UCF, Southern Cal, AP Poll, and 'Respect'
Will UCF break into the Associated Press Top 25 Poll if it knocks off East Carolina? Perhaps that happens. That’s a first necessary step towards gaining traction with at least being in contention for a New Year’s Six Bowl.
It would potentially be a segway to gaining some respect, too. Far too often, however, the college football voters (pick a poll) are lazy and select name brand programs even when they struggle and/or have obvious deficiencies.
That means more deserving squads are left out. It’s an unfortunate pattern that’s trending that way again this season. It’s not just UCF either.
Illinois is playing good football, but one does not think of the Fighting Illini when the conversation of ranked college football teams comes up. Illinois is finally making a move up the polls at No. 18, but it took longer than it should due to perception.
That’s why it’s called doing research before someone casts his or her vote for a poll. Not enough people do that.
For the Knights, they are playing top 20 football right now, and it’s not really that hard to figure out, but are still not ranked. That brings up the following question.
Could UCF knock off a team that is currently receiving strong consideration for the Playoff and is currently ranked? If so, who and why?
Here is one of the schools that has a hole in its resume and that the Knights, as well as many other talented teams still vying to move up in the polls themselves, could certainly give a run for its money.
The # is the current Associated Press Poll ranking because it is current. The Playoff poll is coming out in a few weeks.
#12 USC Trojans (6-1)
If you love a flashy signal caller that can get out of a jam in a heartbeat, going with quarterback Caleb Williams is a great pick. He’s a tremendous runner and passer; he could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Williams does not, however, play defense. Oftentimes, neither does USC.
The Trojans have played five Pac 12 games. It’s a Power 5 league, but one that’s flailing with top talent now constantly leaving the West Coast to play in other areas of the country. Here’s how USC’s rushing defense is holding up, just as an example of one of its defensive flaws:
Stanford
: 221 yards, 4.9 average, and three touchdowns.
Oregon State
: 153 yards, 4.9 average, and two touchdowns.
Arizona State
: 88 yards, 3.0 average, and two touchdowns.
Washington State
: 144 yards, 5.0 average, and no touchdowns.
Utah
: 138 yards, 4.3 average, and four touchdowns.
The Trojans are the No. 78 rushing defense in the country. At some point, that’s likely to cause another loss and they will no longer be in the playoff hunt. That’s definitely one team that a UCF rushing attack that averages 261.2 yards per game, ranking No. 4 in the land, could take advantage of and help pull off a victory.
Would the Knights definitely knock off the Trojans? Of course not. That would certainly be a challenge. That’s not the point of this article. It’s more about a reminder that the voters are still often doing a really poor job.
Seeing USC struggle mightily to slow down a Washington State rushing attack, just as an example, is evidence of how much credit is given to teams that are traditional powers. USC was used in this article as an example, but there are others as well.
Let’s see how the rankings work themselves out over the next two weeks, but UCF should be given strong consideration based on their performance on the field, not the name on the jersey or the history behind it.
That’s when UCF is likely to be given the respect it deserves.
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