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Top-10 Programs
Since it joined the FBS, UCF has won 56 percent of its games, had 13 winning seasons (out of 23), ended the season ranked in the AP Poll three times and has played in 10 bowl games, 3 major ones. That’s a really respectable record and impressive for a program that young.
In that same time, Florida has won 72 percent of its games, had 21 winning seasons, ended the season ranked in the AP Poll 17 times and has played in 9 BCS/New Year’s Six Bowl Games. Oh yeah, the Gators also have three legitimate national championships.
Alabama is a top-10 program. Clemson is a top-10 program. Ohio State is a top-10 program.
UCF may have finished ranked in the top-10 the past two seasons, but it is not even close to a top-10
program.
The Long View
The recent comments and fake national championship have served a purpose for White. He knows what he’s saying is going to be ridiculed. He just doesn’t care because he figures that any publicity is good publicity. It may drive UCF graduates to give dollars, which is the goal of any athletic director.
There’s just one problem with that. He eventually is going to need the Gators – and other Power-5 programs – for more than just scheduling.
In 1991, the SEC only had 10 teams but expanded to include Arkansas and South Carolina so it could split into divisions and host the SEC Championship game. That game was the reason for the expansion, and the reason for the game was money.
In 2012, the SEC added Missouri and Texas A&M. It’s not a coincidence that these two large television markets were added at a time when the SEC Network was also being launched. Again, the reason for the expansion was money.
As much as I
hate the idea, eventually college football is going to go to an 8-team playoff because of the revenue that will provide. Part of that will likely be expansion yet again and teams outside of the Power-5 will need to jockey for position.
USF, UCF and Houston are very similar programs in the exact same conference. If each of them are jockeying for position for playoff expansion, who do you think Stricklin will push for? Who do you think Gators boosters will support?
White may be getting the publicity he wants now. But it seems incredibly short-sighted to sling arrows at an in-state school who he may need as a partner at some point in the future.
And it isn’t just the Gators who are taking exception. It wasn’t exactly subtle when SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said this week that UCF should
“look inward” to address its issues with the playoff system.
White doesn’t like the current system? Fine, that’s actually an opinion I can understand. But Florida – and definitely the SEC – will have some say in what any new system looks like. If either one decides to be vindictive, it may end up being a system White doesn’t like even more than the current one.
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