I think the verdict came in about whether UC’s roster this year was allegedly better without Desmond Ridder, Alec Pierce, Sauce Gardner, Coby Bryant, Myjai Sanders, etc. Maybe there’s more depth — maybe? — but the bottom line is you can’t play 60 guys at the same time.
This whole setup has a couple of notable comparisons to Ohio State. If you think about it, neither UC nor Ohio State have played anything resembling a relevant opponent since Week 1 of the season. It’s tough to really progress as a team when your schedule has 6 or 7 cupcakes in a row.
We saw the results on Saturday against mediocre teams that have a pulse. Ohio State found themselves in a dogfight against what should have been an overmatched team, while UC got cooked, glazed and sliced by a team playing a backup QB. UCF was able to run over UC and the game was only close because of UCF’s two red zone fumbles in the 3rd quarter while UC was resembling a staggered, swaying Mortal Kombat character while “Finish Him!” flashed all over the screen.
I still think UC will make the conference title game since they don’t have any road games of substance left. But I think the New Year’s Six game is out the window. That’ll go to the Liberty Flames or UCF or Coastal Carolina.
I would like to know why UC, out of 131 FBS teams, is second-worst in penalty total and worst in the FBS in penalty yardage. That’s not indicative of good coaching. It’s undisciplined football.
(As an aside, I’m curious to see where things go in the future for UCF. When they hired Gus Malzahn, it felt like a desperate swing for the fences by a thirsty, scrambling university, much like UC did a decade ago with Tommy Tuberville. A deal where it seems like an aging coach who got run out of Auburn is easing toward retirement while drawing a fat paycheck from an easy mark. Can he keep UCF relevant going forward? I’ll be surprised.)
It’s true, it’s true. Trust me …