After months of speculation, the wait is finally over: College GameDay is coming to Orlando. Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and the rest of the crew will be in town when UCF takes on Cincinnati next weekend in a game that will decide the AAC East.
“This fan base has been waiting for College GameDay for the last two years to recognize their program and bring College Game Day to Orlando,” Herbstreit said in a video posted to his Twitter. “And this is the week that it happens.”
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 11, 2018
It will be interesting to see what kind of reaction GameDay receives from UCF fans, who have had a contentious relationship with some of the hosts. Herbstreit made waves earlier this season when he suggested several one-loss Group of Five teams were better than UCF. At the next GameDay, a sign featuring Herbstreit in a UCF hat appeared, as well as several other UCF signs.
While getting College GameDay is a huge win for a young program like UCF, the game itself may be the most important regular season game the Knights have ever played. A win would clinch a spot in the conference championship and, given the way the AAC West is stacking up, would likely come close to guaranteeing a spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl.
But a loss would essentially snuff out both UCF’s hopes of a conference championship and a major bowl. The stage has never been bigger and the stakes have never been higher than they will be for the Knights on Saturday.
