The Central Florida Knights had a magical season last year, and this year, they still have one of the authors of their magic on the roster. Will it be enough, however? Will this team be able to go over its regular season win total of 9.5 in 2018? Let’s see what the Knights have to offer.
UCF 2018 regular season win total
Over 9.5
Under 9.5
Odds courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook.
What Happened Last Year
The Knights didn’t lose a game. That’s the short answer. They didn’t win the national title. They didn’t make the College Football Playoff. They really didn’t care. They had the season of a lifetime. UCF won a thrilling game against in-state rival South Florida to close its regular 12-game schedule. Then the Knights won an extremely tense and high-scoring overtime contest against Memphis in the AAC Championship Game. The Knights were snubbed by the playoff committee, but they were rewarded with a New Year’s Six bowl bid and a spot in the Peach Bowl against Auburn, a team which defeated both Alabama and Georgia, the two teams which played for the national championship. UCF clearly outplayed Auburn. The Knights were faster on defense; they created more chaos for Auburn’s offense than the Auburn defense was able to create in reverse. UCF got stronger as the second half continued. The Knights were not overpowered by the SEC West Division champions, making a final and forceful statement about just how good they were. This was a legitimately great team, not just a team which was fortunate to play in a smaller conference.
What Will Change This Year
Josh Heupel replaces Scott Frost as head coach, after Frost went home to his alma mater at the University of Nebraska. Frost wasn’t the first head coach to use a Group of Five job as a stepping stone toward a Power Five job, and he won’t be the last one, either. Heupel had worked as a coordinator at multiple jobs, but now he is stepping into the big chair. He has a lot of changes to deal with, but the one constant is quarterback McKenzie Milton, who is the favorite for AAC Player of the Year and a possible Heisman Trophy candidate. Heupel will try to replicate the chemistry with Milton which Frost was able to generate last season. If so, UCF’s offense can take off and still make the Knights a juggernaut.
Receiver Tre’Quan Smith and tight end Jordan Akins are gone, but Milton is expected to have a lot of capable players to fill in the gaps and keep the offense at an elite level.
On defense, Shaquem Griffin and Mike Hughes are gone, depleting UCF’s linebackers and secondary. Shaquem will join former UCF defender Shaquill Griffin with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. The two UCF alumni are brothers… but the Knights can no longer use them. The new defensive coordinator is Randy Shannon, who recently worked at the University of Florida. He will try to patch together a defense which is expected to struggle.
Outlook & Prediction
The non-conference schedule has South Carolina State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Florida Atlantic. UCF has a great chance of winning all four games. If UCF can win all of them, the Knights have an excellent chance of going over their total, because with their high-powered offense led by Milton, not many opponents will outscore them. Memphis has lost quarterback Riley Ferguson. South Florida is without quarterback Quinton Flowers. This is still UCF’s conference to lose. Take the over, as the Knights should at least win 10 games.
