UCF has taken the "national championship" tour since its 34-27 win over Auburn in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1, even though the Peach Bowl wasn't a national title game or a national semifinal.
The Knights, which finished 13-0 and put "2017 National Champions" on the facade of Spectrum Stadium, took a stroll through Disney World during its national championship parade and created rings to celebrate their self-proclaimed achievement.
That wasn't the ultimate achievement the Knights hoped for. Alabama actually made the College Football and won the CFP National Championship for the 2017 season, not UCF. How close was UCF to getting an invitation? CFP executive director Bill Hancock commented on it recently during a Wednesday appearance on WNSP 105.5 in Mobile, Alabama.
"Well, of course, they were [in consideration]," Hancock said, via AL.com. "The committee members did address it. We met about April 1 over a two-day period. We reviewed everything about how we operate. We did talk about Central Florida. The fact is when the committee is considering teams and considering their resume for the entire season, it is absolutely imperative that who they play will be a factor that is discussed."
Why didn't they make it in? The same reason that has been assumed all offseason.
"The schedule is a consideration," Hancock said. "It has to be and will continue to be."
The only team UCF played that finished in the final CFP Rankings (prior to the announcement of the four CFP teams) was No. 20 Memphis, which the Knights beat in the regular season and the AAC Championship Game.
Hancock reiterated that was the primary factor in their exclusion.
"You have to evaluate who they built that record against," he said.
UCF did have a Power Five home game at Georgia Tech cancelled in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma. In addition to the AAC schedule in 2018, the Knights will travel to North Carolina and host Pitt in Power Five out-of-conference games.
