The UCF Knights football team completed an undefeated season but didn’t even get a chance in the College Football Playoff.
Bo Scarbrough, the running back for the eventual National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide, feels that UCF should have had a chance.
“I think they should have had an opportunity in the playoff because they didn’t lose a game just like any of these teams that had one loss,” he said, per Michael Casagrande of AL.com. “I still think they should have had an opportunity but it is what it is. They had no control over it.”
In hindsight, it’s easy for a member of the Crimson Tide to make this point.
Still, it’s important to remember that while Alabama obviously validated itself as a playoff worthy team, it was the most controversial selection of the four one-loss teams that made the playoffs. While Clemson, Oklahoma, and Georgia all won their conference championships, the Tide didn’t even reach the SEC Championship Game. As such, the Knights making the playoffs likely would have kept the eventual champs out.
While UCF didn’t reach the playoff, it has found ways to honor its perfect season. The school will hang a banner, while Florida Governor Rick Scott has said that within the Sunshine State, the Knights will be honored as champs.