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Armed with one of the deepest backfields in the country and a three-year, dual-threat starting quarterback from the SEC, UCF coach Gus Malzahn believes his team is equipped to make a charge up the Big 12 ladder in Year 2.
And with the College Football Playoff expanding to a 12-team field this fall, the path has never been clearer for the Knights in their quest for a national championship.
“Obviously, a goal of ours is to win the league,” Malzahn told reporters Wednesday following his Big 12 media day press conference at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. “Probably the first two (teams), possibly three have a chance at the top 12. That’s been a long time coming, and it should have happened a long time ago.”
Mainland star commits to Knights: ESPN 300 defensive tackle Christian Hudson commits to UCF football
Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCF Knights head coach Gus Malzahn speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Clearer is not to be confused with easier, of course.
UCF waited until November to put a conference win on the board in its debut Big 12 campaign, salvaging an 0-5 start with three wins in its final four contests to achieve bowl eligibility — a feat in which fellow newcomers BYU, Cincinnati and Houston failed. The Knights were picked to finish eighth last week in the conference’s preseason media poll, while five teams (Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Arizona) gained first-place votes.
Brett Yormark, the Big 12’s commissioner, called his conference the “deepest” in the country as far as football is concerned. Tempo-setting September showdowns with TCU and Colorado should serve as a barometer as to whether the Knights will sink or swim.
That will all happen in due time. For now, it’s still the midst of “talking season.”
Here are…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/notes-quotes-gus-malzahn-ucf-222341612.html
Author : Daytona Beach News-Journal
Publish date : 2024-07-10 22:23:41
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