AAC Football

The Houston Cougars are reportedly looking toward the Big 12 as they search for their next head football coach.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Houston requested permission to discuss the vacant position with West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen. Holgorsen has been with the Mountaineers since the 2011 campaign and sports a 61-41 record in eight years.

West Virginia has enjoyed sustained success with Holgorsen at the helm, reaching a bowl game in seven of his eight seasons and winning double-digit games twice. He beat Clemson in the Orange Bowl in his first season with the Mountaineers and had them in the Big 12 championship race this year until they lost the regular-season finale to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Houston is in the coaching market after it fired Major Applewhite following two seasons.

Army destroyed the Cougars 70-14 in the Armed Forces Bowl, capping off an 8-5 season for Applewhite after he went 7-5 during the 2017 campaign.

It may seem like a step in the wrong direction on the surface for Holgorsen to go from a formidable Big 12 program to one coming off two mediocre seasons in the American Athletic Conference, but Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is a booster for the Cougars and could help provide the West Virginia coach with a raise from the $3.6 millionhe makes at his current position.

He would also provide Houston with another high-profile coach after current Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman led the Cougars to a combined 22-4 record from 2015-16 and guided the team to a Peach Bowl victory over Florida State in the first of those two seasons.

UCF junior quarterback McKenzie Milton, who has undergone four surgeries after suffering nerve damage and a dislocation in his right knee in November, could potentially play in 2019.

Knights quarterbacks coach Jeff Lebby offered encouraging comments on Saturday in a pre-Fiesta Bowl media session, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com: "Yeah, I think so. We'll kind of wait and see. I think it's day-to-day with him. That's just the reality of it, and working through it all with him and our medical staff and seeing where it goes."

Milton suffered the injury when he took a helmet to the knee in a 38-10 win over USF on November 23. For the season, he threw 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions and helped guide his team to another undefeated regular-season campaign. He also rushed for 307 yards and nine scores.

The Knights are now 25-0 since the beginning of 2017.

Freshman quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. has taken over for Milton and will start in the Fiesta Bowl against No. 11 LSU on Tuesday. He was excellent in the American Athletic Conference title game against Memphis thanks to 348 passing yards, 59 rushing yards and six total touchdowns (two passing, four rushing). UCF won 56-41.

A 6'3", 230-pound signal-caller, Mack's size and versatility may prove problematic for the LSU defense. He also ran for 120 yards and a score against East Carolina earlier this year. Still, the Tigers are 7.5-point favorites, per OddsShark.

While Milton won't be under center for that game, hopefully he returns at some point in the 2019 season. Weinfuss noted that he's set for another surgery in late January, which would mark his fifth in just two months.

He's clearly endured much adversity of late, but Milton can take solace in the fact that numerous quarterbacks have overcome serious knee injuries to re-take the field. Of note, New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is getting the start Sunday after missing all of 2016 and most of 2017 with a torn ACL, knee dislocation and structural damage suffered in a preseason practice.

Milton's injury is different, of course, but there's precedent for a return here.

UCF opens its 2019 season on August 31.

The Houston Cougars announced Sunday that they have fired head coach Major Applewhite.

"We'd like to thank Coach Applewhite and his family for their commitment to the success of the Houston Football program over the last four seasons including the last two as our head coach," Houston Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman said in a statement. "After a thorough evaluation of our Football program, it is my assessment our future opportunities for success are better addressed by making this very difficult decision now.

SB Nation's Steven Godfrey first reported the move on Saturday.

Houston is coming off a 70-14 blowout loss to the Army Black Knights in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Cougars allowed 592 yards, and Army's 54-point margin of victory tied an FBS bowl record.

Houston is 15-11 in two-plus seasons under Applewhite. He was credited with the team's Las Vegas Bowl loss in 2016 after replacing the outgoing Tom Herman.

