After a couple of highly successful years on the field, it looks like UCF is starting to earn some respect off of it. The Knights, who are coming off a streak where they went 25-1 to capture two conference championships and a Peach Bowl, are ranked No. 17 in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll.
This is a significant jump from last year, where the team started out at No. 23. UCF remained ranked in the poll throughout all of last season, finishing the year at 12 after falling to LSU in the Fiesta Bowl.
While the Coaches Poll is probably the least regarded of the major polls, it is typically a solid indicator for where teams will rank in the AP Poll and, eventually, the College Football Playoff Rankings. And it looks like the Knights will have a solid lead for the Group of Five New Year’s Six Bid.
No other G5 team appeared in the poll, with the closest being Boise State, who received the second-most votes of teams that did not get ranked. Conference foes Cincinnati, Memphis, Houston and Temple received votes as well. UCF also could have a potential ranked matchup early in the season, with Stanford coming in at No. 23.
The Knights are one of two Florida schools to appear in the poll, with UF starting out at No. 8. UCF will kick off its season at home against FAMU on Aug. 29.
