"UCF wants to crash the 'Big Three' party"

[outrunner]

UCF wants to crash the 'Big Three' party

O'Leary believes his program is closing gap on Florida, Florida State and Miami.

By MICHAEL DIROCCO, The Times-Union

GAINESVILLE - The University of Central Florida will play the 300th football game in its history on Saturday against Florida, and with each passing game, coach George O'Leary believes the program is getting closer and closer to equality with The Big Three.

That would be Florida, Florida State and Miami. They are destination schools, and right now UCF - along with South Florida - is still a step behind, football-wise.

Beating the seventh-ranked Gators (1-0) at Florida Field would do lot to change that.

"It would be great for UCF," O'Leary said. "A win of that magnitude against a ranked team would really put us into where we need to be heading from a production standpoint and where our program is at."

UCF (1-0) is 0-15 against teams that were ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 at game time. The closest they've come is a one-point loss at No. 11 Georgia in 1999 and a three-point loss at No. 24 Penn State in 2002.

O'Leary was UCF's coach for two ranked opponents (Wisconsin and West Virginia in 2004). The Golden Knights were 0-11 in 2004, O'Leary's first season in Orlando, but went 8-5 last season, a record that included an appearance in the Conference USA title game and the school's first bowl berth in the Hawaii Bowl.

"I'm just one of the many pieces in the turnaround," O'Leary said. "We've gotten somewhat better from where we were, but we have a long way to go yet. The big thing is collectively we have a lot of people involved, from our administration to support staff that have made a commitment to doing what we need to do to get where we want to be."

O'Leary was hired in 2004 and signed a five-year contract. He signed a 10-year deal this past spring will keep him in Orlando through 2015.

That, plus a 45,000-seat on-campus stadium expected to open in 2007, gives the Golden Knights solid footing and a chance to compete with Florida, Florida State and Miami for blue-chip recruits, school officials said in announcing O'Leary's contract extension in May.

Florida coach Urban Meyer already sees UCF as a recruiting rival.

"No question," Meyer said. "When I was at Bowling Green, we were always scared about that. We went and played South Florida one year and they beat us pretty good. We saw teams like FIU, FAU, Central Florida coming. There's so many football players down here and Florida, Miami and Florida State can only take so many. I think it's a matter of time before all these programs are all bowl-eligible. There's so much talent down here."

Soon, O'Leary said, that talent - whether at UCF or South Florida - will be good enough to beat the Big Three.

"The great wins that you're not supposed to win, that only aids your program," he said. "They don't really happen in years one to three of your program. I think it's more Year 4, 5 where you're competitive and can beat these people on the road.

"Any time you beat a ranked team it's a great win, no matter who you are."

Florida Times-Union

[USF03]

Well, thats not such a bad article.  It would be big if they killed UF... but that would take them playing worse then UofL (vs. USF) last year and a surpise from UCF.  I see that being alot.

Hopefully we will have better luck with these ranked teams this year than they do!

[bulls96go]

go for it! ;D

[Grunge]

I guess we'll all see where they stand after this weekend's game.  If they get pummeled,  UCF will have another "rivalry".   ;D ;D ;D  

[T-Man]

I think ucf will cover the spread and play within two touchdowns... Hell I hope they win gives us a better strengthn of schedule..

[ZeroBullChip]

Urban equates UCF with FIU and FAU, that's the only thing I saw.  The rest is the usual UCF bloviation over being mediocre but spending lots of money.

[flsportsfan83]

UCF wont cover the spread

[mutt]

I had to do it...

[LakeBull]

I want someone to give me a large sack of hundred dollar bills, but I am not holding my breath.   UCF should follow my example, but it would be great if they get lucky.

[Bull Dozer]

All the media love UCF gets makes me wanna projectile vomit.  I guess thats what happens when you get a former Notre Dame coach seeing as the media has a huge hard on for all things out of south bend.  All this love will make it that much more satisfying when we go to their house and put a thorough butt whoopin on them.