Godfrey reported Dec. 22, the same day as the Armed Forces Bowl, that Applewhite's future might be in jeopardy. Godfrey also shared a statement from Houston in which the school reaffirmed its commitment to Applewhite.

The Cougars already lost offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, who took over as Florida State's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Dec. 23. Having to also replace one of its top coordinators won't make Houston's head coaching search any easier.

According to Godfrey, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen is among those the Cougars have on their early shortlist.

Tilman Fertitta, who owns the Houston Rockets, is a major Houston booster, so the program could potentially give Holgorsen a raise compared to the $3.6 million he's earning at West Virginia.

Texas A&M pried Jimbo Fisher away from Florida State by giving him $75 million over 10 years, a move that was arguably a step backward for Fisher from a prestige perspective. Granted, Fisher didn't leave the Seminoles for a team in a Group of Five conference, which is what Holgorsen would be doing.

At the moment, the Cougars are regarded as a stepping stone for coaches with bigger ambitions. Herman, Art Briles and Kevin Sumlin all spent time at Houston before going to Texas, Baylor and Texas A&M, respectively.

By even considering Holgorsen, Houston clearly wants to shed that perception.

UCF defensive coordinator Randy Shannon isn't a fan of the recent trend of players skipping bowl games to prepare for the NFL draft.

According to ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss, Shannon questioned if players who sit out bowl games will have the desire to play hard when things aren't going well in the NFL: "My opinion, it probably will fester more and more in college. And then now the NFL is going to have to make a decision. If you draft a young man that leaves early and now you're not a playoff team, that young man [is] going to say, 'I'm not going to play.' Same situation. Right, wrong or indifferent."

Shannon added: "If a team is 6-9, no chance of them making the playoffs, are they going to play, or are they going to tank it? Especially if you're on the last year of your contract, option year."

A long list of high-profile players decided to skip bowl games this season to avoid potential injuries, including West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, Stanford running back Bryce Love, Michigan defensive lineman Rashan Gary, Houston defensive lineman Ed Oliver, Iowa tight end Noah Fant and LSU cornerback Greedy Williams.

An anonymous NFL scout disagreed with Shannon's assessment, telling John Taylor of College Football Talk: "The fact that [Shannon] thinks that ... matters to people at this level shows just how out of touch he really is. ... It's embarrassing."

Some players who skipped bowl games over the past two seasons have already enjoyed great success in the NFL, including Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward and Denver Broncos pass-rusher Bradley Chubb.

Each is considered to be among the biggest up-and-coming stars at his position.

The 52-year-old Shannon has been a coach since 1991, so he's used to players finishing their collegiate careers regardless of their draft status.

Many players are now protecting themselves, though, ensuring they don't get injured before they can land a big NFL contract.

Because of that, LSU will be without one of its top defensive players in Williams, and UCF will look to take advantage of his absence Tuesday when the Knights and Tigers clash in the Fiesta Bowl.

Hoping to see one of the top running backs in college football play on Saturday? Unfortunately, he will not be showcased in the Birmingham Bowl.

The Memphis Tigers will take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons without their star running back and leading rusher Darrell Henderson. The junior is instead putting his effort and focus into the NFL Draft.

Memphis clinched bowl eligibility in early November with a win against Tulsa, putting it at 6-4. The team finished the season with another two wins and a loss.

Wake Forest clinched bowl eligibility at the last second, securing its sixth win in its last game of the regular season against Duke. At one point in the season, the Demon Deacons had slim chances of making a bowl game, entering their game against Louisville in late October with a record of 3-4.

Here's a look at important information about watching the Birmingham Bowl, odds for the game, a preview and a prediction.

     

Birmingham Bowl 2018

Date: Saturday, Dec. 22

Time (ET): 12:00 p.m.

Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Over/Under: 73

Spread: Memphis (-3)

      

Preview

Two very different teams will meet at Legion Field in the Birmingham Bowl tomorrow at noon. The Atlantic Coast Conference's Wake Forest is matched up against the No. 1 in the West American Athletic Conference—the Memphis Tigers. 

