Is UCF really the best team in Florida? The numbers reveal the truth

Is UCF really the best college football team in the state of Florida? Well, they just may be.

There are a few certain things in life: death, taxes and UCF claiming they’re the best team in the state of Florida.

Starting the season off as the No. 14 team in the country, the Knights are once again out on a mission to make good on those boasts. Pounding ACC up-and-comer Georgia Tech is a good way to start off 2020. Following that win, quarterback Dillon Gabriel proclaimed UCF is the best team in the state. After seeing how explosive Josh Heupel‘s offense looked, he may be right.

According to ESPN Stats and Info, if both teams play on a neutral field with equal rest, the Knights would be a two-touchdown favorite over Florida State and a 12.8 point favorite over Miami. Even against Dan Mullen and mighty Florida, the Knights would be favored.

Crown UCF as the state champions of Florida

As evidenced by Mike Norvell’s slow start, Florida State remains a hot mess on several different levels. Players like D’Eriq King and Brevin Jordan are exceptional, but Miami isn’t quite all the way back yet. The fact that Gabriel and the Knights would be favored against a Gators team that wouldn’t surprise anyone if they went and won the SEC East this year is a testament to the job Heupel has done in sustaining their success after the departure of Scott Frost to Nebraska and the loss of quarterback McKenzie Milton.

Heupel and the Knights lit up the Yellow Jackets, with Gabriel passing for 417 yards and four touchdowns. Cupcakes and blue-bloods alike have had difficulty with this aerial attack and that trend is set to continue in 2020.

One tweet from ESPN might not be enough to change many hearts and minds in Tallahassee, Miami or Gainesville. However, considering the data we have available, Orlando is the center of the Floridian college football world.

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