to a lot of the football consignetti. They were surprised that UCF had the offensive speed, big and nasty O Line and the defensive push to disrupt the mighty SEC Tigers. That all stems from the media's mis-impression all season long that UCF was merely a nice story and Scott Frost was simply a viable young coach looking for greener pastures. Now, many of the experts in an effort to cover their tracks, bring up the old shibboleth of Auburn's lack of interest in the game. Their rolled eyes regarding the UCF National Championship claim are more a testament to their year long pre-conceived bias. AD Danny White is calling them out and is smartly getting the most out of the victory. Good for him.

 

[nycscooby]

Little school?

I believe UCF is #2 in the nation in enrollment with approx. 64K students.

 

[BugsyCT]

Get 'em while they're hot and over the top.

UCF NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

 

[weyuo]

Can UCF lay claim to the National Championship? No. They were not picked one of the top four teams in the country. Should UCF have a parade and wave a National Championship banner? Hell yes! They should bring attention to their reasons for being included. As long as all Div-1 teams play by the same rules all Div-1 teams should have equal access to a National Championship. This crap of the best G-5 team only being included in the New Years Day bowls is ridiculous.

On another note I think the G-5 schools should sue for more inclusion. I also think that one way to clean up a lot of the corruption in recruiting and to save colleges millions each year in expenses(or to make millions) is to set up a draft for high school athletes just like the NFL and the NBA have. You don't need a commission to rate the kids. The college coaches can still do that homework on their own but starting with the the worst team in D-1 having the first pick(and being able to sell or trade that pick to another school) spend a week in February(on ESPN of course) and have college football draft week. Hopefully it adds "some" parity because schools will get athletes they otherwise would never have a chance at. Schools that desperately need cash for facilities can sell their pick to a school that has plenty like an Alabama. Schools that are on the verge like a Boise St, UCF or Houston may trade their #1 pick for 2 or three future picks from a Oklahoma or USC. It may take a few years for the G-5 schools to close the gap but parity didn't hurt the NFL or the NBA. Many would argue it made those leagues even more popular and prosperous. Obviously something would have to be worked out with the service schools but if it's better for the sport over all then I'm sure smart minds can get it done. Parity, additional revenue opportunities for the smaller schools, a month of media and fan frenzy in the middle of winter, what's not to like about that? Could this realistically ever happen? Not without an army of lawyers suing on the behalf of G-5 schools for leverage to make it happen.

 

[uconnfan68]

Can UCF lay claim to the National Championship? No. They were not picked one of the top four teams in the country. Should UCF have a parade and wave a National Championship banner? Hell yes! They should bring attention to their reasons for being included. As long as all Div-1 teams play by the same rules all Div-1 teams should have equal access to a National Championship. This crap of the best G-5 team only being included in the New Years Day bowls is ridiculous.

On another note I think the G-5 schools should sue for more inclusion. I also think that one way to clean up a lot of the corruption in recruiting and to save colleges millions each year in expenses(or to make millions) is to set up a draft for high school athletes just like the NFL and the NBA have. You don't need a commission to rate the kids. The college coaches can still do that homework on their own but starting with the the worst team in D-1 having the first pick(and being able to sell or trade that pick to another school) spend a week in February(on ESPN of course) and have college football draft week. Hopefully it adds "some" parity because schools will get athletes they otherwise would never have a chance at. Schools that desperately need cash for facilities can sell their pick to a school that has plenty like an Alabama. Schools that are on the verge like a Boise St, UCF or Houston may trade their #1 pick for 2 or three future picks from a Oklahoma or USC. It may take a few years for the G-5 schools to close the gap but parity didn't hurt the NFL or the NBA. Many would argue it made those leagues even more popular and prosperous. Obviously something would have to be worked out with the service schools but if it's better for the sport over all then I'm sure smart minds can get it done. Parity, additional revenue opportunities for the smaller schools, a month of media and fan frenzy in the middle of winter, what's not to like about that? Could this realistically ever happen? Not without an army of lawyers suing on the behalf of G-5 schools for leverage to make it happen.

but, but, but... academics!

 

[whaler11]

A high school draft. Sorry kid - you thought you were gonna play for LSU in front of your friends and family.

Enjoy San Jose State!!

All smart minds need to do is legalize slavery. Then the G5 schools can sell their good players. Imagine what Yustin could get for Ed Oliver!

 

[weyuo]

but, but, but... academics!

As long as the academic requirements to be included in the draft are the same for all schools and all student athletes then all should be fair. If Stanford wants to hold their draft picks to a higher academic standard then that's their business. But hopefully kids knowing that to be included in the draft they must meet certain criteria then that's what they will do. The draft would hopefully take the Miss St behind closed doors big donor criteria or the assistant coach paying for hookers for prospective recruits criteria out of the equation. Or cheer squad babes being paid to be "extra nice" to recruits or parents magically being offered jobs in the same area where their highly sought after son decided to go to school. And all that.

 

[traitor71]

The idea of trying to claim some national title under the current system is silly, they should be focused on getting everyone behind the idea of expanding the playoffs. And if they really think they can compete for national titles, they are going to have to suck it up and try and get some good programs to play them, even if it means 2 for 1 or 2 for 0 scheduling arrangements in terms of away/home match ups. That's just the reality of it and the way it happened to work out against them this year.

 

[whaler11]

As long as the academic requirements to be included in the draft are the same for all schools and all student athletes then all should be fair. If Stanford wants to hold their draft picks to a higher academic standard then that's their business. But hopefully kids knowing that to be included in the draft they must meet certain criteria then that's what they will do. The draft would hopefully take the Miss St behind closed doors big donor criteria or the assistant coach paying for hookers for prospective recruits criteria out of the equation. Or cheer squad babes being paid to be "extra nice" to recruits or parents magically being offered jobs in the same area where their highly sought after son decided to go to school. And all that.

This is literally the stupidest idea that has ever been posted here.

I love that you think you need to solve for the service academies - the rest is rock solid.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

The idea of trying to claim some national title under the current system is silly, they should be focused on getting everyone behind the idea of expanding the playoffs. And if they really think they can compete for national titles, they are going to have to suck it up and try and get some good programs to play them, even if it means 2 for 1 or 2 for 0 scheduling arrangements in terms of away/home match ups. That's just the reality of it and the way it happened to work out against them this year.

Why should they agree to 2-1 or 2-0's. UCF are the national champions, they deserve the respect. Let Alabama win their conference - or at least their division. Until then, they can schedule UCF, agreeing to a 2-1 in Orlando.

 

[whaler11]

Why should they agree to 2-1 or 2-0's. UCF are the national champions, they deserve the respect. Let Alabama win their conference - or at least their division. Until then, they can schedule UCF, agreeing to a 2-1 in Orlando.

Or they can keep doing whatever they want. Either way.

 

[traitor71]

Or they can keep doing whatever they want. Either way.

Sure they can do whatever they want, and then they will always be stuck in the same position. If they want their respect, they are going to have to find a way to take it and use it to get into the playoff.

 

[whaler11]

Sure they can do whatever they want, and then they will always be stuck in the same position. If they want their respect, they are going to have to find a way to take it and use it to get into the playoff.

I was talking about Alabama.