The Tigers proved to be quite the powerhouse offense not only in their conference this season, but also in all of college football. According to NCAA.com, Memphis had the fourth-best total offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, with an average of 534.3 average total yards per game.

This dominant offense was led by the running back with the second-most rushing yards in the nation—Henderson. Henderson ran for 1,909 yards, only 80 yards behind top rusher, Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor. Henderson had two three-touchdown, 200-plus-yard games on the season, both coming in losses. 

https://twitter.com/GrindingTheTape/status/1075238849461346304

Henderson is joined by Patrick Taylor Jr., another back who broke 1,000 rushing yards on the season with 1,012 yards. Taylor contributed 15 touchdowns to Henderson's 22, and the duo contributed to Memphis' unstoppable run game.

The Tigers ran for a total of 3,712 yards on the season, with 46 touchdowns. Comparably, opponents ran for just over 2,200 and 29 touchdowns. 

The backs are joined by wideout Damonte Coxie, who leads the team in receiving yards and touchdowns with 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns. Coxie is one of quarterback Brady White's favorite targets and has totaled 66 receptions. White has thrown for 3,125 yards and 25 touchdowns on eight interceptions. 

The Demon Deacons will be led by sophomore Jamie Newman come bowl day, as their starting quarterback—freshman Sam Hartman—sustained a season-ending leg injury in Wake Forest's 41-24 loss to Syracuse.

Newman has proved his talent at quarterback, racking up 680 passing yards and eight touchdowns in his three starts on the season against NC State, Pittsburgh and Duke.

The North Carolina native even ran for 94 yards in two of the games. Newman showcased his ability to move the ball up and down the field in a 59-7 blowout of Duke that clinched bowl eligibility for the Demon Deacons.

Alongside Newman is fellow sophomore and wide receiver Greg Dortch, who leads the team in receptions. Dortch has 1,078 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 89 receptions—similar numbers to Coxie. 

Upperclassmen Matt Colburn and Cade Carney control the team's rushing game as the two top backs. Carney boasts 954 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while Colburn follows with 698 yards and five touchdowns.

While Newman may not have had as much playing time this year as White, and Colburn and Carney are no match for Henderson and Taylor, Wake Forest may be able to exploit Memphis' weaker defense. The Tigers have had trouble stopping opponents from scoring this season, giving up 65 points to Missouri in October and 56 to UCF in December.

The only common opponent the teams had this season was Tulane, who Wake Forest defeated and Memphis lost to. In the season opener, the Demon Deacons beat Tulane 23-17 in overtime. The Tigers were not as lucky, falling 40-24 to Tulane in late September.

      

Prediction

Wake Forest is aiming for its third straight bowl win while Memphis will try to get its first since 2014. What's in store for the #BirminghamBowl? https://t.co/pWrmR5y88K

— Athlon Sports (@AthlonSports) December 19, 2018

Memphis would have made easy work of Wake Forest if they had Henderson for this game. The back is a force to be reckoned with on the football field, and he would have had no trouble against the Wake Forest defense.

However, taking Henderson out of the equation changes the game a bit. The Tigers will have to rely more on Taylor in their rushing game, which the back won't be used to. White will also have to take advantage of Coxie and his other receivers in order to put the ball in the end zone. 

Additionally, while Wake Forest finished fifth in the ACC with a 6-6 record compared to Memphis' 8-5 record, the Demon Deacons suffered losses to a few highly-ranked opponents. Half of Wake Forest's losses came to Notre Dame, Clemson and Syracuse. Another came to Pittsburgh, who was on a roll towards the end of the season.

Only two of Memphis' five losses came to a ranked opponent—UCF once in the regular season and once in the AAC Championship. The other three were to Navy, Missouri and Tulane.

That being said, even without Henderson and the slight difference in schedule difficulty, Memphis should still be able to defeat the inconsistent Wake Forest. 

