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Florida Football: Gus Malzahn thinks UCF is on the same level as UF

By Benjamin Henderson

Oct 22, 2022; Greenville, North Carolina, USA; UCF Knights head coach Gus Malzahn looks on before the game during warmups against the East Carolina Pirates at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2022; Greenville, North Carolina, USA; UCF Knights head coach Gus Malzahn looks on before the game during warmups against the East Carolina Pirates at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /
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We all know that the last two seasons have not been to the standard that Florida Football fans would like. Back-to-back 6-7 seasons have left the Gators in a position that is difficult to push back against a larger narrative.

Yet there is a reality that playing in the SEC had led to more losses for the Gators as opposed to playing in the AAC. And while UCF is moving to a dilapidated Big 12, that doesn’t mean the noisy neighbors to the south are on the same level as the Big Three in the state of Florida just yet.

Florida Football: Get on my level

In a two-piece article with The Oklahoman, UCF head coach Guz Malzahan said that he thinks it’s time to consider the Knights among the elite program in the state of Florida.

In the second part, he points out that recruiting for UCF has improved, and the 2023 recruiting class was the best recruiting class in school history.

So how do we say this gently?

The fan base for the Florida Gators thought the world was falling when Billy Napier only pulled off the 14th-ranked class in the country for 2023.

UCF’s supposed best-ranked class in school history was ranked 50th.

You know how right now Florida has a top-five class for 2024?

UCF is currently 69th and behind USF.

“But Ben, I’m an angry UCF fan that’s going to flood your personal Twitter page that you don’t actually check with comments about how UCF beat Florida football on the field the last time both teams played.”

Yes, congrats. You engineered a second-half comeback against a squad that had fired its head coach, fired its defensive coordinator, had an interim head coach that was the special teams coordinator, and had a graphic on-screen throughout the game about how the starting Florida QB was transferring after the game.

Your Super Bowl was a game that half of Gator Nation didn’t even watch.

You want to know why no one respects going 12-0 in the AAC?

Because it’s the AAC, and there are 20+ Power Five programs that could do that every year.

There is a reason UCF left that conference to join the big boys, and if going 12-0 is so easy, then prove it this year in the Big 12.

We here at Hail Florida Hail will be the first to give credit if Gus and crew elevate the Knights to a ceiling that matches the ceiling that the Florida Gators have.

But just know to survive week in and week out in the SEC, it requires more than the 50th-ranked recruiting class.

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