UCF 18 point favorites

[Golden Tornadoes]

Only 18?

 

[buzz_wiser©]

Depends on whether the team plays with a chip on its shoulder or has thrown in the towel.
I haven't seen much resilience on any of Geoff Collins' teams to date, though.

I hope they have a CHIP on their shoulders, after they carry him on them after the game...the win is LONG over due

 

[forensicbuzz]

I will watch this game very closely. As I said before the season started, the ONLY way Collins gets fired before the end of the season is if he loses the locker room. Based on some of the scuttlebutt, that may be happening (which I didn't think would). How they play on Saturday should make it very evident whether he (and his staff) still have the players or they've turned off.

 

[ibeattetris]

I’ll be picking GT to beat the spread in my weekly pick em. I think the line is a joke.

 

[slugboy]

I’ll be picking GT to beat the spread in my weekly pick em. I think the line is a joke.

If we get our offense in gear, we have a game, and maybe a win. If not, it’s a LONG day

 

[Knoxknight]

I'll be at the game Saturday. I'm a UCF alum, but my nephew plays for Tech. If Tech rises up, I'll find solace in him experiencing a road win, but either way, the 18 point spread seems a little excessive. I still have questions about Knight's consistency. The offense can light it up, only to have TDS called back on penalties. Had TWO long touchdowns called back against Louisville, and therefore, dropped a 20-14 decision. My money is always on at least 10 or more crucial penalties!
Fistfuls of jersey? Likely. Blocks in the back? Almost guaranteed. Unsportsmanlike jawing, targeting, etc.? We can do it!

 

[bobongo]

Spread's already up to 20 - 20.5 at some sportsbooks:

https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/

 

[MountainBuzzMan]

We got them right were we want them.

 

[GT05]

This will be another blowout

 

[Techster]

GT Football's official twitter account. Comments are BRUTAL:

 

[Randy Carson]

During the off season, I was REALLY hoping we'd come out of this game 2-2.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

GT Football's official twitter account. Comments are BRUTAL:

One of the less vitriolic posts simply states if we are not firing the coach we are firing the fans.

 

[ibeattetris]

GT Football's official twitter account. Comments are BRUTAL:

The worst part is that since Malachi Carter was linked in the original tweet, a lot of the replies went directly to him too.

 

[Lavoisier]

I really don't remember too many times where the entire fanbase has been this united in something, it is amazing to see.

 

[swampsting]

If we get our offense in gear, we have a game, and maybe a win. If not, it’s a LONG day

You mean the offense that has generated 10 points in the last 16 quarters against FBS competition?
That ain't a if. That's a prayer for a miracle.

 

[awbuzz]

Some nuggets about UCF's offense...

Georgia Tech defense trying to prepare for UCF’s tempo

Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins hopes a renewed sense of urgency will help his defense deal with the tempo of Central Florida’s offense Saturday.

www.ajc.com

"The Knights, led by quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, rank fourth in rushing yards (273 per game) and are tied for sixth in FBS in total offense (532.3 yards per game) and tied for 45th in scoring offense (36.7 points per game). They have scored 13 of the 19 times they have reached the opponents’ 20-yard line."

UCF averages 2.6 plays per minute on offense.


... and our Defense...
"Tech is tied for 104th of the 131 FBS teams in scoring defense (33.33 points per game) and ranks 106th in rushing defense (184.7 yards per game). Opponents have scored all 13 times they’ve passed Tech’s 20-yard line, including 10 touchdowns."


The tea leaves are not looking promising.

 

[iceeater1969]

OL
UCF = 3 RS Sr, 1 RS Jr and 1 Sr.
GT = 5 Soph or RS Fr.
UCF has 2.6 years more experience.


And then it gets worse against Pitt.

 

[Golden Tornadoes]

Some nuggets about UCF's offense...

Georgia Tech defense trying to prepare for UCF’s tempo

Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins hopes a renewed sense of urgency will help his defense deal with the tempo of Central Florida’s offense Saturday.

www.ajc.com

"The Knights, led by quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, rank fourth in rushing yards (273 per game) and are tied for sixth in FBS in total offense (532.3 yards per game) and tied for 45th in scoring offense (36.7 points per game). They have scored 13 of the 19 times they have reached the opponents’ 20-yard line."

UCF averages 2.6 plays per minute on offense.


... and our Defense...
"Tech is tied for 104th of the 131 FBS teams in scoring defense (33.33 points per game) and ranks 106th in rushing defense (184.7 yards per game). Opponents have scored all 13 times they’ve passed Tech’s 20-yard line, including 10 touchdowns."


The tea leaves are not looking promising.

I mean, if they were smart, they wouldn't put the ball in the air the entire game. We couldn't stop the run against Ole Miss, why would it be any different against UCF? That'd be my gameplan....

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

UCF will be VERY telling for the rest of the season. I said many times that Ole Miss would be a tough game because Lane Kiffin is an offensive savant. Ole Miss is a really good team, and I would not be surprised if they won the SEC West or came in second. Outside of Bama, I don't see anyone beating Ole Miss in the SEC West. Kiffin is finally maturing, and the guy has a LOT of support through the NIL collective Ole Miss put together...we know this because Jared Ivey was on the other sideline Saturday. IMO, Ole Miss is probably the 2nd or 3rd best team overall in the SEC and will probably end up in the top 10 at season's end. I thought we'd put up a better fight, but I was confident Ole Miss would put up points...I just never envisioned our offense would lay an egg along with a stinker from our defense.

UCF is many times more winnable than Ole Miss. The problem is, will our players have PTSD from the Ole Miss loss and a week's worth of hearing that their coach will be fired? If our players come out in a shell and get run off the field, I'm not sure Geoff will survive the following 48 hours regardless of the money issue. Will the players even listen to the staff anymore, or will they all be on the field trying to put together a good tape for the portal? If this team does not respond to coaching during UCF, and if the fire in this team is dead, then it's as good as over for this team.

This may be the longest season in my 30+ years as a GT fan. I saw the year of the Bill Lewis debacle, and I remember the year CPJ went 3-9....but none of those years has the heavy and ominous feeling I get with this team. I hope I'm proven wrong, but I think this team is very fragile at the moment, and if UCF runs us off the field, I'm not sure this team has the ability to come back from it.

This has the potential, potential mind you, of ushering in a "lost decade" similar to what Tennessee and Nebraska have endured. Geoff is one of those coaches whose tenure, like Derek Dooly at Tennessee that will be the gift that keeps giving. This team is, as Techster put it, very fragile and has already shown a propensity to throw in the towel at the first sign of adversity. IIWII

 

[Lavoisier]

OL
UCF = 3 RS Sr, 1 RS Jr and 1 Sr.
GT = 5 Soph or RS Fr.
UCF has 2.6 years more experience.


And then it gets worse against Pitt.

It is a little misleading because of the COVID year. We count the guys from the 2020 class as Sophomores even if they are in their third year because the Covid year is a free year. Jordan Williams for example would be a Junior by experience and Vaipulu would be a R-So.