While Colburn and Carney are experienced, Taylor is explosive. Junior White has had more playing time this season to get comfortable in the pocket, with his receivers and under pressure. And the wideouts for both teams are fairly evenly matched. 

Memphis 37, Wake Forest 27

        

Odds via OddsShark

All stats obtained from ESPN.com  

More than anything, college football bowl season gifts fans the opportunity to watch several teams they have more than likely never watched before. 

While that often provides exciting matchups we wouldn't otherwise see, it also makes games more difficult to accurately predict. Now more than ever, teams throughout college football are heading into their bowl games without star players who are opting to protect their bodies ahead of the NFL Draft.

For instance, Stanford is only a 6.5-point favorite over Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl, per OddsShark. The absence of star running back and 2017 Heisman candidate Bryce Love, who announced on Twitter that he will skip the Sun Bowl in order to "focus on being completely healthy and prepared for the 2019 NFL Draft," could absolutely make a touchdown's worth of difference. 

The physical health of each team is important in any game, but teams each approach bowl games differently. One team could treat it like a national championship, while the other team is disappointed it didn't make the College Football Playoff. 

Even with all of this in mind, we have to try. Below is a look at the remaining bowl schedule with picks and a deeper dive into potential upsets to keep an eye on. 

Note: all times are Eastern, and all odds courtesy of OddsShark.

      

Schedule and Predictions

Wednesday, Dec. 19

DXL Frisco Bowl (8 p.m., ESPN): San Diego State vs. Ohio - 34-31, Ohio

   

Thursday, Dec. 20

Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (8 p.m., ESPN): Marshall vs. South Florida - 41-31, USF

   

Friday, Dec. 21

Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (12:30 p.m., ESPN): FIU vs. Toledo - 45-38, Toledo

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (4 p.m., ESPN): Western Michigan vs. BYU - 42-21, BYU

   

Saturday, Dec. 22 

Jared Birmingham Bowl (12 p.m., ESPN): Memphis vs. Wake Forest - 48-40, Wake Forest

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (3:30 p.m., ESPN): Houston vs. Army - 28-24, Army

Dollar General Bowl (7 p.m., ESPN): Buffalo vs. Troy - 24-13, Buffalo

SoFi Hawai'i Bowl (10:30 p.m., ESPN): Louisiana Tech vs. Hawaii - 35-27, Hawaii

   

Wednesday, Dec. 26

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (1:30 p.m., ESPN): Boston College vs. Boise State - 21-20, Boise State

Quick Lane Bowl (5:15 p.m., ESPN): Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech - 23-17, Georgia Tech

Cheez-It Bowl (9 p.m., ESPN): California vs. TCU - 23-10, California

   

Thursday, Dec. 27

Walk-On's Independence Bowl (1:30 p.m., ESPN): Temple vs. Duke - 21-6, Temple

New Era Pinstripe Bowl (5:15 p.m., ESPN): Miami vs. Wisconsin - 17-9, Miami

Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (9 p.m., ESPN): Baylor vs. Vanderbilt - 34-21, Vanderbilt

    

Friday, Dec. 28

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl (1:30 p.m., ESPN): Purdue vs. Auburn - 32-28, Purdue

Camping World Bowl (5:15 p.m., ESPN): West Virginia vs. Syracuse - 44-23, Syracuse

Valero Alamo Bowl (9 p.m., ESPN): Iowa State vs. Washington State - 28-24, Washington State

   

Saturday, Dec. 29

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (12 p.m., ESPN): Florida vs. Michigan - 34-20, Michigan

Belk Bowl (12 p.m., ABC): South Carolina vs. Virginia - 20-13, South Carolina

NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl (1:15 p.m., CBS Sports Network): Arkansas State vs. Nevada - 40-38, Nevada

    

College Football Playoff Semifinals

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (4 p.m., ESPN): Clemson vs. Notre Dame - 48-17, Clemson

