UCF or Nebraska?

[PositYourself]

God you guys are losers.

 

[DaShuckster]

God you guys are losers.

Losers? A Top Ten returning defense, and the healthy return of an offense that lost nine starters to season-ending injuries last season. Add in two stud receivers and one stud RB via the portal and top it off with a freshman five-star QB and that equals....losers?

Guess we'll see next fall. Once again, for the record, I'll be rooting to see both UCF and the Huskers to have great seasons. It's okay if you don't.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

I will confess, I've flip-flopped on AuburnLegacy's proclamation. I thought an 80 point jump in one season was pure fantasyland. But then I got curious and looked up what kind of jump Nebraska made last season under its new defensive coordinator, Tony White.

I discovered that the Nebraska Blackshirts':
Rush Defense went from #108 in 2022 to #9 in 2023 (99 point jump)
Pass Defense went from #68 in 2022 to #40 in 2023 (28 point jump)
Total Defense went from #100 in 2022 to #11 in 2023 (89 point jump)

You'd think with those numbers, the Huskers would've been rockstars last season. But here's the REST of the story: NU led the nation in turnovers.

Long-story short, AuburnLegacy's prediction doesn't sound so far-fetched to me anymore. If UCF's defense makes this kind of improvement (same with Nebraska's O), both teams could well be potential playoff teams.

It is all about who you play and how they play.

You can only play who is on your schedule, and how they attack you makes a difference.

While the run defense will improve, the UCF pass defense won't be so vaunted next season. Hopefully, the ridiculous 4-2-5 defense will help against these pass happy opponents.

 

[DaShuckster]

It is all about who you play and how they play.

You can only play who is on your schedule, and how they attack you makes a difference.

Who you play --- and when you play them also makes a big difference. The schedule has been a big friend to the Knights in their first two years in the Big XII. (which I find a big surprise.) Conference schedulers are notorious for screwing over their new members in favor of the old ones.

Neither last season nor this upcoming one do the Knights play back-to-back cross-country road games. They do play AT ASU and then AT West Virginia -- however -- they've got a bye week between them which is a biggie. They also start with two patsies at home to work out the kinks before hitting the road.

The schedule is one of the reasons I'm optimistic about UCF's chances this year.

 

[goodknightfl]

where do you get favorable schedule ?
Had to play 3 of the 4 ranked teams , 2 of them on the road.
5 road games vs 4 at home games. There was nothing favorable about that schedule. And this is the first year, not 2 years in the league.

 

[muckdawg24]

I mean, we can predict all day based on last season and the stats from the people we are playing this year but we all know the potential is there because we've made changes (new DC and different personnel), but so have the other teams so at this point it's still a best guess estimate.

 

[DaShuckster]

There was nothing favorable about that schedule. And this is the first year, not 2 years in the league.

Huh? UCF officially joined the Big XII on July 1, 2023 and played a full slate of Big XII opponents last fall. My math isn't the greatest but I think that means this is Year 2.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

where do you get favorable schedule ?
Had to play 3 of the 4 ranked teams , 2 of them on the road.
5 road games vs 4 at home games. There was nothing favorable about that schedule. And this is the first year, not 2 years in the league.

He was saying last years schedule and this upcoming one were both favorable. We played the new schools and didn’t play Texas. Next years is obviously easier on paper. We'll see.