:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66099178/Gasparilla_Bowl_96.0.jpg)
The UCF Knights finished the 2019 season ranked at #24 in both the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll, climbing back into the rankings for the final time this season.
It’s the third straight year and fifth time overall that UCF has finished a season ranked. It’s also the first time UCF has finished ranked despite not winning its division, let alone its conference:
UCF Football in Final Rankings
| Year | Record | Conf. | Conference Finish | Bowl Result | AP | Coaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Record | Conf. | Conference Finish | Bowl Result | AP | Coaches |
| 2010 | 11-3 | 7-1 | C-USA Champions | W Liberty Bowl vs. Georgia | 21 | 20 |
| 2013 | 12-1 | 8-0 | AAC Champions | W Fiesta Bowl vs. #6 Baylor | 10 | 12 |
| 2017 | 13-0 | 8-0 | AAC Champions | W Peach Bowl vs. #7 Auburn | 6 | 7 |
| 2018 | 12-1 | 8-0 | AAC Champions | L Fiesta Bowl vs. #11 LSU | 12 | 11 |
| 2019 | 10-3 | 6-2 | 2nd, AAC East | W Gasparilla Bowl vs. Marshall | 24 | 24 |
AP Top 25: #24
Back where we belong.#ChargeOn ⚔️ #Go1and0 pic.twitter.com/sLbgVjpBlS
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) January 14, 2020
UCF is one of four American teams in the AP Top 25, behind #17 Memphis, #20 Navy, and #21 Cincinnati. A total of seven non-autonomous conference teams landed in the rankings, including #19 Appalachian State, #22 Air Force and #23 Boise State.
The Knights started the year at #17 in the preseason AP Poll and got as high as #15 before their first loss of the season at Pitt. They stayed ranked until Week 6, when they finally fell out of the polls following their second loss of the season at Cincinnati.
USA Today Coaches Poll: #24
LSU solidified its place in college football history to finish the season No. 1 in the @AmwayUS Coaches Poll. @WeAreAFCA https://t.co/JAJfSeWD04 pic.twitter.com/jxMRGVPx0f
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) January 14, 2020
Four American teams also finished in the final Coaches Poll, all in the exact same slots as in the AP poll (#17 Memphis, #20 Navy, and #21 Cincinnati). Appalachian State was one spot higher at #18, and Boise State (#22) and Air Force (#23) were flipped.
UCF started the year at #17 in the Coaches Poll, dropped out in Week 6 after the Cincinnati loss, and didn’t reappear until today.
Finishing the year ranked and with double-digit wins means that, at the very least, UCF should be considered for a preseason ranking heading into 2020. But for a season that saw some up-and-down moments, finishing with a number next to your name in both major rankings is a nice way to conclude the 2019 campaign.
UCF opens the 2020 season against North Carolina at home in approximately 233 days.