Capital One Orange Bowl (8 p.m., ESPN): Alabama vs. Oklahoma - 51-38, Alabama

    

Monday, Dec. 31

Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman (12 p.m., ESPN): Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech - 35-22, Cincinnati

Hyundai Sun Bowl (2 p.m., CBS): Stanford vs. Pittsburgh - 28-21, Pittsburgh

Redbox Bowl (3 p.m., FOX): Michigan State vs. Oregon - 37-20, Oregon

AutoZone Liberty Bowl (3:45 p.m., ESPN): Missouri vs. Oklahoma State - 49-41, Oklahoma State

San Diego Credit Union Holiday Bowl (7 p.m., Fox Sports 1): Northwestern vs. Utah - 32-23, Utah

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (7:30 p.m., ESPN): NC State vs. Texas A&M - 34-20, Texas A&M

    

Tuesday, Jan. 1

Outback Bowl (12 p.m., ESPN2): Mississippi State vs. Iowa - 23-13, Mississippi State

VRBO Citrus Bowl (1 p.m., ABC): Kentucky vs. Penn State - 27-20, Penn State

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (1 p.m. ESPN): LSU vs. UCF - 41-34, UCF

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual (5 p.m., ESPN): Washington vs. Ohio State - 48-27, Ohio State

Allstate Sugar Bowl (8:45 p.m., ESPN): Texas vs. Georgia - 23-10, Georgia

    

Monday, Jan. 7

College Football Playoff National Championship (8 p.m., ESPN)

    

     

Biggest Potential Upsets

UCF (+7) over LSU 

In case you're somehow unaware, the UCF Knights are on a 25-game winning streak—the longest active stretch in the country—and last season beat a then No.7-ranked Auburn in the Peach Bowl. It goes without saying, then, that UCF won't at all be intimidated by No. 11 LSU, especially considering the Knights are No. 8.

The looming fact is the absence of junior quarterback McKenzie Milton, who has been out since brutally injuring his leg on Nov. 23 against South Florida. In the AAC Championship game, freshman quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. stepped in and convincingly led UCF over Memphis. He finished with 348 passing yards and two passing touchdowns plus four more touchdowns on the ground. 

It's a story as old as time: SEC defenses are good. However, while LSU will be the best defense UCF has faced this season, both teams' defenses are averaging about the same points allowed per game—20.9 for LSU and 21.3 for UCF—which makes defense a wash in theory. Keep in mind, though, that LSU's average is distorted slightly by the 74 points given up to Texas A&M in the regular-season finale. 

Defenses aside, LSU does not have the same athletic ability in junior quarterback Joe Burrow, who only has six more touchdowns (12) on the entire season than Mack Jr. totaled in one game (six). Will the LSU offense be able to keep up with the Knights? 

We have seen varying answers to that question from LSU throughout the season–scoring 72 points on A&M and zero against Alabama. UCF's defense ranks below both of those teams' in total defense, so logic would suggest LSU could have a field day. But put simply: LSU's offense just doesn't inspire confidence.

The best chance for UCF will come through the ground game between Mack Jr. and running backs Greg McCrae and Adrian Killins Jr. Combined, McCrae and Killins Jr. have rushed for 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. 

This game feels like it will come down to which team will execute—or allow—more explosive plays, and UCF gets the edge.

      

Syracuse (+1) over West Virginia

First things first: West Virginia star senior quarterback Will Grier announced that he will not play in this game, as he is starting his preparations for the 2019 NFL Draft. In his place under center, we'll likely see sophomore Jack Allison. 

Allison has not started and attempted just 10 passes this season. It goes without saying, but that is a major blow to the Mountaineers. It's impossible to scout how this offense will produce without Grier. 

