The UCF Football team won it’s first ever bowl game this season and, as a reward, is ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches’ Final Top 25 polls for the first time in school history.
After defeating Georgia 10-6 in the 2010 Autozone Liberty Bowl, the Knights (11-3) received the No. 20 spot in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and the No. 21 spot in the AP Poll, the highest chip this season in the rankings and the highest ever for UCF in program history.
The 11 wins were the most in school history, while the Knights won their second Conference USA Championship in school history this season, defeating SMU 17-7 back on Dec. 4.
The ranking in the final polls is huge for UCF in many ways. It will be a huge edge for recruiting as the Knights finish up adding the final pieces to their 2011 recruiting class and it will also increase their chances of being ranked in the 2011-12 preseason polls prior to next college football season.
UCF is the second-highest ranked team in the state of Florida, as the Florida State Seminoles (10-4) nabbed the No. 16 spot in the Coaches’ Poll and the No. 17 spot in the AP poll. The Florida Gators were not in the final rankings, although they did receive votes in both national polls. Unofficially, the Gators are ranked No. 31 in the AP and No. 32 in the Coaches’ poll.
The Knights will open up spring practice on Friday, March 18, with the Spring Football Game scheduled for Saturday, April 16.
