It is still somewhat surreal that Scott Frost is back as a college football coach — and doing so at UCF, where his rise began. The former embattled Nebraska coach was fired in September 2022 after a disastrous tenure at his alma mater. Now, he’s returned to familiar territory with renewed energy, aiming to lead the Knights back to national relevance after early struggles in their transition to the Big 12.
Frost knows the challenge ahead for himself and his new staff, especially with more than 60 newcomers on the roster — some whom arrived after spring practice. Still, Frost likes where the team stands and embraces the underdog mentality that once defined the program. And recent Big 12 history suggests he may not be wrong to believe a turnaround is possible.
UCF will likely be near the bottom of the Big 12 preseason media poll when it’s released later this summer. In fact, the Knights were dead last in CBS Sports’ post-spring Big 12 power rankings in May and are tied with Arizona and West Virginia for the worst odds (+5500) to win the conference title, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That’s exactly the kind of pessimism Frost likes to see.
“I love where we are, you know, people aren’t going to pick us to do very well this year, that’s great,” Frost said Friday at Big 12 spring meetings in Orlando. “UCF’s always kind of performed with a chip on their shoulder and won a lot of games that people didn’t expect them to historically. I think that needs to continue to be a part of our nature in who we are. I think the kids are excited about the launching point that they have to try to accomplish more than what people think.”
Look no further than Arizona State last season. Picked last in the Big 12 preseason media poll, nobody expected the…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/why-big-12-history-suggests-scott-frost-isnt-wrong-about-ucfs-underdog-potential-in-2025-season/
Author : Cody Nagel
Publish date : 2025-05-31 20:33:00
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