So, we'll focus on Syracuse. The Orange have put together a very impressive season, finishing 9-3 and giving No. 2 Clemson one of its closest calls back in Week 5 at Death Valley. That said, more recently on Nov. 17, No. 3 Notre Dame throttled the Orange by 33 points. Which team will show up in Orlando?

One thing is for sure: Senior quarterback Eric Dungey will be under center for Syracuse. There might be lingering concerns about back spasms, but any concern should have been put to bed when Dungey went for six touchdowns against Boston College days after spending a night in the hospital. 

To recap, one team is without its biggest star, while the other team will have all of its playmakers and the Mountaineers are only favored by one point. Take that chance every time. 

       

Purdue (+3.5) over Auburn

Let's get this out of the way: Purdue did not finish the regular season strong. In the final three weeks, the Boilermakers dropped games to Minnesota and Wisconsin before finishing with a seven-point win over 5-7 Indiana.

Auburn also finished the final three games 1-2, but those two losses came against more formidable opponents in Georgia and Alabama. 

The reasons we're even having this upset conversation

? The teams Purdue has beaten. While Auburn has lost to three ranked teams (LSU in addition to Alabama and Georgia), Purdue has beaten all three ranked opponents this season. Most notably, of course, upsetting then-No. 2 Ohio State 49-20 in Week 7. 

Ohio State is a better team than Auburn, so who's to say the Boilermakers can't beat the Tigers by at least four points? The Purdue offense is potent—even putting up 38 points on a No. 7-ranked defense in Iowa. 

On paper, senior quarterback David Blough has had the better season. Blough has 25 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, while Auburn junior quarterback Jarrett Stidham has 13 touchdowns to five picks. Blough also has a little over 1,000 more passing yards than Stidham, and that speaks to the weapons he has at his disposal—namely freshman wide receiver Rondale Moore who has seven 100-yard receiving games this season.

As previously mentioned, a factor in every bowl game is the approach each program takes. That includes the happenings within a program after the regular season: coaches get fired, take jobs at other programs but remain for a bowl game, on and on. That narrative applies here. 

Jeff Brohm has been publicly adamant about his commitment to the Boilermakers after receiving heavy interest from Louisville, his alma mater. Meanwhile in Auburn, head coach Gus Malzahn's future isn't as crystal clear.

While he could accept a buyout and is not technically on the hot seat yet, his support within and surrounding the Tigers is iffy. How will that affect the way his team plays for him in Nashville? Auburn is disappointed by a 7-5 season—the fourth average season since 2013 under Malzahn—while Purdue is excited about trending upward. 

The UCF Knights have been left out of the College Football Playoff the last two seasons despite going 25-0 during that span, and that has led Central Florida athletic director Danny White to criticize the system.

According to the Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi, White reached out to University of Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin in hopes of scheduling games against the Gators as the Knights look to find a way to fix a "broken" system:

"...Requiring non-autonomy 5 schools to have to settle for inequitable scheduling seems like an unfair business practice and something we should all address at a high level. If this type of scheduling is what is required for teams like UCF to make the final 4 of the CFP, we must consider expansion of the playoff to include non-autonomy 5 schools so we avoid the system operating like a monopoly. I am open to playing anyone in the country, but shouldn't have to put my team at a severe disadvantage by being forced to play two for ones or guarantee games.

"The system should be such that we can schedule home and homes. As someone who sits on the CFP Committee, I am asking for your help in fixing a broken model by expanding the playoff and putting an end to unfair scheduling practices."

In the email, White proposed the two Florida programs play a home-and-home series. And if it helped speed up the process of getting games on the schedule, he was open to neutral-site meetings as well.

Stricklin, who is a member of the College Football Playoff Committee, has not responded.

UCF has run the table in each of the last two seasons, winning consecutive American Athletic Conference crowns in the process. However, the Knights have not been able to get serious consideration from the committee, as they have not been ranked higher than eighth over the last two seasons.

https://twitter.com/UCF_Football/status/1069024930468118528

That has led to plenty of frustration in Orlando.

