UCF football elevation to Power 5 now raises expectations for Knights

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UCF football elevation to Power 5 now raises expectations for Knights

July 6, 2023

When UCF officially joined the Big 12 conference last week, the notion that the Knights are Florida’s more established football program’s little brother should dissipate.

UCF is in the Power 5 League, so they should be on par with the Big 3. This line of thinking might need some tweaking to account for the snob part of the Florida, Florida, and Miami fanbases. period.

Gone are the days when Orlando’s upstart school was considered less than three in state football despite having 11 national championships.

Gene’s three previous columns

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Temporary housing outside the city:Jaguars moving away from Duvall for two years is actually the best option

So does that mean UCF should be the near-term contender in the transitional Big 12, which will see BYU, Cincinnati and Houston all join the ranks this year and say goodbye to Texas and Oklahoma in 2024?

No, the Knights are under a third-year coach Gus Marzahn You’re probably thinking of a mid-tier position in the Big 12 as your cap for the first year. This is more about how UCF should be viewed properly in the long run compared to the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes.

Sunshine State college football is located elsewhere. The Big 3 should now be the Big 4, and UCF has advanced enough to shoulder the same expectations and burdens as the state’s other Power 5 programs.

From a perception standpoint, the Knights hit at quarterback last year Dillon Gabriel Moved to Oklahoma before season and had a great year John Rhys Plumlee — Florida and Miami are still a step ahead heading into the 2023 season and are definitely not less than evenly matched.

FSU is now the state’s frontrunner as a consensus top 10 team. Because FSU has quarterback and potential Heisman Trophy candidate Jordan Travis and defensive end Jared Vars, one of the best pass rushers in the country.

But as history proves, the upward and downward trajectories of Florida, FSU and Miami have been cyclical over the past 40 years, beginning even before UCF became a DI program. All three have spent considerable time in and near the country’s peaks, as well as in the Valley of Despair.

In five to 10 years, it would be reasonable to expect UCF, with its Power 5 status, to have as much chance of reaching the 12-team playoffs as its more established state rivals.

UCF is no longer the annoying little brother program that proclaimed itself national champions in 2017 with a 13-0 record.

The Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes should get used to the Knights being in the big leagues of college football.

Membership of the Big 12 enhances UCF’s football reputation and results in unprecedented recruitment. Like it or not, the days of the Big Three dismissing Knights as an afterthought are over.

Mining Late Round Draft Gems

While some NFL draftniks may view the seventh-round draft pick as a leftover, the Jaguars GM Trent Baalke Seeing them as potential gems as they are often cheaper than the most coveted undrafted free agents.

“Believe it or not, it’s cheaper to get a seventh-round pick than it is to get a top undrafted player in free agency,” Bahlke said. “So if I get a chance to trade two 7th picks with a 6th round pick, I’m going to go 1-2 so I don’t have to fight as hard in free agency.” [Power 5] UDFA is insured for $200,000. ”

As things went well in the 2023 draft, the Jaguars got three 7th-round picks (OL) cooper hodgesDT Raymond VojasekFB Derek Parrish), the third-most in franchise history.

In 2000, the Jaguars picked up a record five seventh-round picks, all of which were safe. Eric Olsondefense end Rob Meyer run back Sharon Stislinebacker Danny Clark and offensive tackle Mark Banniwich — made a roster of 53 as a rookie.

Decamiris’ NFL streak employment record ends

Joe DecamirisA two-time special teams coordinator for the Jaguars who spent the last two seasons in that position with the Los Angeles Rams, he will extend his streak of 34 consecutive years as an NFL coach by accepting the job as special assistant to the Texas head coach. put an end to it. Steve Sarkisian.

It’s the third-longest streak of any active NFL coach, surpassed only by a New England Patriots head coach. Bill Belichick (Age 38) Indianapolis Colts linebackers coach Richard Smith (35 years old).

Decamiris has never worked in college and is responsible for helping Sarkisian with game planning.The 58-year-old from Colorado was offered a similar role by the University of Florida Billy NapierBut I chose Texas over Gators.

How Spiller Changed Clemson

A great article in The Athletic this week detailed the hiring of running backs for Union County High Schools. CJ Spiller To Clemson through the eyes of a recruiter from Clemson (Dubbo Sweeneythen the wide receiver coach, Tommy Bordenformer head coach), Florida (urban meyerformer head coach, Stan Draytonformer running back coach), Spiller’s mother, Patricia Watkinsand Spiller, who is now in his third season as Clemson’s running back coach.

We use only quotes by these parties and Union County High School teachers. Charlotte Emersonyou can feel all the angst everyone felt until the five-star rookie made a decision that helped put the Tigers program on national prominence.

Here are Spiller’s financial remarks as he recalls publicly announcing his choice in front of a large crowd of supporters (almost all Florida State or Florida State University fans) in a high school gym. [but] You may have heard rats pissing on cotton when I announced. It’s been so quiet. ”

ESPN layoffs avoided

Budget cuts and layoffs have become all too familiar themes in American corporate circles, but ESPN’s unnecessarily large scale continues to send large amounts of quality labor down the unemployment line.Nearly 20 on-air talent picked up the ax last week, including some top NBA analysts. Jeff Van Gundy and Jaylen Rosealong with a very credible NFL sideline reporter/sportscaster Susie Kolber and College GameDay Reporter Gene Wojczekowski.

Perhaps if ESPN could resist the temptation to back up a few Blink trucks to pay Blink’s salary. Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfeeIt could have avoided pink-slipping employees who contributed so much to the company’s products.

Definition of sour grapes

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham In a recent appearance on a local podcast, he said he was “lucky” to have slippery turf when the Kansas City Chiefs beat Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.

Eagles’ proud pass rush, with 70 sacks, never took a quarterback from the Chiefs Patrick Mahomes KC won 38-35 and fell to the ground once.

“I am saying [Chiefs] Come on, they’re blessed, let’s just say,” Graham said.

Come on, hey.The slippery surface of State Farm Field in Glendale, Arizona was criticized by both teams after the game, but the Chiefs’ defense had to put up with the same limits with pass rushers trying to chase the Eagles’ quarterback. rice field Jalen Hurts. Four months later, Graham lamented the conditions after Mahomes led the team to the winning field goal, but it was typical sour grapes.

Haste Nugget

Rory McIlroyHe is considered a favorite to win the British Open, but has gone 33 majors without a win since winning the PGA Championship in 2014. The golfer who took this long to win a major Ben Crenshaw (39, 1984 Masters to ’95 Masters), Ernie Els (37, opened 2002 to 2012) and Lee Trevino (Age 34, 1974 PGA to 1984 PGA). …