Valencia Poll: Should the UCF Knights be Named National Champions?
January 13, 2018
The UCF Knights bested the Auburn Tigers in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl recently, ending their season with a perfect 13-0.
It seems like a perfect season would earn UCF the title of national champs, but the Alabama Crimson Tide won the national championship. So while UCF was the only undefeated team this season, Alabama won the championship sparking a debate over who the real national champion is.
The Valencia Voice conducted a poll of Valencia students to get their opinions on whether UCF are national champions:
“I don’t think I would consider them champions, but I don’t really know what to base it off of. I mean, schedule changes affect a lot different things,” said Dexter Rideaux, computer science major.
“Absolutely, they had a spotless record and [Ala]bama didn’t, and I think they should have been allowed in the playoffs at least or they should expand it,” said 24 year old interpreting major Drew Brown.
“Absolutely I do, [UCF] had the best record. If you get the end of the season and there’s no more teams left to beat, then I think that makes you the National Champions. UCF did beat four ranked teams, we started off with Maryland, we beat Memphis twice who would have gone undefeated and of course we beat USF and Auburn, so I think that makes us as legitimate as anybody,” Isaiah Phug, computer engineering major said.
“It’s up for argument, but it would be almost idiotic to say they’re not, in their own terms. Even a team like Auburn couldn’t take those guys down and that’s coming from a Crimson Tide fan. The Knights really showed out this year, they definitely deserve their Disney Parade. Even though I’m a Crimson Tide fan, the Knights have every right to call themselves champs,” explained 19 year old acting and business major, Josh Hernandez.
“I believe they deserved to be in the playoff run since they did go undefeated. Even though they’re not in one of the big conferences, they should have been eligible for the playoff run. From being born and raised here in Orlando, they should have a National Championship banner, because they went undefeated and no other NCAA team did,” said Daniel Edwards, 25 year old health sciences major.
“They won everything, so yes,” said nursing major Daja Griffit.
“I don’t really follow sports, but if you win everything then you’re national champions,” said Kenya Douglas who is studying nursing.
“I would say Alabama are the national champions,” general studies major De’leah Leath said.
Brian • Jan 13, 2018 at 4:40 pm
They had an amazing year! Had to play 11 straight games to finish the season thanks to Hurricane Irma. They beat a very good Navy team on the road who had not last at home in over 3 years. The last two games were against top 20 ranked opponents (USF and Memphis). They defeat a very talented Auburn Tigers football team in the Peach Bowl. Nobody expected them to even be able to compete? They dominated both lines of scrimmage when everyone said they would be pushed around; the defensive unit held AU’s running back (the SEC Offensive Player of The Year) to 71 yards rushing while sacking the quarterback 5 times; their offense handled AU’s defensive line and rushed for 182 while only letting up 1 sack.
They should have been given a chance to compete in the playoffs, to play for the National Championship. Since they did not, then they should most definitely join a long history of teams who claim a shared Championship in a year they didn’t get to play in a championship game. (Like Auburn did in 2004)
An amazing, perfect, 13-0 season! Celebrate a great year. Claim the National Championship!
Robert McCaffrey • Jan 13, 2018 at 4:27 pm
There is a long, grand history in college football of disputed championships and the Knights did everything they needed to claim they are champions!