White was vocal in the days after the field was announced, deeming the so-called "playoff" an "invitational":

It’s not a playoff. It’s an invitational. I’m excited to see what invitational we get to be a part of, and once again show what our team is capable of, ON THE FIELD! Proud of our team. Can’t wait to go bowling with #KnightNation!!!

— Danny White (@AD_DannyWhite) December 2, 2018

That comes after UCF head coach Josh Heupel told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt last month he believed the rankings should take care of themselves if his team takes care of business:

He echoed similar sentiments after the AAC Championship Game earlier this month.

"You look at what this program has done for two straight years," Heupel said, via the Washington Post's Jacob Bogage. "This team has got the heart of a champion. They deserve the chance to go prove it on the field." 

Ultimately, though, the committee has not agreed with the Knights.

UCF's strength of schedule has been criticized during its recent run of success, as the Knights have played just two ranked teams over the last two seasons (not including bowl games). They wound up earning some respect with a 34-27 victory over the Auburn Tigers in the Peach Bowl last season, and they will have an opportunity to prove themselves against an SEC team in the postseason for a second consecutive year when they take on the LSU Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.

UCF and head football coach Josh Heupel reached an agreement Friday on a contract extension to keep him with the Knights through the 2023-24 college football season.

The program announced the new deal on its official website and provided a statement from Heupel, who's guided the team to a 12-0 record during his first year in charge.

"I am truly honored to have the opportunity to lead this group of young men and represent this great university," he said. "My family and I have found an amazing community to call home. I am looking forward to the future of this program. I can't thank [athletic director] Danny White and [UCF president] Dale Whittaker enough for their support and belief in what we're doing."

Heupel took over the Knights from Scott Frost, who left UCF to take the Nebraska head coaching job after leading the team to a 13-0 mark last year, including a victory over Auburn in the Peach Bowl.

The 40-year-old former quarterback inherited a program firmly in the spotlight following an undefeated campaign that led the school to claim a national championship. The Knights failed to earn a berth in the College Football Playoff despite running the table in the regular season again.

UCF capped its latest memorable run with a 56-41 comeback victory over Memphis in the AAC Championship Game without quarterback McKenzie Milton, who suffered a serious leg injury in the team's regular-season finale and was replaced by Darriel Mack Jr.

Mack accounted for six touchdowns in the win over the Tigers and helped the Knights secure a berth in the Fiesta Bowl against LSU on New Year's Day.

White praised Heupel in the contract announcement for helping the team fight through adversity en route to another AAC title.

"We're very proud and extremely appreciative of the job Josh and his staff have done since taking over our program just a little over one year ago," he said. "What they have accomplished is nothing short of amazing. Winning one college football game is difficult, winning all 12 so far this season is unbelievable!"

The task for White, Heupel and Co. moving forward will be finding a way to schedule tougher non-conference opponents to help boost their CFP resume. UCF didn't face a team ranked better than 42nd in ESPN's Football Power Index during the 2018 campaign.

A win over LSU after beating Auburn last year would help show the Knights can hang with SEC opponents, but it may further discourage Power 5 teams from adding them to future schedules.

For the second straight season, UCF football has gone undefeated but been left out of the College Football Playoff.

While the Knights have dominated on the field, their strength of schedule has been called into question, which has prevented them from further playoff glory.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey referenced the issue on Thursday. Per the Associated Press, he said the Knights must look "inward" to fix their schedule problems.

Sankey referenced the 2015-16 men's basketball season when articulating his point at the Learfield Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. That year, the SEC had just three teams make the NCAA tournament, in part because some schools had weaker strengths of schedule. 

"We weren't living up to our expectations," Sankey said. "Rather than point to the selection committee, other people ... we looked inward and said: 'How do we adjust to the circumstances around us?' I would observe that's the challenge for everybody at the FBS level."

Sankey noted the answer was improving the nonconference schedule, but UCF athletic director Danny White discussed the challenges of doing so in a text message with the Associated Press.

"Basketball teams are rewarded for playing tough teams such as UCF through metrics like RPI or NET, while football teams avoid us because they're concerned about the 'eye test,'" White wrote.

"As I've said many times, we are willing to play any Power Six program in the country. The challenge is that not many are willing to play us."

UCF's problem isn't easily solvable given the obstacles White mentioned. The Knights can only play the teams on their schedule, and they've done their part by beating all 25 of them since the beginning of the 2017 season.

The problem with non-Power Five schools is that the margin of error is nonexistent, so any slip-up along the way would mean UCF would likely be home for the four-team playoff yet again.

The most practical solution may be to expand the playoff to eight teams, which would have hypothetically included non-Power Five schools like UCF in 2017 and 2018 and Utah (when it was a Mountain West member) in 2008. However, there may be many logistical hurdles to get to that point, especially considering how moving to a playoff itself was like pulling teeth.

Looking ahead, the Knights could get a boost in 2019 with a home game against Stanford. While the Cardinal finished outside the Top 25 this year, head coach David Shaw led his team to three straight Top 20 finishes in the Associated Press poll from 2015-2017. He's certainly capable of leading the Cardinal back to glory.

If that occurs in 2019 and the Knights pick off the Cardinal at home, then that should go a long way toward UCF improving its postseason resume.

However, the deck will likely be stacked against non-Power Five teams overall for the foreseeable future.

Central Florida owns 11 straight wins in the rivalry with Memphis, including a wild double-overtime victory in the American Athletic Conference championship game last season and a one-point decision earlier this season. The Knights are lined as short favorites over the Tigers for Saturday afternoon's AAC championship game rematch on UCF's home field in Orlando.

College football point spread: The Knights opened as seven-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 42.8-39.6 Knights (College football picks on every game)

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Why the Memphis Tigers can cover the spread

Memphis finished its regular-season slate with four straight wins/covers, after beating a ranked Houston outfit last Friday 52-31. That game was tied at 31-31 through three quarters before the Tigers scored three touchdowns in six minutes to pull away and cover as 10-point favorites.

On the afternoon Memphis out-gained the Cougars 610-394, out-rushed Houston 401-138 and won time of possession by a 34/26 split.

So the Tigers have out-gained and out-rushed each of their four opponents during their winning streak. They've also hit the 50-point mark six times in 12 games this season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYIbppTb2b4

Why the UCF Knights can cover the spread

UCF just completed its second straight undefeated regular season and extended its overall winning streak to 24 in a row with a 38-10 victory/cover at South Florida last Friday. The Knights scored the first 17 points of the game, let the Bulls get within 17-10 in the third quarter, then scored the last 21 points and cashed in as 16-point favorites.

On the afternoon Central Florida out-gained USF 558-310, running the ball for 391 yards. So the Knights are now 16-7-1 ATS during their winning streak, scoring at least 31 points in every game.

Central Florida lost quarterback McKenzie Milton last week for the season to a knee injury, but backup Darriel Mack is 1-0 as a starter, having led the Knights to a 37-10 victory over East Carolina a month ago.

At 11-0 overall, Central Florida clings to slim hopes of making the College Football Playoff. Its only chance is to win this game by blowout and hope for plenty of help from elsewhere.

Smart betting pick

This is the fourth meeting between these teams over the last 14 months. UCF won the regular-season meeting last year 40-13, then outlasted Memphis in the AAC title contest 62-55 in double-OT. The Knights then rallied from a 30-14 deficit to tip the Tigers back in October 31-30. Now Central Florida must play this game without its starting quarterback. Smart money here likes Memphis.

College football betting trends

The total has gone under in three of Memphis's last four games vs Central Florida.

The total has gone under in six of Central Florida's last seven games vs its conference.

Memphis is 6-0 ATS in its last six games vs its conference.

All college football odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.